Oh God, What Now?

Latest Episodes:

Two Kids on the Block Jul 21, 2023

Show notes

Is keeping the Tory two-child benefit cap Starmer’s biggest mistake? We look at Labour’s trade-off between maintaining deadly seriousness on the economy and the party’s core beliefs. Plus, in a new irregular series we look ahead at the huge challenges facing the next government. This time: defence. Are Britain’s armed forces fit for purpose and how will Labour deal with troop levels, cyber war and costly nukes in a world where “there is no money left”? Politics professor Richard Whitman of the University of Kent joins us to explain.

https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn and Arthur Snell. Audio producer: Alex Rees. Producer: Chris Jones. Art: James Parrett. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Nasty party to get nastier Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

Will the UK’s new trade deal with the CPTPP fill the massive, gaping hole that Brexit left? No, probably not. So why are the Tories framing this as a huge win? Plus, Rishi and his mates are acting ‘ard. Will this new tough act win them votes, or is it just pushing us all even further away? That’s Oh God, What Now? with special guest Padraig Reidy, political commentator and editor of the literature, science, art and politics magazine littleatoms.com.

“The problem here is we’re doing an agreement with places that are quite far away.” – Seth Thevoz
“This deal is like having a horrible partner rather than dying alone.” – Jacob Jarvis.
“There is something very patronising about the whole toughness rhetoric.” – Seth Thevoz.
“I think we’re in a spiral at the moment of a Tory party just trying anything.” – Padraig Reidy.
“They’ve just run out of new ways of being wankers basically.” – Padraig Reidy.

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis with Yasmeen Serhan, Seth Thévoz, and guest Padraig Reidy. Producers: Alex Rees. Assistance: Adam Wright. Social Media Producer: Jess Harpin Audio production by: Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production

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Is Britain begging for boring? Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

Labour’s policies aren’t exciting or even that clear. But is boring what Britain needs right now? Or is it ultimately leading to a lack of confidence in Labour leadership. Plus, George Osborne's wedding was disrupted by Just Stop Oil, OR WAS IT? Either way, was the extensive coverage of the orange confetti attack proof the group is making an impact? And in the extra bit for subscribers, are Gen Z just slackers who don’t want to work hard? That’s Oh God, What Now? With Paper Cuts’ Miranda Sawyer.

“I am happy to put on the record that I am finding the Labour Party incredibly boring at the moment.” – Marie Le Conte.
Instead of "Yes We Can", it's "We'd love to, but..." - Matt Green.
“I don’t know what kind of poll lead they need to be braver.” – Dorian Lynskey.
“I genuinely think if Labour get in they will do things around, education, around social housing, that will make a difference…I BELIEVE” – Miranda Sawyer.
“This idea that there's no difference between non violent protest and an assassination attempt is so disingenuous.” – Matt Green.

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Matt Green, Marie Le Conte and Paper Cuts’ Miranda Sawyer. Producer: Alex Rees & Adam Wright. Social Media Producer: Jess Harpin. Audio production by: Alex Rees. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Break Class in Case of Emergency Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

Keir Starmer announces plans to break the Class Ceiling. Will inequality be the big issue in the next election? And WTF is “oracy” anyway? As ticket offices disappear from the railways, are we in course of a society without face-to-face contact? Plus, the meaning of Biden’s visit to the UK, the feeding frenzy over the BBC’s SEX STORY, and who are our heroes and villains of the week? Listen for surprise revelations about our panel’s social life…

Listen to our new newspaper review podcast PAPER CUTS here. https://listen.podmasters.uk/PCogwn

• “Smashing the class ceiling isn’t new territory for the Labour Party – it’s the POINT of the Labour Party.” – Ayesha Hazarika

• “Repeating slogans works in politics. But when ‘Strong and Stable’ ends up on a novelty birthday card then you know you’ve gone too far.” – Tom Peck

• “It’s hard for Sunak to get away with saying ‘hold your nerve’ when he personally doesn’t have to hold any nerve at all.” – Hannah Fearn

• “When you are at that level of politics … you never need to lift a finger again to do anything basic.” – Ayesha Hazarika

Presented by Alex Andreou with Hannah Fearn, Ayesha Hazarika and Tom Peck. Audio producer: Robin Leeburn. Producer: Chris Jones. Art: James Parrett. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Miriam Cates and her Horrible Mates Jul 07, 2023

Show notes

Meet this week’s Tory game-changer: Miriam Cates and her New Conservatives. Will their wizard scheme to kick out foreign care-home workers and stamp out sex education save the Tories’ bacon? Is she real or a cartoon rightist from a British version of The Handmaid’s Tale?

Plus: Farage Against The Cash Machine. Can Zuckerberg’s new idea Threads kill Twitter? Our special guest Henry Morris AKA mischievous mega-tweeter ‘The Secret Tory’ tells how he hoodwinked everyone from your pub pals to the commanding heights of politics. And in the Extra Bit… Streaming TV is in trouble. Why?

Tickets for Origin Story Live are here: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/ZwCihZbENZ

Listen to our new newspaper review podcast PAPER CUTS here. https://listen.podmasters.uk/PCogwn

• “Cates’s ‘Labour will nationalise our children’ thing reminds me of Emma Barnett asking if Labour were going to nationalise sausages.” – Zöe Grünewald

• “As they say, the first casualty of the Culture War is the will to live.” – Henry Morris

• “Maybe we DO need antagonists on social media? Otherwise people are just too nice?” – Marie le Conte

Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Marie le Conte and Zöe Grünewald. Audio producer: Alex Rees. Producer: Chris Jones. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Art: James Parrett. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Suell-Air Flight 666 to Rwanda is cancelled Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

As the Supreme Court grounds Braverman’s Rwanda plan, what will the Tory Right try to pull us out of next? The ECHR, the continent of Europe, or three-dimensional reality itself? Plus, What’s new about the “New” Conservatives? Who’s about to get reshuffled? The NHS’s 75th birthday prompts the Tories to do some of that recruiting stuff, after only 13 years in power. And in a new feature: who are our Heroes and Villains of the Week?

Listen to our new paper review podcast PAPER CUTS here. https://listen.podmasters.uk/PCogwn

• “Does anyone really think that the key to a better Britain is to get rid of care workers and foreign students?” – Gavin Esler

• “Rwanda is a really good example of the Conservatives not realising that everyone else can hear what they’re saying as well as their base…” – Rachel Cunliffe

• “They’re so desperate for another Brexit. What’s next? Take back more control? Get Brexit done-r?” – Matt Green

Presented by Alex Andreou, Rachel Cunliffe, Gavin Esler and Matt Green. Audio producer: Alex Rees. Producer: Chris Jones. Art: James Parrett. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Don't Look Back in Wagner Jun 30, 2023

Show notes

Matt Hancock appears before the COVID inquiry – can he ever be forgiven? And Prigozhin has been exiled to Belarus – but how has his Wagner mutiny left Putin’s position in the Moscow. And what does this mean for Ukraine? Then in the extra bit for subscribers, yet another pointless news ‘story’ does the rounds. Why do we put up with churnalism?

“It’s hard to imagine that Prigozhin will get a long retirement on the golf course.” – Arthur Snell
“Prigozhin was acting out of desperation.” – Arthur Snell

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell, Marie Le Conte, and guest Rachel Wearmouth. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Alex Rees & Chris Jones. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Conflict of Interest Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

Interest rates have reached the highest level for 15 years but don’t worry because Rishi Sunak says he’s: “totally, 100% on it”. Is he? Or is that totally, 100% rubbish? Is Cronyism getting worse? And if it is, how do we stop ministers from appointing their mates into positions of power? Did you see the all-leave BBC Brexit special last week? We did. The panel gives us their thoughts. And we get the latest mutiny news from Doomsday Watch’s Arthur Snell as tempers flare in Russia.

Listen to our new paper review podcast PAPER CUTS here. https://listen.podmasters.uk/PCogwn

“We have some of the worst inflation in Europe, by quite some way.” – Seth Thevoz.
“There is a portion of the population, no matter how tiny, that would quite like a recession.” – Seth Thevoz.
“For those this affects, this will be a painful period.” – Hannah Fearn.
“The honors system was designed to be corrupt. It’s doing what it’s supposed to do.” – Seth Thevoz

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Alex Andreou with Hannah Fearn, Seth Thevoz, and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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The Seven Year Itch Jun 23, 2023

Show notes

It's been seven years since the Brexit vote. Are you surprised we’re still speaking about it? We’re not. Speaking of votes, there are three by-elections coming up because Tories keep quitting. Is our electoral system fair? Is it democratic? Or is it time for a change? And in the extra bit for subscribers the panel discusses how departed MPs should behave post parliament. That’s Oh God, What Now? With special guest and founder of Fair Vote UK, Kyle Taylor.

“Brexit is this massive thing that has turned my life upside down.” – Alex Andreou
“The Tories need to move on from Brexit but Sunak isn’t the man to do that.” – Hannah Fearn
“I think the EU referendum in 2016 was the beginning of the end of democracy in our parts of the world.” – Kyle Taylor
“Without question we’re going to see what the role of AI does to our elections soon.” – Kyle Taylor

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis with Hannah Fearn, Alex Andreou and guest Kyle Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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The Party's Over: Boris Johnson-free edition! Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

The Covid inquiry is well underway but we won’t get the findings well-after 2026 and THEN some. Too long? Suella Braverman’s wish to increase powers to stop street protests has come true with little to no resistance from Labour. Our panel discuss why? Plus, private school officials hurled the most private school insults at Labour’s shadow education secretary. It called her “chippy” and said she knew “diddly” for planning to add VAT to school fees, A-class snobbery or justified comment?

“You don’t do your mingling when there’s a plague!” – Andrew Harrison
“I was recently disheartened seeing those headlines saying the inquiry had been politicised.” – Rachel Cunliffe
“It’s only just started and already we’ve started to lose sight of what the point of this inquiry is meant to be.” – Rachel Cunliffe.
“If they want this inquiry to be useful, it needs to be done quicker.” – Tom Peck
“I think privately these ‘chippy’ comments will make Labour quite happy.” – Tom Peck

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison with Tom Peck, Rachel Cunliffe and Arthur Snell. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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