Quiet Riot

Alex - a former regulator by trade - talks through the issues of social media regulation and the ultimate sanction of banning Musk from having history's most destructive midlife crisis at the expense of UK democracy. Please take a minute to subscribe to the podcast, like, review and rate us, and share Quiet Riot pearls on social media because sharing is good, is it not? You can find us on twitter @quietriotpod, email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com, or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com. It really helps!You can find Hope Not Hate here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Naomi and Alex talk about the Far Right riots up and down the UK, the extent to which they are an omen of worse things to come, or the final spasm of a faction of sore losers, the role disinformation has played, and what Starmer can do.Alex: “The far right have had a pretty bad year. The European election did not go their way in the mega-wave they thought, Modi lost his majority in India, Le Pen came third in France, Starmer won a landslide here, and now it looks as if Trump might even be in danger. It’s not a good moment for them and something about this feels like their final tantrum by the checkout.”Naomi: “The far right are always with us. They never go away. It is a fact of life. They have peaks in their activity and while this has been nowhere near as bad as it could be, you have to have constant and ever vigilance around those that seek to divide us.”Please take a minute to subscribe to the podcast, like, review and rate us, and share Quiet Riot pearls on social media because sharing is good, is it not? You can find us on twitter @quietriotpod, email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com, or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com. It really helps!You can find Hope Not Hate here.You can find Kick It Out here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Naomi Smith chats to Conservative Home's Henry Hill about every aspect of the Tory leadership contest, who are the runners, who are the riders, who doesn't know if they're afoot or horseback, and what is at stake. A free-roaming and illuminating conversation - and a perfect illustration of our mission here at QRHQ, to build understanding.Henry on the length of the contest: “I think Conservatives may regret not having a new leader and shadow cabinet in place for [the budget]. And then, just three days after their new leader is announced, we’re going to have the US Presidential election. And that’s going to be like a news nuke.”On Jeremy Hunt staying on as Shadow Chancellor: “[Jeremy Hunt] just lost the election. I don’t think he is a credible message-carrier with the voters for criticising Rachel Reeves’ agenda.”On morale in the party: “The thing I think a lot of Tories don’t quite realise yet is how hard life in opposition is. Because a huge share of Tory MPs have entered Parliament at or since the 2010 election.”On what the task of the next leader is: “Both sides of the current conservative classic division are out of date. One of them is stuck in 1975. The other one, the sort of self-consciously modernising one, is stuck in 2005, when Cameron became leader. Neither of them seems to be oriented towards the problems of 2025.”Please take a minute to subscribe to the podcast, like, review and rate us, and share Quiet Riot pearls on social media because sharing is good, is it not? You can find us on twitter @quietriotpod, email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com, or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com. It really helps!You can find Henry's Conservative Home pieces here.And his substack musings here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The new buzzword in American politics is Weird, and it seems to be having an effect.Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith are joined by transatlantic academic, author and podcaster Brian Klaas, Associate Professor of Global Politics at University College London, to talk weird politics, Kamala's crowds and a whole bunch of other fascinating stuff around the US presidential race.There's also a look at what happened when Rachel Reeves and Jeremy Hunt squared up in the Commons for their first post-election tussle, and we ask whether the changes to the Winter Fuel Allowance are going to prove chilling for the Chancellor.And don't miss our amazing new features – we've got two of the critters, one of them cultured, the other somewhat less so. Confused? You'll have to listen in...Do please subscribe to the podcast, like, review and rate us, and share Quiet Riot pearls on social media because sharing is good, is it not? You can find us on twitter @quietriotpod, email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com, or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com. Love you guys xCALL TO ACTIONThe Lincoln ProjectRepublican Voters Against TrumpHow just 80,000 voters in three states made Trump presidentHow to contact your MP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex Andreou, in conversation with Christina Pagel and Tom Brufatto, teases out the main threads from the Covid Inquiry Module 1 Report and discusses the current wave of Covid sweeping the country and the status of Long Covid.“Our plan was how do we cope with the number of deaths. And they planned, into the 2011 strategy, for over 800,000 people to die over about five months. And nobody ever said: that seems like a lot.” ~Christina Pagel“Having delivered Brexit, they certainly felt they had something to prove. And it was often in a direction which was not conducive to responsible government." ~Tom Brufatto“There aren’t any real treatments for Long Covid yet. People have lost interest in Covid. It may be understandable, but it’s not really forgivable when you still have hundreds of thousands of people really, really sick.” ~Christina Pagel“During the General Election campaign Covid was barely mentioned. It is probably the biggest trauma this country went through during the last government and it barely came up.” ~Alex AndreouSubscribe, follow, rate, and review us. And take two minutes to say something nice about us on social media, tagging in @quietriotpod - you can also email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com With Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Produced by Kenny Campbell in cahoots with Sandstone Global.Calls to Action: Long Covid CharitiesLONG COVID KIDSLONG COVID SUPPORTLONG COVID SOSME/CFS All-Party Parliamentary GroupCovid Inquiry - Module 1 Reportcovid19.public-inquiry.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY REACTION. Alex and Naomi with a bumper edition of your favourite weekly feature, looking at the comically insane and the insanely comical reactions to a man with a hole in his tights, a drag race, and Papa Smurf singing.What happened to Christian temperance and forgiveness? It's all pride and wrath these days."They think it was making fun of The Last Supper – not The Last Supper as a concept, but The Last Supper as a famous fresco, painted by gay atheist, who painted himself into the image as Jesus."-"Kamala Harris does have children. She just hasn't given birth to any."-"As has no President of the United States before her. Not a single one of them has given birth."Subscribe, follow, rate, and review us. And take two minutes to say something nice about us on social media, tagging in @quietriotpod – you can also email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com Produced by Kenny Campbell in cahoots with Sandstone Global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A familiar voice returns to join Alex and Naomi – fresh from playing Angela Merkel with the Royal Shakespeare Company, actor, writer and all-round good egg Ingrid Oliver casts a knowing eye over the in-tray of Lisa Nandy, our new Secretary of Culture, Media and Sport.We talk theatre, music, libraries and even TikTok and footie, as the challenges facing Britain's arts and entertainment world join the queue for help from a new Government.And, talking of entertainers, how could we not chat about Kamala Harris, whose combination of talent and joie de vivre has catapulted her into contention as the next US President.Helping us read the Harris runes is Patrick Flynn, data journalist with Focaldata and owner of at least one cool Kamala T-shirt. What other podcast brings you this sort of devotion to detail?Plus we've got favourite features including Poll The Other One and (cue that Hillbilly Elegy soundtrack) Wokey Dokey. We literally don't have room for any more goodies :-)If you wouldn't mind, please subscribe to the podcast, like, review and rate us, and share Quiet Riot wisdom on social media because sharing is good, ok? You can find us on twitter @quietriotpod, email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com, or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com.CALL TO ACTIONFind a theatre near you hereNeed some inspiration for your next gig? Try thisIt's summer and there are free sports agogo... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex with a short personal view, on how the treatment of Biden has set back the cause of trying to ease the stigma of conditions like dementia back by years. The way this was treated, often involved a sort of gratuitous cruelty and vicious glee that did not need to be there, served no purpose. It seemed just a chance to join in with a public humiliation.Please subscribe to the podcast, like, review and rate us, and share Quiet Riot gems on social media. You can find us on twitter @quietriotpod, email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com, or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com. Thank you all for your support :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Goodbye Joe, he gotta go: Joe Biden has finally done what many considered inevitable, and exited the race to be the next US President.In this Quiet Riot special, our hosts Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith are joined by long-time Democratic Party donor and political analyst Mark Bergman, to prod the embers of Biden's 2024 campaign.Among the burning questions therein, we ask: Why now? What will the new Democrat offering be? Will Biden's departure help unite the Democrats or open up a new internal battlefront?And could we see an all-woman Democratic ticket go up against the Republican hombres?The 2024 presidential race is fired up to be a classic – let our cooler heads be your guide.Also, please subscribe to the podcast, like, review and rate us, and share Quiet Riot gems on social media. You can find us on twitter @quietriotpod, email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com, or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com. Thank you all for your support :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex chats to John Nicolson – now a former SNP MP – reflects on what went wrong for the SNP and how to fix it, as well as a wide range of topics, from the US presidential race to behind-the-scenes insights on the life political. And there's a little regret that he and his SNP colleagues weren't a little more awkward when they descended en masse on Westminster.With candid observations on some of those with whom he has shared the political stage – and eyebrow-raising revelations about his close call on the operating table – this is a must-listen for all fans of planet politics, not just those from north of the Border."It's a bit like bereavement, when you lose. The worst time is the morning. You wake up and you feel unhappy and you can't quite remember why, and then you go: no, that's why. It's very sad.""The truth is, people vote for parties. And there was an electoral wave, which individual candidates, such as myself, found impossible to resist.""I was very outspoken on trans rights. I'm not in favour of Scottish independence because I want to go out there and wave the Saltire. I'm not a flag fetishist. I support it because of the kind of society we can build... Scotland, on a whole number of metrics, is now amongst the most liberal countries in Europe.""My grandma left school at 12. I went to university and ended up getting a scholarship to Harvard. It transformed my life, free university education.""We've got to have a mature discussion about how Scotland leaves the UK, if we want to. If there is no mechanism to leave, and we're told we can never have a referendum, well, it's not a voluntary union.""The Tories are a funny lot. I grew up with Clause 28 and all that ghastliness. And then, when I was elected, I looked across to the Tory benches... I mean, it was like a night out in Soho.""Obviously if that was my choice, I'd vote for Biden. But if Biden wants to do something for his nation now, I think he should stand aside. I hope vanity does not prevent him.""I have no time for people who say: they're all the same, they're all liars. They really aren't. There's good people in all the parties. And there are honest, well-intentioned people in all the parties. Engage. Don't be lazy." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices