Oh God, What Now?

Cruel Britannia – Labour loses it on migration

Labour’s controversial asylum plans have sparked a backlash and it’s not clear they’ll even work. So, why have they gone down this route? What options might be better? Plus, AI – the bubble is going to burst, but has it already broken our brains? Then in the extra bit for supporters – what would we want to bring back from 100 years ago? Escape Routes  • Matt is watching Death by Lightning [https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81438325?source=35&fromWatch=true]  • Zoe is watching Stranger Things [https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/80057281] • Jason is reading Penda's Fen: Scene by Scene by Ian Greaves [https://tenacrefilms.bigcartel.com/product/pendas-fen-scene-by-scene] • Head to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow⁠ [https://www.nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow] to get a £30 voucher and 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 Ros Taylor with Matt Green, Zoë Grünewald and Jason Hazeley.  Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. 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 [https://www.podmasters.co.uk/]    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Deface The Nation – Is Trump starting to lose? – with Molly Jong-Fast

Is Trump finally falling apart? His approval ratings are catastrophic, the Republicans took a hammering in the November elections, his gross-out distraction tactics no longer work… and as more Epstein emails are released, the scandal is lapping ever-higher around his cankles. Molly Jong-Fast of The Atlantic, Vanity Fair and the unmissable Fast Politics [%E2%81%A0https://fastpoliticspod.com/%E2%81%A0%20] podcast joins Andrew Harrison and Rafael Behr to discuss the teetering tyrant and the damage he will leave.  • This episode recorded before Trump decided he wanted the Epstein Files released after all.  ESCAPE ROUTES • Raf has been reading Moby-Dick [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781454959809%E2%81%A0%20] (because why not?) and listening to funk and soul covers by Scary Pockets [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1e16kiJQtCTveTl7TQnkFN?si=NgHUp8qERUC5GNOROqYHxw%E2%81%A0].  • Molly recommends When All The Men Wore Hats [https://booksplea.se/when-all-the-men-wore-hats-susan-cheever-on-the-stories-of-john-cheever-by-susan-cheever-9780374600990/?searchid=2234649&search_query=when+all+the+men+wore+hats+%E2%81%A0%20] by Susan Cheever. • Andrew is going crazy for Pluribis [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/pluribus/umc.cmc.37axgovs2yozlyh3c2cmwzlza%E2%81%A0] on Apple TV+.  When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Head to https://nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow [http://nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow] to get a £30 voucher and 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 Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Audio and Video Production by Chris Jones. 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]

Make Auntie Great Again – Will Trump destroy the BBC?

Trump and the right wing press are gleefully hounding the BBC over a clumsy speech edit – will they succeed in taking down the broadcaster? Plus, manifesto promises – there’s a huge fuss over Labour potentially breaking them, but is that anything new? And in the extra bit for supporters – reasons to be a Luddite! The panel rallies against smart technology.  • Rachel suggests Fergus Butler-Gallie’s book Touching Cloth [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781529176117]  • Jonn recommends Fergus Craig’s upcoming book I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781408724828]  • Marie is reading New Boy by William Sutcliffe [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780140279108]  When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  • Head to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow⁠ [https://www.nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow] to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • 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 [http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow]  Presented by Seth Thevoz with Marie Le Conte, Rachel Cunliffe and Jonn Elledge.  Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. 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 [https://www.podmasters.co.uk/]   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Budget ’25 – Why Rachel Reeves should hold her nerve

Tax rises! Cuts to everything! Here comes the pain! Seldom has a Budget been heralded with such dire warnings… if you believe the Toryform Press. But according to Giles Wilkes – Institute for Government fellow and former adviser to Vince Cable and Theresa May – Britain isn’t in such a disastrous state after all. In a weirdly optimistic conversation he joins Andrew Harrison and Jonn Elledge to look at the real story of Britain’s finances; why Brexit is an even bigger drag anchor than the Treasury will admit; and why the embattled Chancellor needs to stick to her course.   ESCAPE ROUTES  • Jonn has been watching The Celebrity Traitors [https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002csng/the-celebrity-traitors], yes that again, do our panel ever watch anything else?  • Giles recommends Wellington: The Iron Duke by Richard Holmes [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780007137503].  • Andrew recommends the old school BBC adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy with Alec Guinness [https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy].   When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow [https://www.nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow] to get a £30 voucher and 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 Andrew Harrison with Jonn Elledge Audio and Video Production by Chris Jones. 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 [https://www.podmasters.co.uk/]   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Mamdani – First we take Manhattan

Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York mayoralty race electrifies the global Left, rocks the Democratic establishment and leaves Trump titanically unamused. What does it all mean? Plus: Do we need to save the Conservative Party? Former Digital Minister and Tory MP for Boston and Skegness Matt Warman helps us examine the drastic measures needed to keep Reform out. And in the aftermath of the Huntingdon knife attacks we look at the usual suspects’ rush to make it all about immigration.  ESCAPE ROUTES • Jason recommends the 1985 series Edge Of Darkness [https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001j61n/edge-of-darkness%E2%81%A0]  on BBC iPlayer. • Seth recommends wandering around Dublin because why not?  • Ros recommends Rory Stewart’s new book Middleland.  • Matt Warman recommends Andrew Ross Sorkin’s 1929: The Inside Story of The Greatest Crash in Wall Street History [%E2%81%A0https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780241479414%E2%81%A0]. Buy any book 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. • 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 [http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] Presented by Ros Taylor with Seth Thévoz and Jason Hazeley. Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. 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]