Oh God, What Now?

Rachel Reeves’s spring not-a-budget has gone down like a cup of cold sick and many Labour supporters are asking what they’re backing the party for. Is Labour on the verge of losing popular confidence – and could it win it back? Plus, as Trump gets weirder and weirder we look at two movies that explain the trashy allure of American fascism: Paul Verhoeven’s hyperviolent sci-fi satires Robocop and Starship Troopers. Would you like to know more…? • Listen to The Bunker [https://linktr.ee/bunker_pod]: Northern uproar – How Canada is standing up to Trump. • Tickets are on sale now for Matt’s Legitimate Concerns tour [https://www.livenation.co.uk/matt-green-tickets-adp1421297]. • Andrew interviews John Higgs, author of Exterminate! Regenerate! – The Story of Doctor Who at the Rock’n’Roll Book Club, Walthamstow on Tue 22 April. [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exterminate-regenerate-the-story-of-doctor-who-with-john-higgs-tickets-1270644133809] Escape Routes: • Hannah’s choice Crib Notes [https://cribnotesbookclub.substack.com/s/crib-notes] on Substack.  • Matt’s choice Paradise [https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/browse/entity-2b4b8988-50c9-4097-bf93-bc34a99a5b4f] on Disney+.  • Raf chooses The Remix with Chris Hawkins [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0028bxl?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile]. • Andrew’s choice The Residence [https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81005297] on Netflix. • Back us on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr, Hannah Fearn and Matt Green. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Produced by Chris Jones. 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]

Rachel Reeves’ Spring not-a-budget Statement is out and it’s hard to take. What’s in it, what’s not, and are we all going to be rich now (hard no)? Plus, the return of Donald Trump has been hard to ignore – but should we wean ourselves off American politics, in favour of sorting out our own problems closer to home? And in the Extra Bit for Patreon backers: Everyone on the panel speaks a second language. How important are they and is Duolingo the right way to go? We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow   www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] Presented by Ros Taylor, with Marie Le Conte, Ahir Shah and Seth Thévoz. Producer: Chris Jones Audio. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Kemi Badenoch was supposed to reboot and re-energise the Tories. Now she’s tanking in the polls and flailing in the Commons. If she can’t beat Farage, will her leadership make it to the end of the summer? Plus, America’s slide from functioning democracy to autocracy summons up dark memories of when the same thing happened to the Ancient Roman republic. Classics lovers Rachel Cunliffe and Jonn Elledge join Zöe Grünewald and Andrew Harrison to ask whether the Fall of Roman democracy is a warning or a manual.  • Read Rachel’s New Statesman piece What Went Wrong of Kemi Badenoch? [https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/conservatives/2025/03/what-went-wrong-for-kemi-badenoch] • Andrew interviews John Higgs, author of Exterminate! Regenerate! – The Story of Doctor Who at the Rock’n’Roll Book Club, Walthamstow on Tue 22 April. [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exterminate-regenerate-the-story-of-doctor-who-with-john-higgs-tickets-1270644133809] Escape Routes: • Zöe’s choice Broken Country. [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781399820417] • Andrew’s choice Exterminate! Regenerate! [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781399614771] • Jonn’s History of the World in 47 Borders in paperback. [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781472298546] • Jonn’s choice I Want To Go Home But I'm Already There. [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780241668535] • Jonn’s OTHER choice Ghosts of Iron Mountain. [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781035903849] • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  [https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Rachel Cunliffe, Jonn Elledge and Zöe Grünewald. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Theme music by Cornershop. Produced by Chris Jones. 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]

It’s been five years since Boris Johnson announced the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown. How much did that strange time in our recent history change the world we live in today? What lessons have we learned? And what hasn’t gone back to how it was before Covid-19 took hold of our lives? Christina Pagel is a professor of operational research at University College London and a member of Independent SAGE and joins the panel for an important two-part discussion. We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow   www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] Presented by Dorian Lynskey, with Marie Le Conte, and Hannah Fearn. Producer: Chris Jones Audio. Production by: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Trump’s election win delighted Farage, the Telegraph, GB News and the Tory Right – but since then the President’s behaviour has horrified British voters. Has the British Right bet on the wrong horse? And will it pay a price for backing a man who seems intent in punishing Europe? Plus, if you like TV but haven’t seen Adolescence yet – do. The harrowing knife crime drama starring Stephen Graham takes in the ‘Manosphere’, social media and what that toxic mix can do to our young people. What does it tell us about Britain today? The Economist’s British politics correspondent Matthew Holehouse joins Andrew Harrison, Ros Taylor and Jonn Elledge n the studio. • Buy Jonn Elledge’s A History of the World in 47 Borders [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781472298508] through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund us by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org [http://bookshop.org/]’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Hear Ros Taylor’s More Jam Tomorrow [https://open.spotify.com/show/5GSYrqj0GWppjl5umECodY?si=53d6aae6a1a54682]. • Listen to Constellations For The Lonely [https://open.spotify.com/album/4RgfOzQ5dNLY98HCEWbWJs?si=6EEW0OyeSpiQuXXPM96fXQ] by Doves.  • We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow   www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow [http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow] Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor and Jonn Elledge. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio. Production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]