209 episodes
Planet Normal The Telegraph
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- Society & Culture
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4.7 • 2.6K Ratings
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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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Silly Season Kicks Off
The rocket blasts off for a final voyage before its summer break but there’s no shortage of madness to navigate before then.
What did your co-pilots make of Keir Starmer’s first outing at Prime Minister’s Questions? Not to mention the political developments from across the pond..
Allison isn’t impressed with the front runners in the Conservative party leadership contest. Nor the Labour party’s two child benefit cap which Liam believes the implications of which could potentially hamper growth.
Strapping into the cockpit again as the rocket streams towards the Olympics is former professional swimmer and Olympian Sharron Davies who drops by to discuss her book in the build up to the celebration of sporting excellence.
And Allison shares some worrying observations from her recent trip to A and E.
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/ |
Read Allison: ‘My Soviet A&E ordeal shows there’s no compassion left in the dead-eyed NHS’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2024/07/23/no-compassion-left-in-the-nhs/ |
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 King’s (Labour) Speech
Joining Liam in the cockpit this week for a very special extended interview is Professor Matthew Goodwin.
As the rocket blasts into a new political era with a Labour government at the helm, Matthew explains why he thinks Keir Starmer’s party could be unpopular very quickly, and debates with Liam how the Conservative Party could pull back a vital share of voters that they lost to Reform UK.
Our popular analyst also gives his take on the political antics happening across the pond, and why he thinks Donald Trump is in an especially strong position, more so after the assassination attempt on him.
There’s also time for co-pilot Halligan to have a brief burrow in the Planet Normal mailbag.
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/ |
Subscribe to Matthew’s substack here: https://substack.com/@mattgoodwin |
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. -
Labour and their Starmtroopers
After a Labour landslide win (as predicted by your co-pilots) the rocket orbits into a new political galaxy, but is it the same old madness?
Allison delivers some hard truths to the Conservative party whom she thinks deserve ‘oblivion’ should they fail to come to the ‘correct conclusion’ on their new leader.
Whereas Liam thinks the Tories need to take their time when deciding their next leader and think carefully about the rules of the contest.
Joining your co-pilots on the rocket this week is former advisor to the Labour Party, John McTernan, who gives his take on the incoming Labour government and why he thinks their new Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, might need to think about bending some fiscal rules…
And there’s a very inspired email from one listener…
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. -
To the Polls!
This episode of Planet Normal was recorded on Wednesday the 3rd July before the polls opened for the general election.
Six weeks of election campaigning have come to an end and what a campaign it has been, with no shortage of political gaffes on either side of the Channel as the first round of voting in France has National Rally, formerly headed by Marine LePen, on the cusp of power and Macron’s gamble backfiring.
Meanwhile across the pond the co-pilots give their thoughts on the debate between President Biden and Donald Trump. Allison thinks Donald Trump looks a more plausible choice, but only compared to a more frail appearing Joe Biden. Whilst Liam points out a possible advantage for Donald Trump is that he won’t go to the polls as a convicted felon after the Supreme Court Ruling earlier this week.
Joining your co-pilots in the cockpit to discuss the first round of voting in France is journalist Anne-Elisabeth Moutet who gives your co-pilots a lesson in French politics and how Jordan Bardella has captured the minds of younger voters.
And the notorious ‘Bob the bard’ returns to the rocket…
Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |
Read Liam: This is the one glaring omission from this election’s endless debates: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/06/30/when-it-comes-discussing-lockdown-politicians-are-on-mute/ |
Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |
Read: Allison Pearson meets Nigel Farage: ‘Kemi Badenoch was very unpleasant’:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/07/02/allison-pearson-meets-nigel-farage-general-election-2024/ |
Read more from Anne-Elisabeth: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/26/emmanuel-macron-may-soon-resign/ |
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. -
Heat Wave of Politics
The temperature is heating up on the rocket this week, as the whole country basks in a heatwave but is the election shade being thrown threatening to spoil your co-pilots fun in the sun?
Allison spills the beans on her trip to the campaign trail with Reform UK Leader, Nigel Farage and claims that, in her view, a vote for the party isn’t a wasted one.
Whilst Liam is worried about the potential judiciary changes an incoming Labour government might make and the effect they could have on our democracy.
Joining your co-pilots for a return mission on the rocket is journalist Peter Hitchens who gives his take on the political landscape in the week before the big election.
And co-pilot Pearson weighs in with her weekly update from the Euros football tournament…
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/ |
Read Allison: ‘Reform puts British people first – how is that a wasted vote?’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2024/06/25/reform-britain-wasted-vote/ |
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 Anti-incumbency trend
With the rocket hurtling towards the election, what do its inhabitants make of the latest manifesto madness?
In light of the latest inflation figures Liam thinks the Conservatives need to be more honest about tax hikes, whilst Allison thinks that Reform’s policies are what should have been in the Conservative Party Manifesto, and might help pull back some disillusioned voters.
Also joining your co-pilots for a return mission to the rocket is journalist and the Social Democratic Party candidate for Middlesbrough South, Rod Liddle, who gives the co-pilots an update on his campaign and the ‘soft’ deal his party has struck with Reform UK.
And is it coming home? Allison gives her take on the Euros…
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/ |
Read Allison ‘Watching England with my menfolk introduced me to some odd rituals – and Gary Lineker’s Next range’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2024/06/19/england-euro-2024-gary-lineker-next-range-bbc/ |
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.
Customer Reviews
Mo Ilkley
Thank you Liam for a fantastic episode with Matt. I listen to him on GB News and he is always reasoned and reasonable. He articulates what a lot of us feel but which there is no voice on the mainstream media. I despair the the Tories still do not understand why they have lost so much support. Matt please keep telling them.
Return to common sense
What a great episode with Prof Matthew Goodwin. I would encourage every listener to forward this episode to disillusioned friends. Those of us who feel utterly betrayed by this shambolic iteration of the Conservative Party. I’m actually feeling good for the first time since the election. I feel a movement brewing. We all need to be part of it. Bravo! 👏🏻
Housing bonanza? Really?
Love the show. A listener since the very beginning. I appreciate you can’t tackle your guests on everything they say. But with Liam’s background in housing and todays guests simplistic view of the huge profits made by house owners I was shouting at the radio to ask the question ‘what about the home owner who bought for £300k, during lockdown spent time and a lot of money rewiring, new plumbing, new bathroom and kitchen, plastering , painting, landscaping? Say they spent £100k on the work and their house is now worth £450k. Would your guest impose CGT on the £150k putative profit? You bet he would. Start treating the housing stock like shares and no one will renovate or improve as they’ll have paid tax on the money to improve snd then pay the tax again on the value the improvements have engendered. Sometimes things ain’t broken..