Oh God, What Now?

Latest Episodes:

The Invisible Government Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

You’d think Rishi Sunak would be pushing ministers to take the flack amid the current crises – but they’re remarkably quiet. Where are the rest of his Cabinet? Plus, while Eurosceptics suggested Britain’s EU departure would weaken the bloc, the opposite has happened. Quelle surprise… And we talk about the spread of toxic masculinity online. Can we stop it earlier? Special guest Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor at New Statesman, joins our panel this week.

“Hunt is like the villain in a kids’ cartoon, you never see him but you hear whispers of him” – Marie Le Conte
“It’s slim pickings for Sunak, he’s inherited a party that was deliberately purged.” – Tom Peck
“Politicians can only do okay in the media if they have okay policies, and everything is so bad right now there’s no win for the Government.” – Tom Peck
“People abroad have no idea how things have ended up so bad in Britain.” – Anoosh Chakelian

Check out the latest podcast from Podmasters, Jam Tomorrow – an assessment of the promises made to Britain after the Second World War: https://kite.link/JTS1

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www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Alex Andreou with Marie Le Conte and Tom Peck. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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TEASER - Jam Tomorrow, the brand new series from Podmasters Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

A special preview of our new series - search for Jam Tomorrow in your favourite podcast app or visit https://kite.link/JTS1

How did Britain’s dreams of a new postwar world go unfulfilled? And what does that mean for us today? In the first of a new documentary series from the makers of Oh God, What Now?, Ros Taylor looks at the legacy of the War itself. Ιdeals of the Blitz Spirit and dreams of wartime heroism still shape everything from pop culture and entertainment to the Brexit debate. But the truth of the War is more complex and less comforting. What will it take for us to see the Second World War – and ourselves – clearly?

• “If you’re going to have a foundation myth it might as well be one where you destroy Nazism.” – Al Murray

• “If the response to air raid wasn’t stoicism there was a fear that morale would break down.” – Lucy Noakes

• “The Keep Calm And Carry On poster was designed for a type of war that never arrived.” – Henry Irvine

• “Britain went into the war not alone but at the head of the world’s biggest empire… When Britain went to war, so did vast part of the world.” – Lucy Noakes

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Jade Bailey. Voiceovers by Imogen Robertson. Original music by Dubstar. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Jam Tomorrow is a Podmasters production.

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Tell me what UK wants, what UK really, really wants Jan 13, 2023

Show notes

Rishi Sunak is constantly trying to reject the idea he could be out of touch – but, seriously, does he have any idea what Britain wants? This week’s guest Ben Walker, of Britain Elects and New Statesman, picks apart the polls to get in the mind of voters. Plus, political donations – how can we avoid undue influence and, dare we suggest it… corruption? Are more stringent rules needed?

“Everyone is feeling the cost of living crisis, going to a supermarket is like a radicalising process.” – Ben Walker
“The economy was where the Conservatives were always king – but not now.” – Ben Walker
“Sunak doesn’t have that sort of Blair talent to know intuitively what people want.” – Arthur Snell
“It still feels like a Chancellor who happens to be Prime Minister, rather than watching a Prime Minister.” – Ahir Shah

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This week's edition is sponsored by Policy Mogul - a real-time political and parliamentary monitoring, influence, and stakeholder mapping platform for public affairs and policy professionals. Find out more at policymogul.com and don't forget to mention Oh God, What Now? if you send them an enquiry.

Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell and Ahir Shah. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Resting Pitch Face Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

Sunak and Starmer's battle of the speeches marked this year’s first blue on red ding dong. What are their respective pitches? The panel plays a game of spot the difference between the pair’s positions and policies. Plus, as the PM tries to hibernate through the new Winter of Discontent – is he sleepwalking towards a General Strike? And, finally, we unpack the pros and cons of tea-spilling biographies. Anybody heard about one of those recently?

“None of these policies mean anything. There’s no time given for debt falling.” – Ian Dunt
“It’s not about what the people want, it’s about wavering target voters.” – Ian Dunt
“I can’t see a world where Sunak doesn’t lead the Conservatives into the next election, so now Labour knows who the opponent is.” – Marie Le Conte
“The Government assumed the usual dynamics around strikes would prevail, and they have not prevailed.” – Ian Dunt
“We have a bunch of not very talented people shunted into ministerial positions saying what they think they’re meant to say.” – Gavin Esler

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Presented by Alex Andreou with Gavin Esler, Ian Dunt and Marie Le Conte . Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Sunak’s Weapons of Maths Distraction Jan 06, 2023

Show notes

Ah, a new year. A time to reflect and make changes. And here comes Sunak with his five pledges… Well, I guess there’s always next year (thanks very much, fixed-term parliaments act). With the NHS in crisis, strikes never ending and the cost of living spiralling out of control – surely we need more than more maths lessons? Plus, after Christmas drew charity into focus – has the state simply offloaded its responsibilities to Good Samaritans?

“The crisis is the result of nearly 13 years of Tory Government and it will take a really long time to fix the damage that they’ve done.” – Naomi Smith
“Sunak’s speech was a pretty mealy-mouthed set of pledges with a maths lesson thrown in.” – Arthur Snell
“It felt like Sunak was saying. ‘I became a millionaire with maths, you can too.’” – Naomi Smith

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Presented by Ros Taylor, Arthur Snell, Naomi Smith and Seth Thévoz. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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The 20 Worst Moments of 2022 – Our Top Ten Dec 23, 2022

Show notes

Good will to all men and all that but first, join us for a final airing of grievances. What are the top 10 most infuriating, baffling and rage inducing events of the past year? Our panel counts down to number one in the second half of our 20 worst moments from 2022. They unpack everything from record temperatures, tyrannical leaders to unprecedented sewage spills – and that’s not a metaphor for Boris Johnson or Liz Truss, they get mentions of their own…

“Trump didn’t realise that you can’t just declassify materials by thinking it. This is not a telepathic presidency.” – Arthur Snell
"Is the Royal Family now just a conduit of unhappiness of how Britain has treated its colonies?” – Ros Taylor
“The Government basically cold-called countries like a double glazing salesman and the first country to say sure, we’ll take your money was Rwanda.” – Alex Andreou

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Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Arthur Snell, Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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The 20 Worst Moments of 2022 – Part One Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

So what were the REAL big events of 2022? From Matt Hancock stinking up the jungle to the true meaning of Wagatha Christie to the Mail’s efforts to get Beergate off the ground, we look back on 12 months of mendacity, grift, fantasy and denialism – and that’s just Boris Johnson.

“Truss was more useless and more mad than even Johnson realised” – Tom Peck
“We should have Wagatha Christie once a year as a tradition. Pick two celebs who have a very stupid fight that ends up in court”. – Marie le Conte
“Johnson’s leaving speechwas a good reminder that no, he hasn’t changed. He’s exactly who he said he was going to be”. – Tom Peck

Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie le Conte, Ahir Shah and Tom Peck. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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The Hustles from Brussels Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

After Eva Kaili and the corruption arrests in Brussels, is EU democracy really in trouble? Meanwhile, as all the little strikes coalesce into a big one, why do governments love “sending the army in to fix it”? And new research shows working class participation in the creative industries has halved since the 70s. We go behind the figures to ask why. Ian Dunt, Hannah Fearn and Alex Andreou join host Andrew Harrison to huddle around a warm mixing desk.

“UEFA and FIFA are cesspits for siphoning dirty money, money which infects the rest of our body politic.” – Alex Andreou
“It’s unbelievable how there were no basic checks on modern slavery during the pandemic.” – Hannah Fearn
“The Telegraph suggest bringing in the army for every problem at least 8 times a month.” – Ian Dunt
“Our biggest export is Downton Abbey, so of course our biggest actors are the ones who went to Eton.” – Alex Andreou

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Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou, Hannah Fearn and Ian Dunt. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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A Very Oh God, What Now? Christmas LIVE – Part Two Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

Scramble back from the bar for Part Two of OGWN LIVE at London’s 21Soho club. We pick apart the Main Characters of 2022 and ask who made the more lasting mark on the world: Musk, Zelenskyy, the Lionesses or… someone else? Plus more Peer and Loathing and audience questions too. Get the mulled wine in. It’s as good as being there.

PATREON BONUS: Live video coming soon too…

Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey with panelists Naomi Smith, Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Producer: Jet Geburtson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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A Very Oh God, What Now? Christmas LIVE – Part One Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

Join the OGWN panel LIVE at London’s 21Soho club to look back on 2022 in a gala evening of high-octane political complaining. On the agenda: The ongoing collapse of the Conservative Party, the Year in Keir, and a fiendish Christmas party game called Peer And Loathing. Get the mulled wine in and turn up the volume. Part Two coming tomorrow, Weds 14.

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