Planet Normal

The podcast that speaks your language. News and views from beyond the bubble with Telegraph columnists, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, every Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. há 4 h

    Boat-load of trouble: Channel fury, Israel sanctions & broke Britain

    You can watch this episode in full on Youtube: https://youtu.be/iZkeL-6UtSQ This week on Planet Normal, your co-pilots of sanity, Halligan and Pearson, strap into the rocket of right thinking to tackle a tumultuous news agenda. Allison argues following migrant protests in Portsmouth and Dover, that while black masks are wrong, millions of Brits share the anger over cross-channel immigration. She also takes aim at falling school standards in Wales and Scotland, and sounds the alarm over Ed Miliband’s foreign policy moves against Israel.  Meanwhile, Liam analyses the electoral earthquake in Saxony-Anhalt, where Germany's AfD swept 44% of the vote. And Fresh from the Reform UK conference in Birmingham, the duo dissects the appearance of France's Jordan Bardella alongside the fallout from Channel 4’s undercover sting.  Stowing away on the rocket this week is author Ross Clark, who joins to discuss his new book, Britain Is Bust: The Coming Sovereign Debt Crisis and What It Means for You. Ross breaks down the nation's ballooning debt and rising bond yields Highlights Planet Normal: Boat-load of trouble: Channel fury, Israel sanctions & broke BritainUnpacking the migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth. Warning over Ed Miliband’s stance on Israel.Ross Clark joins to discuss why Britain is bust and a sovereign debt crisis looms.  Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor | Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |  Read Allison ‘The ‘poison’ on Britain’s streets is a failure by the political class’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/08/poison-streets-failure-political-class/ | Read Allison ‘The Church of England has abandoned its mission in the UK‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/06/the-church-of-england-has-lost-its-way/ | Read Liam ‘Only spending cuts can rescue Britain’s economy‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/09/06/only-spending-cuts-can-rescue-britains-economy/ | Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ | Read Liam’s Substack: https://liamhalligan.substack.com/ | Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ | Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk | For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Boat-load of trouble: Channel fury, Israel sanctions & broke Britain
  2. 2 de set.

    Planet Normal: ‘Fair-weather’ Burnham faces a growing economic storm

    You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Djl86k1PyYw Co-pilots Halligan and Pearson strap back into the rocket of right thinking after their summer break to tackle Prime Minister Andy Burnham's PMQs debut. Allison slams Burnham’s ‘vibes-based’ leadership, warning that starry-eyed optimism won't fix record-high energy bills or a million unemployed youth. Meanwhile, Liam sounds the alarm on spiralling bond yields and a debt interest time bomb that’s set to blow up the upcoming October budget. Also on the radar: the duo rate Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet reshuffle, debate the right-wing battle for welfare cuts, plus, nostalgic listener mailbags and a sobering reality check from a 26-year-old geophysics grad facing redundancy thanks to Britain's brutal North Sea tax policy. Joining your co-pilots is Reform UK’s Richard Tice to talk Net Zero, tax cuts, and why pre-election pacts are completely off the table.  Highlights Planet Normal: ‘Fair-weather’ Burnham faces a growing economic stormAllison dismantles Andy Burnham's leadership Liam issues a dire warning about the bond marketsRichard Tice joins to discuss Reform UK's economic strategy, energy policy, and election approach Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor | Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |  Read Allison ‘Burnham is terrified Badenoch will expose him as a third-rate court jester’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/09/01/allison-pearson-burnham-scared-badenoch-will-expose-him/ | Read Allison ‘My top 10 tips to avoid paying Burnham’s spiteful mansion tax‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/30/tips-to-avoid-paying-burnhams-spiteful-mansion-tax/ | Read Liam ‘La belle France could edge the bond market’s ugly contest‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/08/30/la-belle-france-could-edge-the-bond-markets-ugly-contest/ | Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ | Read Liam’s Substack: https://liamhalligan.substack.com/ | Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ | Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk | For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Planet Normal: ‘Fair-weather’ Burnham faces a growing economic storm
  3. 5 de ago.

    The wit, wisdom and words of Rod Liddle

    You can watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/K-svfqmj8Rg It's the summer break on Planet Normal and ordinarily your co-pilots take a look back at some of their most explosive voyages on the rocket of right thinking from the year so far, however with the very sad news of the death of columnist Rod Liddle, we have decided to take a little detour back to his finest appearances on the rocket. Our first stop is back to 2021, when Rod explained why he believed Labour had lost touch with its traditional working-class base by prioritising identity politics over economic concerns. He also reflected on his decision to join the SDP, arguing it had become the natural home for voters who still valued patriotism, community and traditional social democracy. Then we fast-forward to 2024, as Rod campaigned as the SDP candidate for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland. With a general election under way, he assessed the mood of the country, explained why he believed support for the two main parties was ebbing away, and set out where he thought the SDP could fit into Britain's changing political landscape. Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor | Read Allison ‘The Cambridge fantasist is proof that stupid intellectuals are poisoning Britain‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/04/jason-arday-cambridge-stupid-intellectuals-poison-britain/ | Read Allison ‘ My friend Rod Liddle was a great British freedom fighter‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/03/allison-pearson-friend-rod-liddle-great-british-freedom/ | Read Allison ‘The school summer holiday should be capped at a month ‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/02/cap-school-summer-holiday-one-month/ | Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ | Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ | Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ | Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk | For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The wit, wisdom and words of Rod Liddle
  4. 29 de jul.

    The case of Essex police vs Allison Pearson and the co-pilots victory

    You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hjoyImW6a8s This week’s journey in the rocket of right thinking opens with an exclusive announcement from co-pilot Pearson in her case against the Essex police and Fire and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst. Back in November 2024 Allison received a visit from Essex police regarding a year old post on the social media platform X. Mr Hirst later appeared on LBC and veered into making personal claims against Allison and the situation, for which he has now apologised. Liam discusses Andy Burnham’s first 10 days and amongst the ‘maybe this’ or ‘maybe that’ promises of the new Prime Minister, wonders when he will start acting like a statesman and wear a shirt when meeting world leaders; as his meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemed a casual T-Shirt affair. Joining your co-pilots is science writer and former member of the house of Lords, Matt Ridley, who tells your co-pilots why the claim that climate change is the only reason for wild fires, is only a fraction of the real story…. Highlights Planet Normal: The case of the Essex police vs Allison Pearson and the co-pilots victoryAllison updates on her case against Essex policeLiam breaks down the Burnham bounce promisesMatt Ridley on the raging wildfires in Europe and across the globe Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor | Read Allison ‘We want a properly dressed statesman in No 10, not a mate‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/28/britain-want-statesman-ino-10-not-mate/ | Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |  Read Liam: ‘Burnham is oblivious to the looming oil shock’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/07/26/burnham-is-oblivious-to-the-looming-oil-shock/ | Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ | Read Liam’s Substack: https://liamhalligan.substack.com/ | Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ | Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk | For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The case of Essex police vs Allison Pearson and the co-pilots victory
  5. 22 de jul.

    Andy and the Backstabbers make their debut to the Country

    You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LYzZRwK5C0g This week’s journey in the rocket of right thinking opens with co-pilots Liam Halligan and Allison Pearson reflecting on Andy Burnham becoming Prime Minister. Liam warns that uncosted bungs and 10-year gilt yields staying above 5% threaten a fiscal crisis and discusses his upcoming appointment as Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, pitching the concept of conditional tax cuts to restore economic credibility.  Allison dismantles Burnham's 5% VAT cut on energy bills that saves households a mere 86p a week, and shares her experience reporting on England’s World Cup run, praising players like Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham while condemning the BBC’s self-promotional halftime advert. Joining your co-pilots after her appearance at last week’s CPAC is Laila Cunningham, who discusses her backstory, Reform UK’s political platform, and the distress felt following the murder of Ann Widdecombe.  Highlights Planet Normal: Andy and the Backstabbers make their debut to the CountryAllison dismantles Andy Burnham's energy bill relief as an unhelpful 86p-a-week gestureLiam discusses his upcoming appointment as Director of the Centre for Policy StudiesLaila Cunningham at CPAC discusses Reform UK and political securityAllison reflects on England's World Cup run. Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor | Read Allison ‘Struggling voters deserve better than Burnham’s con tricks‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2026/07/21/struggling-voters-deserve-better-than-burnhams-con-tricks/ | Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |  Read Liam ‘Burnham’s ‘unashamedly Labour’ push spells economic ruin’:  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/07/19/burnhams-unashamedly-labour-push-spells-economic-ruin/ | Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ | Read Liam’s Substack: https://liamhalligan.substack.com/ | Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ | Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk | For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Andy and the Backstabbers make their debut to the Country

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The podcast that speaks your language. News and views from beyond the bubble with Telegraph columnists, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, every Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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