Planet Normal

• Weak Starmer’s week of silence on women ruling

  This week your co-pilots bring you a podcast exclusive with the Leader of The Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, who gives her take on Prime Minister, Keir Starmer’s, vote of support for last week’s Supreme Court verdict.Both co-pilots are troubled by the PM’s statement, with co-pilot Pearson adamant he should apologise to the women of Britain.Co-pilot Halligan also turns his eyes to the upcoming Local Elections on May 1st. Could Reform UK sneak past Labour and the Conservatives for surprise gains?And there’s no shortage of tax and tariff talk as the economic woes rumble on.Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Read Allison: ‘If Starmer had any shame he would have resigned after Supreme Court ruling’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/22/starmer-championed-dangerous-fantasy-men-called-women/ |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: [email protected] |For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  59:24
• Tears of joy as Supreme Court rules on ‘women’ definition

  Co-pilot Pearson is back in her rightful place at the helm of the rocket, hurrah! She’s just in time to deliver her verdict on the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling that the terms ‘sex’ and ‘woman’ in the 2010 Equality Act referenced biological sex rather than acquired gender.And co-pilot Halligan gives his observations as a male observer of such a female focused campaign.Also strapping into the rocket as a passenger on this pre-Easter voyage is Chief Executive Officer of Ducati, the Italian motorbike makers, Claudio Domenicali who explains more about the impact of tariffs on his industry.And Allison’s been on a cruise…Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: [email protected] |For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  56:48
• Talking tough on tariffs

  This episode was recorded before president Trump announced a pause on some tariffs.With co-pilot Pearson taking a well earned break, Tim Stanley steps into the cockpit as a trusted controller of the rocket and there’s certainly no shortage of tariff talk to get through…Liam thinks President Trump is acting like a ‘unipolar president’ whereas Tim Stanley thinks there is a method to Trump’s madness, but how long can the World’s economy hold on for?Hopping onto the rocket for a return mission this week is Economist Catherine McBride who delivers some truths about what’s really going on with US trade tariffs and what it means for the rest of the world.And there is a bulging Planet Normal mailbag to contend with…Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Read Allison: ‘I heard the full story of the woman jailed for two years for a tweet. Her injustice shames Britain’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/04/lucy-connolly-southport-riots-axel-rudakubana-taylor-swift/ |Read Tim: ‘Labour loves holding consultations and creating action groups but they largely result in cuts’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/08/labour-loves-action-groups-tangibles-government-cuts/ |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: [email protected] |For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  1:04:17
• Rachel’s bottomless bucket of woe

  It’s a new month with the same old madness on Planet earth, with rises in capital gains tax, council tax, energy fees and transport costs, April Fool’s is feeling all too close to home…Is there another ‘bucket of woe’ for Chancellor Rachel Reeves and will there be more tax rises on the horizon to plug the public finances?This week’s Planet Normal stowaway is Conservative councillor, Ray Connolly, who discusses his family’s experience after his wife, Lucy, was jailed over a tweet she briefly posted on the day three girls were killed in Stockport.And your co-pilots weigh in on the political drama from across the Channel. Is there a new French boyfriend on the horizon for Allison?Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Read Allison ‘The White House is right: freedom of speech is under threat in Britain like never before’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/01/starmers-britain-trump-free-speech/ |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: [email protected] |For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  1:16:41
• Spring Statement Special

  As Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her first ‘Spring Statement’ your co-pilots are joined on the rocket by not one but TWO very special incumbents. Calculators and spreadsheets at the ready…Co-pilot Pearson is less than impressed with what she calls the ‘nothing to do with me guv', Budget.Stowaway economist Roger Bootle was both ‘depressed’ and 'amazed’ by the Statement but reveals an overwhelming feeling that the Labour Party aren’t actually doing anything all that bad…And after watching the Budget co-pilot Halligan is concerned the Labour front bench is lacking in business and economic knowledge. Also on the podcast, Mike Calvey straps in for a very special interview to discuss his new book ‘Odyssey Moscow’ which details his harrowing ordeal as a prisoner of the Russian State.And co-pilot Pearson has won an award…Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Roger: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/r/rk-ro/roger-bootle/ |Read Allison: ‘If Rachel Reeves were Conservative she’d have been turfed out long ago’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/25/if-reeves-were-conservative-shed-have-been-turfed-out/ |Buy Mike’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Odyssey-Moscow-Westerners-Encounter-Russian/dp/1803997303 |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: [email protected] |For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  1:02:12

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