Quiet Riot

Alex Andreou talks to former diplomat and hos of the Behind The Lines podcast, Arthur Snell, to try and construct some order put the recent chaos in Syria. Who are the good guys? What does this mean for Israel? How exposed is Iran? Is it an opportunity for the Kurds to carve out a state? What is Türkiye's agenda? How does this impact Russia and Putin in both practical and reputational terms? What is next for Assad? ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD [https://ko-fi.com/QUIETRIOTPOD]*** “If you look at how HTS ruled in Idlib - which became a considerable mini-state, because a lot of Syrians were displaced there, so it ended up with 4.5m people living there - it was a dictatorship, but not in the business of chemical weapons or cleansing, and more recently they have allowed other minorities to practice their faith and have a measure of rights.” “I think we have to accept that the different bits of Syria that are under different groups’ control, are very unlikely to want now suddenly to be under the control of Damascus again, particularly the Kurds who have a pretty organised setup in the Northeast. So, one would hope that the pragmatism we’ve seen so far from HTS and Julani, that has seen him go on this journey from full-blooded islamist to something a bit more open-minded, might extend to saying: Syria doesn’t work very well as a centralised state and actually you need a measure of federalism and particularism.” “What happens when people go back home and someone else is living in their house? What happens to teenagers of fourteen and fifteen years of age who have never been to Syria? They were born in refugee camps and that is all they know. How do all those returning integrate back ‘home’?” “Who can rebuild a country, after a devastation civil war, while also rebuilding its society? That expertise might not exist. But it seems that, if people feel they have ownership and that they’re not being manipulated by outside forces, there’s a higher chance of this thing going better.” BEHIND THE LINES PODCAST The latest episode of Arthur's podcast is here [https://shows.acast.com/65196b0b1488340011cf14a1/675b611e92bfc0e8868d0a10]. Find us on Facebook and Twitter as @quietriotpod and on Bluesky. Click here for your Quiet Riot Bluesky Starter Pack [https://go.bsky.app/NsaqCZE]. Email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com [quietriotpod@gmail.com%20]. Or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/7e551084-e76a-11ee-9a37-331f59ab2f90/podcasts/2fdabef8-fe5e-11ee-89c0-bfa4c9318158/episodes/2132a15a-5538-11ef-a0dc-b7b2537a8488/www.quietriotpod.com%20]. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD [https://ko-fi.com/QUIETRIOTPOD]*** With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith and special guest investigative journalist Peter Geoghegan discuss the huge amounts of money that is currently flowing into our politics, the ways in which it is corrupting our democracy, and what we can do about it. And in Part II, the very narrow path left to the Labour government, because of a lack of money. Plus 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin and Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD [https://ko-fi.com/QUIETRIOTPOD]*** "In 2023 two-thirds of all the money raised in British politics came from 19 people, who all gave over a million… Reform are continuing this trend and going even further. Candy is talking about raising £40m in total. These are huge sums in the context of British politics.” “They get incredible bang for their buck these [Tufton Street] think tanks. According to the IEA’s accounts last year, they got over 4,500 media hits the previous year. Which is unbelievable - they’re on radio, TV, or print something like twelve times a day.” “People don’t like the influence money has on our politics. And this is, I think, something that Labour haven’t fully grasped. People don’t think of ‘Tory Sleaze’. They just think of sleaze.” GRIN AND SHARE IT Piece on teaching a very old dog new tricks, is here [https://www.uaf.edu/news/study-shows-ancient-human-canine-relationship.php]. CALLS TO ACTION LINKS: Peter's substack Democracy for Sale [https://democracyforsale.substack.com/]. Answer the short survey on donations here [https://democracyforsale.co.uk/safeguard]. Best for Britain's donation tree drive [https://www.bestforbritain.org/trees]. Government consultation on Right to Buy [https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-the-right-to-buy]. This is the cynical BBC article about folders [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3vrw9pd16do]. You can complain about the BBC's coverage here [https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint]. Find us on Facebook and Twitter as @quietriotpod and on Bluesky. Click here for your Quiet Riot Bluesky Starter Pack [https://go.bsky.app/NsaqCZE]. Email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com [quietriotpod@gmail.com%20]. Or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/7e551084-e76a-11ee-9a37-331f59ab2f90/podcasts/2fdabef8-fe5e-11ee-89c0-bfa4c9318158/episodes/2132a15a-5538-11ef-a0dc-b7b2537a8488/www.quietriotpod.com%20]. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD [https://ko-fi.com/QUIETRIOTPOD]*** With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Naomi and Alex disseminate Starmer's big "this is not a reset" speech. Naomi talks about the importance of a better EU deal and a new initiative for getting there, with Labour MP Andrew Lewin. Finally, Melania is flogging $90 ornaments and Donald has a new fragrance out for Christmas - which really gives new meaning to eau de toilet. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD [https://ko-fi.com/QUIETRIOTPOD]*** “I wonder whether the civil service got into the habit of resisting ideas from gov’t, because of the extraordinary churn. If you’re in the housing bit, and you’ve had 18 ministers, you learn to play for time, because you think ‘meh, they’ll be a different guy with a different plan in six weeks’. Maybe what we’re seeing is that muscle memory of those last 14 years.” “I desperately want Labour to turn things around. They have to. The stakes are too high. I want to see the xenophobic, toxic, English nationalism of Farage and his cabal defeated and roundly. I don’t want Trumpism in Britain.” Lewin: “This parliament will be defined by our success, or not, in growing the economy and raising living standards. It is very clear to me that we, as a Labour gov’t, have to look at every lever we can pull, to deliver on that mission of growing the economy, including significantly improving our relationship with the EU.” Lewin: “I don’t think many people consider themselves ‘leavers’ or ‘remainers’ any more. They look at an economy that’s been flatlining for a decade and want to look at every practical step to get things growing and moving again.” CALL TO ACTION Write to your MP, to ask them to prioritise a closer relationship to the EU, using this tool [https://www.bestforbritain.org/back_eu_trade]. Click here for your Quiet Riot Bluesky Starter Pack [https://go.bsky.app/NsaqCZE]. Email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com [quietriotpod@gmail.com%20]. Or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/7e551084-e76a-11ee-9a37-331f59ab2f90/podcasts/2fdabef8-fe5e-11ee-89c0-bfa4c9318158/episodes/2132a15a-5538-11ef-a0dc-b7b2537a8488/www.quietriotpod.com%20]. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD [https://ko-fi.com/QUIETRIOTPOD]*** With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Alex talks to our resident France expert, Olivier Morel, about the political deadlock in France, how and why we got here and whether Macron can survive it. An informative and completely accessible conversation. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD [https://ko-fi.com/QUIETRIOTPOD]*** “Macron has become a lighting rod. He seems to trigger extreme reactions and opprobrium from all sorts of quarters. The loathing he attracts is quite extraordinary.” “With both Berlin and Paris being so self-involved and consumed with domestic politics, and lacking the authority to make their voices heard, the European Commission may be sensing an opportunity to take over the governing of Europe.” “Marine Le Pen is facing a court case which could result in her being barred from running… There is also speculation that she is concerned about her young protégé, Bardella, being rather too popular for her liking, plus her Dad is reportedly not well. All this creates an environment where she is trying to force the tempo.” Click here for your Quiet Riot Bluesky Starter Pack [https://go.bsky.app/NsaqCZE]. Email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com [quietriotpod@gmail.com%20]. Or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/7e551084-e76a-11ee-9a37-331f59ab2f90/podcasts/2fdabef8-fe5e-11ee-89c0-bfa4c9318158/episodes/2132a15a-5538-11ef-a0dc-b7b2537a8488/www.quietriotpod.com%20]. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD [https://ko-fi.com/QUIETRIOTPOD]*** With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Naomi and Alex welcome comedian and author Henry Morris, to discuss the common threads behind the chaos that seems to be bursting through, pretty much everywhere in the world right now. And we also get a view from rural Wales of the resignation of the Welsh Tory leader and how Labour's farming tax reforms have gone down. Plus Wokey Dokey and Grin and Share It. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD [https://ko-fi.com/QUIETRIOTPOD]*** Alex: "Is there a case FOR a Trump White House? Might having a mercurial psychotic in charge of the world’s largest military make some lower-rank psychotics with regional ambitions wind their neck in?" Henry: “Labour have been in charge for a very long time in Wales. It is a ripe environment to throw your vote at a party who promises to change everything. Someone I was talking to the other day said: ‘Farage will f**k things up Henry. As in, that’s what we need.”   Naomi: "With just 18 months to go until the next Senedd elections, Reform UK are sniffing around for gains, and latest polling by YouGov predicts an unprecedented and genuine three-way tie in current vote intention between Plaid Cymru, Labour and Reform UK." Henry: “As someone who went to Wales not knowing any farmers, but knowing a lot about biodiversity collapse and climate change, I was less sympathetic to them than I am now, when I’m surrounded by them and they’r my friends and they’re all really nice. In the inheritance debate, I saw lots of people in London suddenly become experts on farming and not really getting what the protests were about, which was not just the tax but all these other things putting pressure on farmers.” GRIN AND SHARE IT Piece on bumble bee conservation success in the Scotsman here [https://www.scotsman.com/hays-way/bumblebee-population-increases-116-times-over-in-remarkable-scotland-project-4882622]. CALLS TO ACTION LINKS: For Henry's immense Tories; A Tragedy click here [https://lnk.to/thetoriesatragedy]. For International Rescue's Gaza appeal click here [https://help.rescue-uk.org/]. To download Mal Pope and Carolyn Harris's single click here [https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/malpope/everyone-deserves-a-christmas]; to vote for it click here [https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/522BLGP]. Find us on Facebook and Twitter as @quietriotpod and on Bluesky. Click here for your Quiet Riot Bluesky Starter Pack [https://go.bsky.app/NsaqCZE]. Email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com [quietriotpod@gmail.com%20]. Or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com [https://cms.megaphone.fm/organizations/7e551084-e76a-11ee-9a37-331f59ab2f90/podcasts/2fdabef8-fe5e-11ee-89c0-bfa4c9318158/episodes/2132a15a-5538-11ef-a0dc-b7b2537a8488/www.quietriotpod.com%20]. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD [https://ko-fi.com/QUIETRIOTPOD]*** With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]