Planet Normal

You can watch this episode in full on Youtube: https://youtu.be/iZkeL-6UtSQ

This week on Planet Normal, your co-pilots of sanity, Halligan and Pearson, strap into the rocket of right thinking to tackle a tumultuous news agenda.

Allison argues following migrant protests in Portsmouth and Dover, that while black masks are wrong, millions of Brits share the anger over cross-channel immigration. She also takes aim at falling school standards in Wales and Scotland, and sounds the alarm over Ed Miliband’s foreign policy moves against Israel.

Meanwhile, Liam analyses the electoral earthquake in Saxony-Anhalt, where Germany's AfD swept 44% of the vote. And Fresh from the Reform UK conference in Birmingham, the duo dissects the appearance of France's Jordan Bardella alongside the fallout from Channel 4’s undercover sting.

Stowing away on the rocket this week is author Ross Clark, who joins to discuss his new book, Britain Is Bust: The Coming Sovereign Debt Crisis and What It Means for You. Ross breaks down the nation's ballooning debt and rising bond yields

Highlights

Planet Normal: Boat-load of trouble: Channel fury, Israel sanctions & broke Britain
Unpacking the migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth.
Warning over Ed Miliband’s stance on Israel.
Ross Clark joins to discuss why Britain is bust and a sovereign debt crisis looms.

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor |
Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |
Read Allison ‘The ‘poison’ on Britain’s streets is a failure by the political class’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/08/poison-streets-failure-political-class/ |
Read Allison ‘The Church of England has abandoned its mission in the UK‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/06/the-church-of-england-has-lost-its-way/ |
Read Liam ‘Only spending cuts can rescue Britain’s economy‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/09/06/only-spending-cuts-can-rescue-britains-economy/ |
Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |
Read Liam’s Substack: https://liamhalligan.substack.com/ |
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |
Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |
For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |
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You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Djl86k1PyYw

Co-pilots Halligan and Pearson strap back into the rocket of right thinking after their summer break to tackle Prime Minister Andy Burnham's PMQs debut.

Allison slams Burnham’s ‘vibes-based’ leadership, warning that starry-eyed optimism won't fix record-high energy bills or a million unemployed youth. Meanwhile, Liam sounds the alarm on spiralling bond yields and a debt interest time bomb that’s set to blow up the upcoming October budget.

Also on the radar: the duo rate Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet reshuffle, debate the right-wing battle for welfare cuts, plus, nostalgic listener mailbags and a sobering reality check from a 26-year-old geophysics grad facing redundancy thanks to Britain's brutal North Sea tax policy.

Joining your co-pilots is Reform UK’s Richard Tice to talk Net Zero, tax cuts, and why pre-election pacts are completely off the table.

Highlights

Planet Normal: ‘Fair-weather’ Burnham faces a growing economic storm
Allison dismantles Andy Burnham's leadership
Liam issues a dire warning about the bond markets
Richard Tice joins to discuss Reform UK's economic strategy, energy policy, and election approach

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor |
Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |
Read Allison ‘Burnham is terrified Badenoch will expose him as a third-rate court jester’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/09/01/allison-pearson-burnham-scared-badenoch-will-expose-him/ |
Read Allison ‘My top 10 tips to avoid paying Burnham’s spiteful mansion tax‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/30/tips-to-avoid-paying-burnhams-spiteful-mansion-tax/ |
Read Liam ‘La belle France could edge the bond market’s ugly contest‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/08/30/la-belle-france-could-edge-the-bond-markets-ugly-contest/ |
Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |
Read Liam’s Substack: https://liamhalligan.substack.com/ |
Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |
Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |
For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can watch this episode on YouTube

Summer is coming to an end on Planet Normal! So, for the final instalment of our “best of the rocket” series, our co-pilots head back into the archives for two more memorable voyages aboard the rocket of right thinking.

In April, stowing away on the rocket was former 22 SAS commander Colonel Richard Williams who discussed how “lawfare” and the prosecution of veterans are undermining British military recruitment and national security.

Then, in May, return stowaway William Clouston joined the co-pilots to dissect the local election results, as well as where the Social Democratic Party stands on welfare and why he believes Labour’s approach is bankrupting the country.

Read Allison 'Britain is no longer safe for women and children'
Read more from Allison here
Read Liam 'Labour needs to wake up to Britain’s ballooning welfare bill'
Read more from Liam here
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Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk
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You can watch this episode on YouTube

The summer voyage continues on Planet Normal! This week, our co-pilots fire up the engines and head back into the archives for two more memorable journeys aboard the rocket of right thinking.

In February, Allison spoke to Siobhan Whyte, whose daughter Rhiannon was murdered by an asylum seeker. Siobhan discussed what she believes are the systemic failures of the UK’s immigration system and her campaign to support children left behind by such violence.

Then, in April, former Royal Marine commando and documentary maker James Glancy strapped into the rocket to explain why he believes the UK military can no longer meet the demands of its responsibilities around the world.

'Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor |
Read Allison 'Britain must pop the welfare balloon or face ruin' |
Read more from Allison here
Read more from Liam here
Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |
Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |
For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hxtGEUicygE

Summer continues on Planet Normal! In this, the second part of our best of the rocket series, our co-pilots take a look back at some of their favourite voyages on the rocket of right thinking from the year so far.

Back in January, Allison and Liam spoke to General Sir Peter Wall, former Chief of the General Staff, following The Telegraph’s revelations about Sir Keir Starmer’s role in a legal case that paved the way for hundreds of British soldiers to face investigation over alleged historic war crimes. Sir Peter discussed the impact of the cases on the Armed Forces and warned that soldiers need to know the state will support them.

And then, in February, Liam was joined by actress Sophie Winkleman to discuss her campaign to protect children from smartphones, social media and excessive screen use in schools. Sophie also shared her concerns about the growing use of AI in education, arguing that children need to learn to think for themselves rather than rely on technology.

Read more from Liam here
Read more from Allison here
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Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk
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