The Tory press and pundits reacted as rationally as you’d expect to the new UK-EU deal, accusing Starmer of sneaking back into the EU, betraying the British taxpayer, and all their favourite themes. But exactly what are they saying and how much of it is legit? Plus, with the potential abolition of the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, we ask why governments can’t see the positives of culture? And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, it’s 20 years since The Thick of It hit our screens. Politically, does it still hold up?
Today’s special guest is Emma Kennedy, writer and host of our sibling science and psychology podcast Why? – new series out now!
• Get tickets for Oh God, What Now? Live at 21 Soho, London, with special guest Marcus Brigstocke.
• Don’t miss our fascinating new series Crime Scene. Latest episode: Who killed the Essex Boys?
www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow
Presented by Dorian Lynskey, Rafael Behr and Zoë Grünewald. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio. Production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Cornershop. 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
--------
1:11:17
Deadliest Catch – Starmer reels in an EU deal
The fish and the fury… As dead-end Brexiters rage against the “betrayal” of the Great British Haddock, we look at what REALLY matters in Starmer’s EU reset. Plus, polling giant YouGov’s Patrick English joins us to bust some opinion poll myths and explain the Reform Surge. And is Generation X really the most hard done-by of the postwar era? We don our Blur t-shirts and crack a Smirnoff Ice to discuss the 90s generation taking financial responsibility for their kids and their parents.
• Join us for Oh God, What Now? Live in London with special guest Marcus Brigstocke on Weds 11 June.
• Listen to Crime Scene’s interview with Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.
ESCAPE ROUTES
• Ros recommends Delizia: The Epic History of Italians and Their Food by John Dickie.
• Seth recommends The Radical Print by Esther Chadwick.
• Andrew recommends Andor on Disney+.
www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor and Seth Thévoz. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Cornershop. 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
--------
1:08:35
Without a care worker in the world – The case for immigration
After possibly the most aggressive speech on immigration ever made by a British Prime Minister, we attempt the adult conversation on the topic that politicians won’t have. Why can’t Britain accept the benefits of immigration? Who’s going to bail out the care system when it collapses? And what the hell is Labour playing at anyway? Plus: Politicians think artificial intelligence will fix everything. Have they bought the snake oil? And in the Extra Bit for Patreon people, should we fight to save the after-work pint?
• Come to Oh God, What Now? Live at 21Soho, London on Weds 11 June. Tickets on sale here.
• Listen to the latest edition of Crime Scene – the truth about true crime.
ESCAPE ROUTES
• Hannah recommends Jamie Oliver on the Louis Theroux podcast.
• Jonn recommends This City Is Ours on BBC iPlayer.
• Marie recommends The Border: A Journey Around Russia by Erika Fatland.
• Dorian recommends This Mortal Coil .
• Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.
Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey with Marie le Conte, John Elledge and Hannah Fearn. 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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
1:07:17
From Open Britain to the Island of Strangers
Keir Starmer’s statement on immigration may well have repelled many Labour voters towards the Lib Dems and the Greens. How wrong has the Prime Minister got this strategy to defeat Reform? And are his party’s plans even workable? Plus, the UK has signed trade deals with the US and India – what’s in them, how important are they, and are we getting too close to Trump? Trade expert Dmitry Grozoubinski spoke to Andrew Harrison for The Bunker and we’ve included a brief excerpt in this section.
• Want more? Find the full Bunker episode with Dmitry here.
• Come to Oh God, What Now? Live at 21Soho, London on Weds 11 June. Tickets on sale here.
www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow
Presented by Ros Taylor with Seth Thévoz, Rachel Cunliffe and Ahir Shah. 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
--------
1:02:47
Keir and Loathing – Are Labour misreading the Locals results?
As Labour panic and freak out over Runcorn and the Locals, is Starmer drawing the wrong conclusions from the votes? Is “Reform are right, don’t vote for them” the best they can do? Or should they pick more fights with the Right? Plus, what if this newfangled populism isn’t so new after all? We talk to Quinn Slobodian, author of Hayek’s Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right, about why the shape-shifting Right are so hard to lay a glove on. And in the Extra Bit: Does VE Day hit differently now Europe is full of fascists, enthusiastically supported by the US President?
ESCAPE ROUTES
• Ros recommends Les Années (The Years) by Annie Earnaux.
• Matt recommends With Nails by Richard E. Grant.
• Dorian recommends Thunderbolts, in cinemas now.
• Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.
Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor 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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Making sense of our political hell every Tuesday and Friday! Oh God, What Now? is the no-bulls**t politics podcast, making the unbearable bearable with top quality guests and analysis, plus poor quality jokes.
Regulars include: Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry Of Truth: A Biography of Orwell’s 1984 and host of Origin Story • Writer and commentator Ros Taylor • Rachel Cunliffe of the New Statesman • Writer and host of This Is Not A Drill Gavin Esler • Social affairs journalist Hannah Fearn • Comedian Matt Green • The Lead's Westminster Editor Zoë Grünewald • Group Editor Andrew Harrison • Journalist Marie Le Conte • Podmasters Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis • New Statesman columnist Jonn Elledge • Guardian writer Rafael Behr
Sign up and get ad-free shows earlier than anyone else: patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow.
Oh God, What Now? is a Podmasters production
UK