Oh God, What Now?

British politics feels stalled and the only people benefiting are Farage and the quick-fix demagogues of Reform UK. Why is the debate about our national future frozen and what can we do about it? Special guest Ben Ansell – author of Why Politics Fails – joins us to talk it over. Plus, a But Your Emails special where we answer as many of your questions as is humanly possible. And in the Extra Bit for Patreon people only… where did the obsession with Hallowe’en come from?   ESCAPE ROUTES • Jonn recommends Alan Johnson’s memoir This Boy [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780552167017] • Ben has been reading the Robert Harris Cicero trilogy. Book One is Imperium [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780099527664] • Ros has been reading The Endless Country [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781529099270] by Sami Kent • Hannah has been watching The Diplomat [https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81288983] on Netflix and listening to Lily Allen's new album [https://open.spotify.com/album/4Dn3Z14YfT2gQVDgLmWUVn?si=C2b_2NB7QmCIj1fg_cv4lw] • Buy books through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund Oh God What Now? by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. If you want to find out more about Energise Africa and register as an investor, visit energiseafrica.com/ogwn [https://energiseafrica.com/ogwn] . www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] Presented by Ros Taylor with Hannah Fearn and Jonn Elledge. Audio Production by: Tom Taylor. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk [http://www.podmasters.co.uk]  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

A neurotic obsession with illegal migration is driving British politics rightwards, trapping the parties in an arms race of escalating harshness towards migrants. Now Tory far-righter Katie Lam wants to cancel legal migrants’ right to stay, evoking the racist “repatriation” talk of the 1970s National Front. Can Britain get out of the migration doom spiral?  Former head of the Migration Advisory Committee Prof Alan Manning joins us to talk about the “infernal cycle” of migration policy … whether Labour really are just trying to outbid the Tories and Reform… his new book Why Immigration Policy Is Hard And How To Make It Better [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781509563654] … and why a good goal would be to Make Migration Boring Again.   • Buy Why Immigration Policy Is Hard And How To Make It Better [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781509563654] through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  ESCAPE ROUTES  • Ros and Alan are both watching Celebrity Traitors [https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002csng/the-celebrity-traitors] on the iPlayer, as it seems is everyone.  • Apart from Andrew, who is listening to the soothing German techno on Kompakt Total 25 [https://open.spotify.com/album/6f9xOpwXeupwzm5BDQBa6Q?si=wyfzCDVHSHOazZVbCZEFgQ] • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk [ads@podmasters.co.uk] to find out more  • If you want to find out more about Energise Africa and register as an investor, visit energiseafrica.com/ogwn [https://energiseafrica.com/ogwn] www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow]  Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor. Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.  www.podmasters.co.uk [https://www.podmasters.co.uk]   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Reform UK just pulled off the sequel to the Jackie Weaver Handforth Parish Council Zoom meeting, and it’s excellent. The leaked Zoom meeting from Reform’s flagship Kent County Council shows things aren’t perhaps going as well for Nigel Farage’s party/business as he may have hoped. Is Reform having a bit of a wobble? Plus, is social media brainrot ruining British politics? And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, things are going from very bad to a lot worse for Prince Andrew. How did we get here, and how much worse can it really get for the British Royal Family?  ESCAPE ROUTES:   • Jason recommends Slow Horses [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/slow-horses/umc.cmc.2szz3fdt71tl1ulnbp8utgq5o] ⁠ [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/slow-horses/umc.cmc.2szz3fdt71tl1ulnbp8utgq5o]   • Zöe recommends the podcast On Being [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-being-with-krista-tippett/id150892556%E2%81%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0] • Marie recommends the game HollowKnight: Silksong [https://store.steampowered.com/app/1030300/Hollow_Knight_Silksong/%E2%81%A0%20] AND the Eva Helene Pade exhibition [https://ropac.net/exhibitions/764-eva-helene-pade-sgelys/] at London’s Ely House.   • Seth recommends Journey To The Far Side of The Sun [https://www.skystore.com/product/journey-to-the-far-side-of-the-sun/b828e6a3-7421-4bf3-9088-33124aca7d1a?DCMP=SSWA%E2%81%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0] If you want to find out more about Energise Africa and register as an investor, visit energiseafrica.com/ogwn [https://energiseafrica.com/ogwn] Head to nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow [https://nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow] to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included.  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow]    Presented by Seth Thévoz with Zöe Grünewald, Marie Le Conte and Jason Hazeley  Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.    www.podmasters.co.uk [http://www.podmasters.co.uk/]     ENDS  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The papers still dangle the dream of a sun-dappled retirement. Yet millions have nowhere near the savings they’ll need, while a fortunate few are amassing family wealth that could change Britain forever. Meanwhile the generational wealth gap is forcing younger people to forget about starting families. Is the old “work hard and you’ll make it” model broken? And do we need a wealth tax to fix it? Will Snell of the Fairness Foundation joins Andrew and Hannah to discuss a growing crisis.   • Our partner pod American Friction [https://linktr.ee/americanfriction]  just won Best News and Politics show at the Independent Podcast Awards. Listen [https://linktr.ee/americanfriction] and see what you’ve been missing.   ESCAPE ROUTES   • Will recommends Chief of War [https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/chief-of-war/umc.cmc.6ag0zq020ielwv7m83v8r4dkw] on Apple TV+.   • Hannah recommends going to see Self Esteem [https://www.selfesteem.love/], still just about on tour.   • Andrew went to see The Magnetic Fields perform their classic 69 Love Songs [https://open.spotify.com/album/0K5FvRzJl6iTKikI9tMdAB?si=iiW7rJZ9Rkmcba_H0nqbQA].    • Head to https://www.nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow [https://www.nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow] to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk [ads@podmasters.co.uk] to find out more  • Back us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn. Audio and video production by award-winning Chris Jones. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by award-winning Chris Jones. Managing Editor: award-winning Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.  www.podmasters.co.uk [https://www.podmasters.co.uk/]  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

After the collapse of the China spying case, do we have to accept that Britain is way past being able to spar with Beijing? Especially when we depend so much on their students? Green MP Siân Berry talks about the party’s future under new eco-populist leader Zach Polanski, how to square green infrastructure with their support’s suspicion of development, and whether the Greens would enter a coalition with Labour to keep Farage out. And in the Extra Bit for Patreon people… Sunak’s back, sort of. What do ex-PMs get up to these days? And the terror of the A.I. Margaret Thatcher ChatBot.  • Our partner pod American Friction [https://linktr.ee/americanfriction] just won Best News and Politics show at the Independent Podcast Awards. Listen [https://linktr.ee/americanfriction] and see what you’ve been missing.  ESCAPE ROUTES  • Raf recommends Film Club [https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m0028w7b/film-club] on BBC iPlayer.  • Rachel recommends The Finest Hotel In Kabul [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781529151022] by Lise Doucet.  • Siân Berry recommends The French Lieutenant’s Woman [https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/the-french-lieutenants-woman] .  • Ros recommends The Line [https://www.itv.com/watch/the-line/2a5047] on ITVX.  Buy The Finest Hotel In Kabul [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781529151022] through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org [http://bookshop.org/]’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow [http://nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow] to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here: nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow [https://nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow]. It’s risk- free with Nord’s 30-day money back guarantee! • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk [ads@podmasters.co.uk] to find out more • Back us on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Rachel Cunliffe and Rafael Behr. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by award-winning Chris Jones. Managing Editor: award-winning Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk [https://www.podmasters.co.uk/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]