Quiet Riot

Trump gets the full Windsor treatment and turns to Royal Jelly. PLUS: How to defeat the far right. Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and special guest, boss of Hope Not Hate, Nick Lowles, discuss the Presidential visit and Nick's new book on lessons learned from decades fighting the fash. Including regualr features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “Ultimately we are not going to be able to address or reduce people’s anger around immigration, without being able to address the economic pessimism that is driving it.” “There’s very little common space - especially free common space. Much to do with political decisions, but also changing lifestyles. The large workplaces of the 70s are gone. 10,500 playing fields were sold off under austerity. There’s far less interaction between people from different communities.”  “We are looking for top-down solutions, but - particularly with current levels of lack of trust in authority - we need to do more peer-to-peer stuff. You can’t legislate away youth radicalisation. You are just pushing more young people to rebel against the system.” “The Royals looked utterly miserable. They all looked completely bored. Melania looked bored. And all for what? To appease a man who has criticised our democracy, insulted our Prime Minister, tried to humiliate our capital’s mayor. It is grotesque.” “We are trying to hang on, in the back seat of a car, being driven at speed by a maniac. Maybe jumping out or antagonising him is not the right choice. Maybe playing soothing music and engaging him in conversation, until we can get out alive is better. I don’t envy the choice for any politician.”  CALLS TO ACTION: Buy Nick's new book How to Defeat the Far Right here. Find out more about Hope Not Hate here. Read Alex's substack piece for free here. Naomi's hack for calculating crowd sizes. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charlie Kirk, Peter Mandelson and two drunk raccoons feature as we try to balance the grim with some giggly for your listening pleasure. In the US, the Kirk story is moving to its next phase with the arrest of Tyler Robinson. But what is the truth about gun crime in the US, and what are we to make of the UK blanket coverage of Kirk's shocking death? Naomi Smith and Kenny Campbell pick their way carefully through this political tinderbox. And, in the UK, Mandelson being sacked grabs the headlines but, behind the scenes, what on earth can Labour do to get on the front foot? Will a new Starmer deputy help, and what about master tactician Morgan McSweeney..? PLUS some bonus Wokeydokey action and multiple Grin And Share It happiness, because we like to find some smiles for you amid the bleak political headlines :-) ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** (And if you do, we'll invite you to our next online Editorial Meeting, at 6:30pm on Thurs 25th September... it's always worth it!) SHOW NOTES Woke beaches Bee-sting injections Bolsonaro Fux off to jail Nurse saves drunk raccoons ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is Putin provoking Poland, and how bad could this get? In this Quiet Riot special, Kenny Campbell is joined by Behind The Lines host and geopolitics specialist Arthur Snell to look at Russia's astonishing drone attack on Poland – a story that is being squeezed off front pages by madness on both sides of the Atlantic, but should definitely still be headline news. What is Putin's game plan here? How involved is Britian – and do we have the resources for yet another front in the Putin crisis? How bad could this get? Answers (with caveats) aplenty – and this is a hot topic. Just after we finished recording, NATO states were on high alert in response to joint Russia-Belarus military exercises near the borders with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** 'NATO's red line isn't red enough' 'Drones don't do training exercises' Love your global politics? Listen to Arthur's fantastic Behind The Lines ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Poland and Qatar are being dragged into conflict, while some of the West dithers and some falls apart. Is there a way back from the brink. PLUS - Decoding populism: Groundbreaking new reasearch that begins to understand what attracts very different voters to parties like Reform, and how to win them back. Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and special guest, former Cabinet Secretary, and chair of the Trade & Business Select Committee, Liam Byrne MP, take a deep dive. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “This is just the latest episode in a series of the most appalling outrages perpetrated by the Netanyahu government. Trying to take out the team that you’re negotiating with is not the sign of someone who is serious about negotiating.” “We’ve been trying the diplomacy track [with Israel] for some time. It’s failed. There has now got to be a conversation in Parliament about ramping up consequences, together with allies, to try and end this culture of impunity.” “President Trump’s second term has moved on from the improv that characterised the first term to being a project. And if you look at the depth of Project 2025, actually he is pretty faithfully following that playbook.” “There are still within the Commission a lot of scarred individuals, who did not have the best time negotiating Brexit with Conservative politicians and one can understand the kind of mindset that left them with. Nonetheless, Europe has to move on. We have to lock arms against one of the biggest threats to democracy we have faced.” “This sort of incursion is almost always deliberate provocation; a testing of boundaries. It has two objectives. First, to see how quickly and strongly NATO and the EU react. Second, to make other countries bordering Russia think twice about shifting military assets to Ukraine.” “We found a complete fusion between the populist media system and populist politics. You’ve got money coming in from all sorts of strange places into channels like GB News, from where significant sums are now going to politicians of a particular party. And that’s a model - not an accident.” “Who is paying for thousands of flags to be put up everywhere? We just don’t know. The law around what are called ‘non-political campaigners’ is a joke - especially outside regulated election periods. The UK is extremely vulnerable. Money can come from Dubai into a think tank or media company, and be dispersed from there, completely unregulated.” “We mapped some accounts like GB News, their network of followers, then in turn who else they follow, this intricate network, and we found that 80% of the biggest influencers are American. What organisations like GB News have done, is to lay the foundation for an American populist ecosystem.” “Voters considering Reform are not a homogenous blob - they comprise five groups, united by concern about immigration, but with very different views of other issues. And if I had one to say to [Labour], it would be: Stop targeting your message to the most intractable members of that coalition. They’re beyond reach.” “I hope through this research we can generate some empathy for the plight that some of the people considering Reform have been through. Because they deserve answers and a politics that works, and they deserve it now.” “We have to start delivering change that people can see outside their front door. We used to say that politics is local - now it’s hyperlocal. It’s framed by the space between your front door, the patch of grass where you walk the dog, and the shop where you pick up milk.” CALLS TO ACTION: Help Smart Medical Aid for Ukraine here. Help Medical Aid for Palestinians here. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are Graham Linehan and Lucy Connolly the right pin-ups for an issue as important as Freedom of Speech? Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou discuss whether absorbing a universal right into a polarised culture war serves anyone's interests. ALSO, we take a deep dive into the shallow waters of the Reform UK party conference. PLUS with musical offerings galore during conference season, we give our best karaoke tips. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “I would suggest to genuine free speech champions out there, who are worried about the overreach of current legislation, that Lucy Connolly and Graham Linehan are not the right pin-ups. Absorbing such a serious issue into a culture war is not the right strategy. If you end up dying on a hill over those posts, your movement has a problem.” “None of this is keeping women safe. It’s certainly not keeping women who are quite masc-presenting safe. We have heard multiple stories of women being challenged just for going to the toilet, since the Supreme Court ruling, on the basis of what they look like. I just think that a lot of people have forgotten how to behave.” “Dorries is both very high profile and a nobody. Not an MP or a peer or someone with any role in the party. One could legitimately that leading councillor in a big local authority defecting to Reform is more consequential. But she does straddle that world between politics and celebrity and is therefore a significant scalp.” “We’ve done a big piece of work segmenting the Reform voter base. We found five distinct groups. Immigration ties them all together, but they differ widely in other areas, especially tax and spend, which creates some difficult traps for Farage.” Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They finally got her. But Rayner's departure triggers a wider reshuffle that nobody expected. Is this panic or is it - finally - grip? Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou discuss a huge day in Westminster. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If we do not defend a working class woman like Rayner, against this onslaught by a media that loathes her, we condemn our politics to be the pursuit of only rich men. PLUS Why we need proportional representation now - and how to get it. Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and special guest, CEO of Make Votes Matter, Emma Harrison, discuss the big political issues of the week. Including regular features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** CALLS TO ACTION: Help the 5050 campaign to support women in Parliament. Find out more about the work of Make Votes Matter here. Find out how to disable the emergency alert here. GRIN AND SHARE IT: How 3D printed nerve scaffolds are helping victims of spinal cord injury. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump's presidency reaches the 'Is he dead?' stage, Angela Rayner is pilloried yet again for not breaking the law, and a big tub of sand helps Finland stay warm. It's an unusually generous helping of madness in this week's Sunday School, and who better than Naomi Smith and Kenny Campbell to skip in wonder through the minefield of headlines and 'he said' lines. With bonus appearances from the Green Party leadership race and the Home Office workload, because we do serious here as well. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** CALLS TO ACTION: Email the Home Office to help HOPE not hate stop Great Yarmouth's Neo-Nazi music festival Check out Quiet Riot fan Emma Monk's excellent fact-checking Substack, Monk Debunks, here How Atlantic currents are signalling an even bigger climate catastrophe Finland's super-sandy battery breakthrough Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Labour government is talking about Europe, attacking the opposition, and putting forward some positive ideas. Could the new school year be better for them? Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and special guest, Labour MP Andrew Lewin discuss the mechanics of a closer relationship to the EU, the half-baked proposal to leave the ECHR, political strategy on whether to attack or ignore Reform - and Andrew's very exciting proposal for a Citizens Advance, to give young people, with no access to parental wealth, a leg-up, when they actually need it. Plus regular features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “The technocratic approach is sensible, in normal times, but these aren’t normal times… and I think people, both here and in Brussels, need to realise that there are no longer guarantees on what comes next, here or in member states - everyone is butting up against the rise of the far right. They need to act quickly and lock in as much sensible change as possible.” “Most people’s position on Europe is practical. Farage is in a minority, because he is ideological about it, as is Badenoch. Both came to Parliament the week of the UK-EU summit and said they would rip the agreement - before they had seen it. Which is an extraordinary position for the leader - and wannabe leader - of the opposition and out of line with mainstream thinking. So, I do think there is an opportunity for us to be braver.” “The reason reopening the whole question of EU membership would be impossible to reopen in this parliament is that it would dominate everything else. And we were elected to fix a lot of things - public services, cost of living, that would be drowned out. Also, the EU27 are not ready, in my view, to talk about rejoin. So, my view as a backbench MP and a pro-European is that this parliament is the time to build bridges.” “We often debate inheritance tax and it is an unpopular tax. I wanted to approach it from a different perspective. This is about giving individuals agency, over something that is going to be their money anyway. That’s why it’s called a Citizens Advance. It’s an advance on your pension, at a time it can do the most good.” ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** CALLS TO ACTION: Plant a tree for Europe and help Best for Britain here. Buy Eliza Philby's "Inheritocracy" here. Find out more about Citizens Advance (the Lewin Loan) here. GRIN AND SHARE IT: Read about extraordinary TIME Girl of The Year, Rebecca Young, here. Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Social media firestorms agogo in this week's scorching Sunday School. Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell take a sideways look at how socials are starting to go wrong for Trump, thanks partly to Gavin Newsom and Jeffrey Epstein, plus the fallout from the release of UK Twitter criminal Lucy Connolly. And, yes, all the latest madness from the court of King Trump (or as much as we can fit in) and, by way of light relief, an actual discussion about art. Yes, art. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “I am fully prepared for the number of wars Trump has resolved to go up again next week, in order to include the great Empire-Ewok Accord, the Armistice with the Cylons, and finally sorting out the Gondor/Mordor situation. Perhaps that's why Trump is patchy. He's midway through his transformation from Gandalf the Dusty Rose to Gandalf the Ecru.” “The White House launched its TikTok account this week, put out a couple of posts, but they didn't turn off comments. There is a lot of MAGA presence on TikTok. But the responses under these two posts were off the scale hating on Trump’s links to Epstein. Hundreds and hundreds of them - to the point where [Billy McLaughlin] the digital media boss had to resign.” “Lucy Connolly fits a particular box when it comes to developing the “two-tier” narrative from a media perspective. And she came out of prison and straight into a summer of particularly relevant media headlines… There's a redemption arc playing out here. She is being weaponised by the media, in order to become a standard bearer for why it is ok to break the law.” “The tabloids tell us that Connolly is lovely and ordinary, runs a day care and is a great Mum, has suffered past tragedy and took her dog for a walk after posting what she posted. All of that may be true. But she wasn’t punished for any of that. She was punished for telling people it was okay to set fire to a building with human beings sleeping in it, because their life has little value. That she did that between having a cuppa and shampooing the dog, makes it more chilling, not less.” “Connolly decided that this country somehow belongs to her and she decides who gets set on fire and who doesn’t. And she communicated that wish, knowingly, to people who were out there looking for precisely such a rationale for their pre-existing grievances and violent tendencies. That is the bit that is not okay. The rest is window dressing.” Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Brought to you by Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices