Planet Normal

With a new year comes a new wave of cynicism on our rocket of right thinking. This week, Allison wonders why the government has made it respectable for healthy people to skive work, while Liam predicts a year of ‘political unrest’. And both co-pilots ponder the question, how much Covid testing is too much?Joining us on our Planet Normal voyage is pub owner and hospitality champion, Adam Brooks who delivers some home truths about the real effect of Covid restrictions on his venues, and shares the moving reason he's inspired to fight the good fight for hospitality.And Allison shares her surprising, but scarily realistic dream with listeners.Allison will be replying to comments beneath this article on Thursday 6th January 11am-12pm: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2022/01/06/planet-normal-now-pandemic-testing-not-illness/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Listen to Chopper’s Politics: https://www.playpodca.st/chopper | Need help subscribing or reviewing? Read 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 |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parliamentary sketchwriter Madeline Grant joins Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan to give listeners the inside track on a tumultuous week in the Commons and why she believes the PM can no longer count on his own party to support further Covid measures. Plus, as The Telegraph's resident James Bond expert, she recommends her top instalment for your Christmas viewing.Also on the podcast: Liam tells us why it's not impossible you won't have heard of the next PM, Allison brings a revealing update from our NHS insider and our co-pilots agree that an election tomorrow would spell bad news for the Tories.And while Allison celebrates the return of the nation's sense of humour, we take a look back at some lighter moments from another year onboard the Planet Normal rocket.Allison will be replying to comments beneath this article on Thursday 23rd of December: 11am-12pm: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2021/12/23/planet-normal-quickly-have-lost-sight-right-freedom/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Madeline: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/madeline-grant |Listen to Bed of Lies: https://www.playpodca.st/bedoflies |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Read 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 |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Minister for Trade Penny Mordaunt beams into the Planet Normal rocket from Atlanta, Georgia, in the week where Boris Johnson suffered the most bruising rebellion of his premiership. Over 100 of her Conservative colleagues voted against his plans for Covid passports. The former Cabinet minister tells Telegraph columnists Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan why, and brings listeners the inside track on trade negotiations in post-Brexit Britain.Plus, Liam tells us why he's concerned we're seeing 'lockdown by stealth', Allison calls for the NHS to channel the vigour of the national booster campaign into testing for other diseases, and our co-pilots take a dive into 70s nostalgia - space hoppers and all. Allison will be replying to comments beneath this article on Thursday 16th of December 11am-12pm: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2021/12/16/planet-normal-seeing-lockdown-stealth/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Listen to Brian Moore's Full Contact: www.playpodca.st/fullcontact |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Read 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 |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government's Covid 'Plan B' is here and our co-pilots have a lot of adjectives to describe it. Spoiler alert: they’re far from complimentary.Fresh from watching THAT latest press briefing, Liam thinks that the government has broken the social contract with the public and will struggle to get them to comply with the latest restrictions in light of the Christmas party scandal at No10. And, as if to prove him right, Allison declares that she has no intention of familiarising herself with the new rules. Plus boarding the flying refuge of reasoned views this week is Professor Gordon Wishart, Chief Medical Officer at Check4Cancer and Visiting Professor of Cancer Surgery at Anglia Ruskin University, who tells Allison and Liam that there's no point returning to pre-pandemic "normal" when it comes to cancer services, as they were failing before the pandemic - we must aim for "super normal”.And with a bursting mail bag on the rocket, Liam is particularly moved by one listener email.Allison will be replying to comments beneath this article on Thursday 9th of December, 11am-12pm: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2021/12/09/planet-normal-nations-social-contract-government-has-broken |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Listen to Chopper's Politics: https://www.playpodca.st/chopper |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Read 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 |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas. Usually heralded by snow on the ground, Christmas trees and Mariah Carey. And, it seems, a new Covid-19 variant. On this week's podcast, columnists Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan weigh in on the latest developments and tell us why they're confident festivities mustn't take a hit, despite some scientists acting as if the UK is in the eye of the pandemic storm.Making her second trip to Planet Normal is revered Oxford University epidemiologist Professor Sunetra Gupta, who tells our co-pilots why we are ‘overplaying’ the hype around the new variant, whilst ‘undervaluing’ the power of natural immunity. And immediately Allison's blood pressure drops.Plus our co-pilots unveil a surprising Planet Normal hero of the week.Listen to the full interview with Professor Sunetra Gupta: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2021/12/02/planet-normal-shouldnt-have-panicked-omicron-ever |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Listen to Brian Moore's Full Contact: www.playpodca.st/fullcontact |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Read 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 |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another seven days on Planet Normal means another ‘numpty of the week’ and this time our very own Prime Minister is a hot contender. Liam tells listeners why he thinks Boris Johnson is ‘winging it’, while Allison worries that the PM has been taking writing tips from his infant son following his recent chaotic speech at the CBI conference. But will Sir Keir Starmer's popularity surge as Boris Johnson's dwindles? Or would that be all too... normal?Also on the podcast: award-winning science writer Matt Ridley boards the rocket to tell our co-pilots why he's spent months investigating the origins of Covid-19. He tells us why swift and widespread dismissal of the Wuhan lab leak theory was a ‘shocking episode in the history of science’, and proposes his solution to see health information shared more quickly, fully and globally.Plus, the Great British Bake Off causes a stir as our co-pilots reveal who they would have crowned champion.Allison will be replying to comments beneath this article on Thursday 25th of November 11am-12pm: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2021/11/25/planet-normal-dismissing-wuhan-lab-leak-conspiracy-theory-shocking |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Listen to Brian Moore's Full Contact: www.playpodca.st/fullcontact |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Read 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 |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everything's gone a bit pear-shaped, and it hasn't escaped the notice of Telegraph columnists Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan. With inflation above 4% and the cost of living spiralling, Liam tells listeners why he's convinced the PM is distracted by "chaos" within Tory ranks, while Allison has her head in her hands over the political class' "deflection and denial" following the distressing attack in Liverpool.Plus, never two to shy away from difficult subjects, our co-hosts welcome academic and terrorism expert Dr Rakib Ehsan aboard the rocket to share his concerns over the UK's Prevent strategy, the portrayal of Muslim people in the media and why our leaders are suffering from "bigotry of low expectations".And a particularly complimentary listener email leaves Ms Pearson blushing...Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Listen to Bed of Lies: https://www.playpodca.st/bedoflies | Need help subscribing or reviewing? Read 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 |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the 75th voyage to Planet Normal, but our co-pilots Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan aren't popping corks just yet. On this week's episode, they have strong words for the head of NHS England Amanda Pritchard, whose recent error on Covid admissions statistics had them putting their heads in their hands. Luckily Planet Normal's resident hospital bed occupancy expert (AKA Ms Pearson) is on hand to set the record straight. Plus, our co-hosts disagree entirely respectfully on the NHS "jab for jobs" announcement.Joining us on the rocket of right-thinking is Oxford emeritus fellow Professor Lawrence Goldman, who doesn't hold back on the problems in UK university fundraising in the wake of the Mosley money row. But it's not just Oxford accepting money from dubious sources. He tells Allison and Liam why he believes the problem is 'systemic', with institutions throwing 'academic principles and common sense out of the window'.And brace yourselves, co-pilot Halligan treats listeners to a special musical performance...Allison will be replying to comments beneath this article on Thursday 11th of November 11am-12pm: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2021/11/11/planet-normal-money-common-sense-uk-universities/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Listen to Bed of Lies: https://www.playpodca.st/bedoflies |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Read 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 |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Broadcaster and and former Director of Strategy to David Cameron, Steve Hilton makes a rare UK media appearance to tell our Planet Normal co-pilots, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, how his former boss was actually a Eurosceptic, what President Biden has in common with a Monty Python sketch and why things are looking good for Donald Trump in 2024.And with the spotlight on all things green this week, the Planet Normal rocket takes a virtual trip to Cop26. Allison disregards the gathering as a 'pantomime', Liam tells us why he's backing the Indian approach to net zero, and our co-pilots agree that were they attending a climate change summit, they might skip the private jet.Also on the podcast: have the charms of French President Emmanuel Macron finally worn off for Ms Pearson?Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Listen to Chopper's Politics: https://www.playpodca.st/chopper |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Read 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 |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Budget week, which means big announcements, big spending and big celebrations for Allison, who arrives for our recording with a big surprise for Liam: she’s only gone and won an award.Our co-pilot may have a trophy, but she’s got more than a few questions for our resident economist, co-pilot Halligan who is on hand to explain why he thinks Chancellor Rishi Sunak might have earned himself the nickname ’Risky Rishi’  after delivering his third Budget. But do the sums really add up?Also joining our co-pilots is Telegraph columnist Ben Wright, who tells Planet Normal why he felt as if he were watching a Labour chancellor instead of a Conservative one.And did we mention Allison won an award?Allison will be replying to comments beneath this article on Thursday 28th of October 11am-12pm: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/10/27/planet-normal-big-budget-breakdown/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/allison-pearson/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Ben: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/ben-wright/ | Listen to Chopper's Politics: https://www.playpodca.st/chopper |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Read 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 |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.