The Peter McCormack Show

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#128 - Paul M. Sutter - The Universe, Consciousness & Why We Might Be Alone Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

Paul M. Sutter is a theoretical cosmologist, astrophysicist and author who takes the biggest questions of existence.

From the origins of the universe to the limits of human understanding. His ability to connect abstract physics with everyday curiosity turns complex science into something emotional, philosophical and unforgettable.

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:03:00 – What Is the Universe? 00:08:40 – Observable vs True Size 00:12:00 – The Shape of Reality 00:16:00 – The Cosmic Web 00:21:30 – Dark Matter & Evidence 00:40:00 – What Is a Particle? 00:44:00 – Quantum Fields & Reality 00:46:00 – Why Does It All Work? 00:57:00 – Are We Alone? 01:02:00 – The Goldilocks Problem 01:08:00 – The Wow Signal 01:15:00 – Biosignatures & James Webb 01:20:00 – Life Beyond Earth 01:28:00 – Getting to Mars 01:36:00 – Why Mars Is So Hard 01:48:00 – Is The Money Worth It? 01:53:00 – Alien Theories & Avi Loeb 01:58:00 – Comets vs Asteroids 02:01:00 – Science as Human Meaning 02:04:00 – Final Thoughts

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#127 - Ewen Stewart - The Leviathan State, Civilisational Decline & the Way Back Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Ewen Stewart is one of the UK's sharpest economic thinkers.

In this conversation, we unpack what's gone wrong, from bloated welfare and debt-fuelled decline to brain drain, overregulation, collapsing growth and the cultural death spiral hollowing out the UK.

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:05:00 – Growth Collapse Since 2008 00:07:17 – Austerity Was a Myth 00:10:00 – Quangos, Control & Chaos 00:17:58 – Brain Drain & Stagnation 00:20:39 – The Rich Are Leaving 00:23:01 – Lessons From Ireland 00:25:51 – Britain's Last Assets 00:27:15 – What Killed Entrepreneurship 00:30:54 – Can We Cut the State? 00:33:30 – BBC, Civil Service & Pushback 00:35:48 – Reform Needs a Plan 00:38:40 – Spending Cuts & Tax Strategy 00:41:00 – Employment Law Is Killing Jobs 00:50:12 – Sound Money & Tax Cuts 00:52:55 – Energy Prices Are Killing Industry 00:56:25 – The Civil Service Is Unaccountable 01:10:30 – Culture, Decay & the Death Spiral 01:13:00 – What Sound Money Really Means 01:16:30 – Why Keynesianism Dominates Everything 01:21:00 – Why We Need a Counter-Revolution 01:26:00 – Hope, Talent & the 11th Hour 01:29:40 – Britain's Economic Identity Crisis 01:38:30 – Why No One Wants Growth 01:42:00 – Final Thoughts

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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/

EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

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#126 - Ant Middleton - Why Violence Creates Freedom Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

Ant Middleton is a Special Forces veteran, author, and former SAS: Who Dares Wins star. He joins the show for a conversation about identity, violence, service, and what's gone wrong in Britain.

From his military career and time in prison to his rise in the media and now politics, Ant lays out why he feels a duty to serve again — this time as Mayor of London.

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:04:36 – Violence, Aggression & Mastery 00:11:16 – Freedom, Fear & State Control 00:16:45 – Multiculturalism vs British Culture 00:25:00 – The Discipline Deficit 00:30:22 – Sadiq Khan, Grooming Gangs & Denial 00:36:45 – Failure, Ego & Accountability 00:41:00 – Serving the Public Again 00:45:30 – Three Pillars of Trust 00:50:12 – Tax, Control & Silent Partners 00:57:30 – Why Business Is Broken 01:03:00 – How to Win in Politics 01:07:00 – Civil Unrest & the Line to Violence 01:12:30 – Victimhood vs Self-Mastery 01:18:00 – Excellence, Ego & Daily Debrief 01:22:00 – Service, Sacrifice & Family 01:28:00 – Brining London's Energy Back 01:30:25 – Closing Thoughts

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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/

EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

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#125 - Tom Slater - Policing Speech & Ignoring Crime: The Decay of the UK Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

Tom Slater is the editor of Spiked, one of the most important voices in the UK free speech movement.

We cover: – Why free speech is collapsing in Britain – The absurdity of arresting 30+ people a day for tweets – The rise of soft censorship & speech policing – Why Labour has abandoned the working class – Illegal immigration, NGO rackets & the new elite – The failure of the police – Why we need direct democracy and state decentralisation – The case for cultural renewal and citizen power

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:03:45 – State Overreach & Free Speech 00:13:10 – Labour's Class Betrayal 00:17:55 – NGO Rackets & Migration 00:22:47 – Hotel Contracts & Public Anger 00:26:38 – Crime, Housing & Council Collapse 00:31:14 – Police Don't Stop Crime 00:36:30 – 30 Arrests a Day for Tweets 00:40:45 – Real Free Speech Cases 00:46:02 – NHS, Rackets & Reform 00:51:00 – Can We Save Policing? 00:56:00 – Speech Laws, Censorship & Culture 01:00:40 – Why the Public Are Right 01:06:10 – Direct Democracy 01:11:00 – Councils & Local Control 01:15:00 – Media Bias 01:18:15 – The Political Class Is Finished 01:23:00 – Can Reform Deliver? 01:28:00 – Why Free Speech Still Matters 01:32:30 – The Middle-Class Protection Racket 01:36:45 – Cultural Decay & Cowardice 01:40:10 – Final Thoughts

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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/

EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

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#124 - Zia Yusuf - We Have One Shot to Fix Britain Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

Zia Yusuf returns to the show for a follow-up on where Britain is going and how Reform UK plans to fix it.

We cover: – Why Britain is no longer investable – The flight of wealth & what it means for services – Immigration, sectarian politics & cultural decline – Why reform needs real power – Energy policy & net zero – A first principles approach to taxation, debt & GDP – What Reform's economic plan focuses on – Whether Zia will run for Parliament

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:02:54 – Green Party & Cultural Decline 00:04:53 – The Collapse of Labour Strongholds 00:10:07 – Preparing for Government 00:11:30 – One Shot to Fix Britain 00:16:18 – Mass Immigration, No Integration 00:19:32 – Why the Rich Are Leaving 00:21:54 – Law, Safety & Taxpayer Rage 00:24:46 – AI, Inequality & Asset Owners 00:27:20 – The Energy Cost Disaster 00:29:17 – Why Wealth Creation Matters 00:31:46 – The Global Market for Wealth 00:34:08 – Normalising Decline in Britain 00:36:15 – The Prison Space Crisis 00:41:57 – Deficit Spending & Money Printing 00:47:00 – Net Zero, Fuel Bills & Growth 00:51:00 – GDP vs GDP Per Capita 00:53:12 – Building an Investable Country 00:59:42 – SEND Costs & No Local Control 01:06:00 – The Democratic Deficit in Councils 01:08:03 – State Reform & Voter Power 01:14:26 – Will Zia Run for Parliament? 01:16:26 – Closing Thoughts

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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/

EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

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#123 - Ian Rogers - The Coming 25 Years Will Be Unrecognisable - AGI, Quantum & The End of Labour Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

Ian Rogers ran digital at LVMH and worked with everyone from Apple to the Beastie Boys. In this conversation, we dive into culture, technology, politics, and the collapse of the old systems & what might replace them.

We explore: – Why education is broken & what should replace it – AI, quantum & disruptive technologies – From state to network: Balaji's thesis and the network future – Creativity, free speech & the failure of mainstream culture – How to raise kids who thrive in chaos – What punk rock teaches us about politics, identity & belonging

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:06:25 – The Algorithm Killed Music 00:16:40 – Why We Made Zines 00:21:03 – How Technology Shapes Culture 00:30:32 – Education Is Now Obsolete 00:35:17 – Teaching Kids to Think 00:41:00 – AI, Quantum & the Unknown 00:47:23 – From State to Network 00:51:55 – Navigating Post-Truth Politics 00:56:10 – Should We Still Go to Uni? 01:05:18 – Network Neighbours vs Real Ones 01:08:42 – Politics, Identity & Belonging 01:14:55 – Left, Right & Free Thinking 01:20:00 – From Curiosity to Courage 01:24:12 – Creativity in the Age of AI 01:29:37 – Fairness, Copyright & Compromise 01:34:50 – Creative UBI & the BBC 01:40:12 – Arbitrary Taxation Might Be OK 01:47:28 – Closing Thoughts: The Case for Hope

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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/

EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

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#122 - William Clouston - Beyond the Doom Loop: A New Politics for Britain Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

William Clouston returns to the show for a wide-ranging conversation about Britain's decline, from collapsing public services and economic stagnation to mass immigration, energy failure and the breakdown of trust in our institutions.

We explore: – Why the UK economy is no longer investable – The energy crisis, net zero myths & failed privatisation – NHS failure & workforce caps – The collapse of public order – The SDP's vision for direct provision & industrial revival – Why Labour can't fix this

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:06:28 – Britain Is No Longer Investable 00:10:15 – Energy Crisis & Net Zero 00:16:03 – Diversity Quotas 00:20:37 – Government Waste, Grift & Agencies 00:32:45 – Councils Collapsing 00:37:50 – The Doom Loop in Housing 00:51:30 – Broken Incentives 01:03:00 – Policing & Public Safety 01:16:00 – Why the SDP Matters 01:20:00 – Fusion Politics: Red & Blue 01:24:00 – America Feels Hopeful 01:30:34 – The Future of the Right 01:38:42 – Reform, Realignment & Political Conviction 01:44:00 – Social vs Liberal 01:50:45 – What is Economic Nationalism 02:04:00 – The Inflection Point 02:08:20 – Final Thoughts

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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/

EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

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#121 - Curtis Yarvin PT.2 - From Caesar to Satoshi: Why Political & Economic Systems Fail Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

In Part 2 of our conversation, Curtis Yarvin covers political decay, Austrian economics and the origins of money and Bitcoin.

We explore: – Monarchy as the most honest system of rule – The flaw in free-market libertarianism – Mises vs Keynes vs Friedrich List – What the Austrians got right & wrong – Why personal net worth is the real inflation metric – The theoretical origin of money – Bitcoin vs gold question

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:05:38 – Farage, Reform & Populism's Trap 00:10:50 – Monarchy as a Political System 00:17:34 – Caesar vs Commodus 00:25:38 – Democracy's Many Failure Modes 00:30:11 – Corporate Governance as Political Metaphor 00:33:25 – Austrian Economics & Intellectual Capture 00:40:32 – System Software & Building Urbit 00:49:29 – Economics as Propaganda 00:54:12 – Why GDP Is a Lie 01:01:07 – Mises vs Keynes 01:05:00 – Mercantilism & Friedrich List 01:09:21 – Personal Net Worth = Inflation 01:14:18 – Bitcoin, Gold & Store of Value 01:24:05 – The Nash Equilibrium of Money 01:30:34 – Why Axes Can't Be Money 01:35:26 – Why Bitcoin Wins 01:38:16 – The Path to Remonetisation 01:46:43 – How Close He Got to Bitcoin 01:50:00 – Final Thoughts

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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/

EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

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#120 - Lisa Townsend - Common-sense Policing: Drugs, Gangs and Hurty Words Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

Lisa Townsend is the elected Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the Conservative Party in Surrey. In this interview, we discuss openly about the failure of prohibition, the politicisation of policing & growing crime.

We discuss: – Crime, police priorities & why frontline officers are demoralised – Drugs, gangs & the rise of middle-class shoplifting – Whether prohibition has failed & what to do about it – Policing vs mental health vs social work: who's doing what? – State bloat & NHS reform – The case for decentralisation, taxpayer control & back-to-basics policing

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:04:45 – Public Safety 00:10:20 – PCCs vs Politicised Policing 00:15:30 – What the PCC Role Does 00:18:49 – The Real Job of Oversight 00:28:10 – Who Should Enter Politics? 00:32:00 – Can We Still Afford the State? 00:36:30 – Crime, Cost & Council Collapse 00:46:30 – Who Really Sets Police Priorities? 00:56:00 – The Shoplifting Spiral 01:01:30 – Middle-Class Theft Surge 01:06:30 – The Cocaine Hypocrisy 01:10:45 – Policing's Hidden Frontlines 01:16:00 – Has Prohibition Failed? 01:21:00 – Drugs, Markets & Legalisation 01:32:45 – What Should the State Do? 01:42:00 – The Mental Health Breakdown 01:51:00 – NHS Reform & Political Cowardice 01:56:00 – Can the PCC Model Work? 02:00:00 – Should PCCs Be Better Known? 02:06:00 – What's Wasting Police Time? 02:08:00 – Final Thoughts

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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/

EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

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#119 - Curtis Yarvin - The Tyranny of Democracy - The Illusion of Choice Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

Curtis Yarvin — aka Mencius Moldbug — is the most controversial political thinker alive. In this interview, he lays out his honest analysis of how the modern West is ruled: not by democracy or elections, but by an entrenched oligarchy of institutions, academia, media and the permanent bureaucracy.

We explore: – Why democracy is an illusion & always was – The Fabian takeover & the myth of progress – Harvard as the ruling class of America – The origins of managerialism & regime control – Virology, censorship & the corruption of science – Revolution, monarchy & the path to reform

CONNECT WITH CURTIS YARVIN › X/Twitter - https://x.com/curtis_yarvin

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:04:36 – What Is Democracy Really? 00:10:18 – The One-Party State Thesis 00:14:55 – How the Cathedral Works 00:20:05 – Why the Right Always Loses 00:26:40 – Democracy Is a Religion 00:34:12 – Voting as Ritual 00:39:20 – Replacing the Operating System 00:43:45 – Why Revolutions Don't Work 00:47:22 – Monarchy vs Anarchy 00:52:16 – The Problem With the Constitution 00:56:50 – Censorship & Institutional Capture 01:02:37 – Why the System Can't Be Fixed 01:08:04 – Trump, the Regime & the Illusion of Power 01:13:39 – Who Should Rule and How 01:21:11 – The Case for a CEO King 01:29:18 – What Bitcoin Reveals About Governance 01:36:07 – Technocracy, AI & State Collapse 01:43:29 – Why Progress Isn't Real 01:51:53 – The Myth of Enlightenment 01:57:42 – Why Yarvin Still Has Hope 02:03:25 – Final Thoughts

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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/

EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

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