Oh God, What Now?
Making sense of our political hell every Tuesday and Friday! Oh God, What Now? is the no-bulls**t politics podcast, making the unbearable bearable with top quality guests and analysis, plus poor quality jokes. Regulars include: Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry Of Truth: A Biography of Orwell’s 1984 and host of Origin Story • Alex Andreou, writer, commentator, cook, actor, secret agent • Writer and commentator Ros Taylor • Rachel Cunliffe of the New Statesman • Writer and host of This Is Not A Drill Gavin Esler • Hannah Fearn of the i paper • Comedian Matt Green • New Statesman policy and politics corresponent Zoë Grünewald • Group Editor Andrew Harrison • Journalist Marie Le Conte • Podmasters Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis Sign up and get ad-free shows earlier than anyone else: patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow. Oh God, What Now? is a Podmasters production
Episodes
April 19, 2024 • 66 mins
• Join us for OGWN: It’s Grim Up North London live in Islington on Mon 20 May. Tickets onsale now.
Liz Truss’ new book 10 Years To Save the West certainly isn’t a boring read but neither is it a good one. Actor and impressionist Jan Ravens joins the panel to pick through how Truss thought her 45 days of office went compared to reality and all her other ludicrous claims in between. Plus: Sunak’s cigs ban. Is it fair to create two t...
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April 16, 2024 • 63 mins
The Middle East is on the verge of all-out war after Iran fired missiles and drones into Israel. Where does Britain stand on this latest escalation – and would we be ready if things get worse? Labour has outlined its hopes to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP – but is that enough? CEO of Chatham House and host of the Independent Thinking podcast Bronwen Maddox talks to Ros Taylor. And it’s a But Your Emails special! Are ther...
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April 12, 2024 • 63 mins
Reform UK’s candidates have proven to be controversial, to say the least. But, unfortunately, the party seems to be doing ok in the polls. What does Tice’s group actually stand for and what are Reform’s policies? And in the second part, why are we so obsessed with the end of the world? Dorian Lynskey’s new book Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell about the End of the World explores that very idea – and the panel quizzes him ove...
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April 9, 2024 • 57 mins
Britain is the second most powerful country in the world… according to Sunak’s latest desperate brag anyway. You probably saw the weird collage the Tories posted on Twitter — but is there any truth to the party's claims? Or is this just another bizarre fantasy? Plus, Brexit is about to rear its ugly head even higher with new food import charges. What are they and why could they damage consumers and small businesses alike?
• “A cha...
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April 5, 2024 • 52 mins
What have fourteen years of Conservative rule done to Britain?, asks Sam Knight in that mega-piece by the New Yorker’s baffled readers. You might well ask, say our panel, who discuss what the world thinks of Britain’s weird experiment on itself. Plus, our special guest the political economist Will Hutton is here to talk about Labour’s options on the economy and his new book This Time No Mistakes: How to Remake Britain. And in the E...
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April 3, 2024 • 60 mins
The Royal Family are experiencing their worst year in decades. Is it time we wound down the Monarchy not just for our sake but for their sake too? Or are things best left the way they are? Plus, Boomers (not all of them we’ll add) are “used to having everything its own way”, says the Economist, but times are changing. Has the time of the Millennials finally come?
• “The Monarchy doesn’t provide a service like the BBC or the NHS bu...
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April 1, 2024 • 31 mins
While you wait for the next episode of Oh God, What Now? Why don't you give our sister podcast PAPER CUTS a try?
PAPER CUTS is the modern press review. We're out Monday to Friday, Miranda Sawyer and guests look at what’s behind the biggest stories, and bring you the weirdest headlines, the biggest scoops and the most astonishing manifestations of mass newspaper neurosis. Guests include Marcus Brigstocke, Rosie Holt, Jon Ellege, Sc...
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March 28, 2024 • 56 mins
What on earth were they thinking? The Conservative Party’s weird, dystopian, GOP-style attack ad on Sadiq Khan shows just how much the party has lost its mind. The panel unpack what was wrong with it and why the Tories might have thought this was a good idea at all. And Jeremy Hunt says £100k a year “doesn’t go far” – is he right? Or is he just massively out of touch? Plus, in the extra bit for subscribers what could replace the La...
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March 26, 2024 • 48 mins
Is The Sun newspaper starting to pivot towards supporting Keir Starmer? Will any of the rest of the Tory press follow suit? And does political endorsement from a newspaper even matter any more? Plus, double outrage as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves acknowledges that Margaret Thatcher was, you know, quite a big deal. Was she right to do so and why can't we stay level-headed around the Iron Lady?
• “I think there’s an acknowledgmen...
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March 22, 2024 • 62 mins
Rishi Sunak is going for yet another relaunch. Will it work? (Probably not…) Plus, plucky newcomer Vladimir Putin has won the Russian presidential election with a massive landslide of 87% which is DEFINITELY legitimate. What have we learned from this sham election and what does it mean for Russia? Dr Ben Noble is an associate professor of Russian politics at UCL and chats with Alex Andreou. And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, wil...
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March 19, 2024 • 55 mins
Why are we so obsessed with ‘The Red Wall’? What does it mean and are the Tories about to lose all of those seats in the North? Plus, new research shows the government’s levelling-up project has not worked… at all. Only 10% of the approved fund has been spent by councils. Why? And were the government’s missions ever achievable?
• “The red wall are actually voters who should’ve been Tory for quite a long time.” – Marie Le Conte
• ...
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March 15, 2024 • 52 mins
As the Tories face another racism row, we imagine a world where the Conservative Party simply didn’t exist. Would that be for the best for everyone? Plus, according to new research, only Uzbekistan is more miserable than the UK. What does this tell us about the British psyche? And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, is Kate Middleton just bad at Photoshop or is there a darker conspiracy at play? (PS. It’s definitely the first one.)
...
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March 12, 2024 • 60 mins
Lee Anderson has thrown a strop and joined Reform UK. What is this political journeyman trying to do – other than seek a load of attention? And, the budget hasn’t managed to win hearts and minds for the Tories. In fact, it made the dial creep in the wrong direction. What will they try next?
• “If the Tories choose to radicalise, then I’m sure Lee Anderson could find a home back within the party.” – Hannah Fearn
• “Talking up the ...
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March 8, 2024 • 55 mins
Jeremy Hunt’s budget has arrived. We unpack the good, bad and ugly – and ask: “Are we all going to be much richer now?” Short answer: No. Also, the BBC’s first-ever disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring joins the panel to discuss her new book Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland, how she wards off online hate – and why social media is so rife with conspiracy theorists.
Buy Among the Trolls: ...
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March 5, 2024 • 62 mins
Is Galloway’s victory in Rochdale quite the seismic event that Gorgeous George claims it is? With even Mail readers more likely to vote Labour than Tory, do the papers still have the power they used to? And there’s a debate brewing on assisted dying. What do our panel think? Plus, Budget tips, the Supreme Court on whether Trump gets on the ballot, and why Marie le Conte considers herself a Space Arab.
• “Literally nobody wants ...
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March 1, 2024 • 67 mins
After Lee Anderson and Suella Braverman’s recent outbursts, why are the Tories so scared of the word Islamophobia? And how deep does this issue run in the party? Plus, it’s a But Your Emails special! In the second half the panel answers as many of our listeners burning political questions as possible. Then in the Extra Bit for subscribers, what are political marches good for? The panel discusses their own experiences.
We’re on Yo...
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February 27, 2024 • 59 mins
30p Lee has shown his real worth by claiming that Islamists have “got control” of Sadiq Khan. Suella Braverman, however, says they’re already in charge. Why hasn’t she lost the whip but Lee Anderson has? The panel discusses whether we have an intimidation issue in politics. Plus, as the Tories head for oblivion, why do political parties fail to learn from their mistakes before it’s too late?
• “The Tories are Anderson’s enablers a...
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February 23, 2024 • 67 mins
We can’t believe we’re asking this, but is David Cameron showing some competence in his role as foreign secretary? Or is he just the best of a terrible Cabinet? The panel discusses how he’s performed so far – and whether we can ever really forgive him. The answer is no, we can’t, by the way. Plus, Our Ros Taylor’s written a book! The Future of Trust is out now! She discusses her work with the panel.
Buy The Future of Trust throug...
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February 20, 2024 • 59 mins
Why do the right-wing intelligentsia keep talking Britain down? Didn’t they get all they ever wanted when we left the EU? And who are the worst culprits? Plus: Remember when Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister and promised to fix the economy? Yes, well last week it emerged that Britain had entered a recession – nailed it. Has he completely failed on all his other goals too? That’s Oh God, What Now? with our special guest, political c...
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February 16, 2024 • 24 mins
The Tories have been trounced in the latest by-elections – who’d have guessed that would happen?! Sunak’s colleagues blamed a low turnout for the results in Kingswood and Wellingborough – is that fair? Or is the Tory electorate collapsing? What can we learn from these by-elections and what does this indicate, if anything, for the upcoming general election? Andrew Harrison is joined by Ros Taylor in an emergency edition.
“There w...
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