

Oh God, What Now?
Podmasters
Making sense of our political hell every Tuesday and Friday! Oh God, What Now? is the no-bulls**t politics podcast, making the unbearable bearable with top quality guests and analysis, plus poor quality jokes.
Regulars include: Guardian writer Rafael Behr • Rachel Cunliffe of the New Statesman • New Statesman columnist Jonn Elledge • Writer and host of This Is Not A Drill Gavin Esler • Social affairs journalist Hannah Fearn • Comedian Matt Green • The Lead's Westminster Editor Zoë Grünewald • Group Editor Andrew Harrison • Podmasters Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis • Journalist Marie Le Conte • Former Mirror editor Alison Phillips • Writer and commentator Ros Taylor
Sign up and get ad-free shows earlier than anyone else: patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow.
Oh God, What Now? is a Podmasters production
Regulars include: Guardian writer Rafael Behr • Rachel Cunliffe of the New Statesman • New Statesman columnist Jonn Elledge • Writer and host of This Is Not A Drill Gavin Esler • Social affairs journalist Hannah Fearn • Comedian Matt Green • The Lead's Westminster Editor Zoë Grünewald • Group Editor Andrew Harrison • Podmasters Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis • Journalist Marie Le Conte • Former Mirror editor Alison Phillips • Writer and commentator Ros Taylor
Sign up and get ad-free shows earlier than anyone else: patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow.
Oh God, What Now? is a Podmasters production
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 14, 2023 • 1h 1min
Is Britain begging for boring?
Labour’s policies aren’t exciting or even that clear. But is boring what Britain needs right now? Or is it ultimately leading to a lack of confidence in Labour leadership. Plus, George Osborne's wedding was disrupted by Just Stop Oil, OR WAS IT? Either way, was the extensive coverage of the orange confetti attack proof the group is making an impact? And in the extra bit for subscribers, are Gen Z just slackers who don’t want to work hard? That’s Oh God, What Now? With Paper Cuts’ Miranda Sawyer.
“I am happy to put on the record that I am finding the Labour Party incredibly boring at the moment.” – Marie Le Conte.
Instead of "Yes We Can", it's "We'd love to, but..." - Matt Green.
“I don’t know what kind of poll lead they need to be braver.” – Dorian Lynskey.
“I genuinely think if Labour get in they will do things around, education, around social housing, that will make a difference…I BELIEVE” – Miranda Sawyer.
“This idea that there's no difference between non violent protest and an assassination attempt is so disingenuous.” – Matt Green.
www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Dorian Lynskey with Matt Green, Marie Le Conte and Paper Cuts’ Miranda Sawyer. Producer: Alex Rees & Adam Wright. Social Media Producer: Jess Harpin. Audio production by: Alex Rees. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 11, 2023 • 56min
Break Class in Case of Emergency
Keir Starmer announces plans to break the Class Ceiling. Will inequality be the big issue in the next election? And WTF is “oracy” anyway? As ticket offices disappear from the railways, are we in course of a society without face-to-face contact? Plus, the meaning of Biden’s visit to the UK, the feeding frenzy over the BBC’s SEX STORY, and who are our heroes and villains of the week? Listen for surprise revelations about our panel’s social life… Listen to our new newspaper review podcast PAPER CUTS here. https://listen.podmasters.uk/PCogwn• “Smashing the class ceiling isn’t new territory for the Labour Party – it’s the POINT of the Labour Party.” – Ayesha Hazarika• “Repeating slogans works in politics. But when ‘Strong and Stable’ ends up on a novelty birthday card then you know you’ve gone too far.” – Tom Peck• “It’s hard for Sunak to get away with saying ‘hold your nerve’ when he personally doesn’t have to hold any nerve at all.” – Hannah Fearn• “When you are at that level of politics … you never need to lift a finger again to do anything basic.” – Ayesha HazarikaPresented by Alex Andreou with Hannah Fearn, Ayesha Hazarika and Tom Peck. Audio producer: Robin Leeburn. Producer: Chris Jones. Art: James Parrett. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 7, 2023 • 1h 3min
Miriam Cates and her Horrible Mates
Meet this week’s Tory game-changer: Miriam Cates and her New Conservatives. Will their wizard scheme to kick out foreign care-home workers and stamp out sex education save the Tories’ bacon? Is she real or a cartoon rightist from a British version of The Handmaid’s Tale?Plus: Farage Against The Cash Machine. Can Zuckerberg’s new idea Threads kill Twitter? Our special guest Henry Morris AKA mischievous mega-tweeter ‘The Secret Tory’ tells how he hoodwinked everyone from your pub pals to the commanding heights of politics. And in the Extra Bit… Streaming TV is in trouble. Why?Tickets for Origin Story Live are here: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/ZwCihZbENZListen to our new newspaper review podcast PAPER CUTS here. https://listen.podmasters.uk/PCogwn• “Cates’s ‘Labour will nationalise our children’ thing reminds me of Emma Barnett asking if Labour were going to nationalise sausages.” – Zöe Grünewald• “As they say, the first casualty of the Culture War is the will to live.” – Henry Morris• “Maybe we DO need antagonists on social media? Otherwise people are just too nice?” – Marie le ContePresented by Dorian Lynskey with Marie le Conte and Zöe Grünewald. Audio producer: Alex Rees. Producer: Chris Jones. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Art: James Parrett. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 4, 2023 • 1h 2min
Suell-Air Flight 666 to Rwanda is cancelled
As the Supreme Court grounds Braverman’s Rwanda plan, what will the Tory Right try to pull us out of next? The ECHR, the continent of Europe, or three-dimensional reality itself? Plus, What’s new about the “New” Conservatives? Who’s about to get reshuffled? The NHS’s 75th birthday prompts the Tories to do some of that recruiting stuff, after only 13 years in power. And in a new feature: who are our Heroes and Villains of the Week? Listen to our new paper review podcast PAPER CUTS here. https://listen.podmasters.uk/PCogwn• “Does anyone really think that the key to a better Britain is to get rid of care workers and foreign students?” – Gavin Esler• “Rwanda is a really good example of the Conservatives not realising that everyone else can hear what they’re saying as well as their base…” – Rachel Cunliffe• “They’re so desperate for another Brexit. What’s next? Take back more control? Get Brexit done-r?” – Matt GreenPresented by Alex Andreou, Rachel Cunliffe, Gavin Esler and Matt Green. Audio producer: Alex Rees. Producer: Chris Jones. Art: James Parrett. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 30, 2023 • 56min
Don't Look Back in Wagner
Matt Hancock appears before the COVID inquiry – can he ever be forgiven? And Prigozhin has been exiled to Belarus – but how has his Wagner mutiny left Putin’s position in the Moscow. And what does this mean for Ukraine? Then in the extra bit for subscribers, yet another pointless news ‘story’ does the rounds. Why do we put up with churnalism?
“It’s hard to imagine that Prigozhin will get a long retirement on the golf course.” – Arthur Snell
“Prigozhin was acting out of desperation.” – Arthur Snell
www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell, Marie Le Conte, and guest Rachel Wearmouth. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Alex Rees & Chris Jones. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 27, 2023 • 58min
Conflict of Interest
Interest rates have reached the highest level for 15 years but don’t worry because Rishi Sunak says he’s: “totally, 100% on it”. Is he? Or is that totally, 100% rubbish? Is Cronyism getting worse? And if it is, how do we stop ministers from appointing their mates into positions of power? Did you see the all-leave BBC Brexit special last week? We did. The panel gives us their thoughts. And we get the latest mutiny news from Doomsday Watch’s Arthur Snell as tempers flare in Russia.Listen to our new paper review podcast PAPER CUTS here. https://listen.podmasters.uk/PCogwn
“We have some of the worst inflation in Europe, by quite some way.” – Seth Thevoz.
“There is a portion of the population, no matter how tiny, that would quite like a recession.” – Seth Thevoz.
“For those this affects, this will be a painful period.” – Hannah Fearn.
“The honors system was designed to be corrupt. It’s doing what it’s supposed to do.” – Seth Thevoz
www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Alex Andreou with Hannah Fearn, Seth Thevoz, and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 23, 2023 • 55min
The Seven Year Itch
It's been seven years since the Brexit vote. Are you surprised we’re still speaking about it? We’re not. Speaking of votes, there are three by-elections coming up because Tories keep quitting. Is our electoral system fair? Is it democratic? Or is it time for a change? And in the extra bit for subscribers the panel discusses how departed MPs should behave post parliament. That’s Oh God, What Now? With special guest and founder of Fair Vote UK, Kyle Taylor.
“Brexit is this massive thing that has turned my life upside down.” – Alex Andreou
“The Tories need to move on from Brexit but Sunak isn’t the man to do that.” – Hannah Fearn
“I think the EU referendum in 2016 was the beginning of the end of democracy in our parts of the world.” – Kyle Taylor
“Without question we’re going to see what the role of AI does to our elections soon.” – Kyle Taylor
www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis with Hannah Fearn, Alex Andreou and guest Kyle Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 20, 2023 • 53min
The Party's Over: Boris Johnson-free edition!
The Covid inquiry is well underway but we won’t get the findings well-after 2026 and THEN some. Too long? Suella Braverman’s wish to increase powers to stop street protests has come true with little to no resistance from Labour. Our panel discuss why? Plus, private school officials hurled the most private school insults at Labour’s shadow education secretary. It called her “chippy” and said she knew “diddly” for planning to add VAT to school fees, A-class snobbery or justified comment?
“You don’t do your mingling when there’s a plague!” – Andrew Harrison
“I was recently disheartened seeing those headlines saying the inquiry had been politicised.” – Rachel Cunliffe
“It’s only just started and already we’ve started to lose sight of what the point of this inquiry is meant to be.” – Rachel Cunliffe.
“If they want this inquiry to be useful, it needs to be done quicker.” – Tom Peck
“I think privately these ‘chippy’ comments will make Labour quite happy.” – Tom Peck
www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison with Tom Peck, Rachel Cunliffe and Arthur Snell. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 15, 2023 • 28min
EmergencyCast! – Johnson is Finally, Finally, Finally Finished
Boris Johnson was in for trouble. But, bloody hell – the report is worse than even we imagined. So, we’re back to tear through the details in another bonus edition… Dorian, Alex and Naomi gather for a rough and ready EmergencyCast.
“Increasingly this does look like the end to Boris Johnson’s political career because of the hurdles between him and returning.” – Naomi Smith
“I think this is more explosive than anything we’ve heard before.” – Alex Andreou
“He’s basically using a unanimous report to effectively generate positive political capital which is what Trump does.” – Alex Andreou
www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 15, 2023 • 1h 12min
Boris Johnson’s Lying Circus
Recorded before the Privileges Committee report landed. We thought the whole point of resigning was to shut up and go away? On his way out, ex-MP Johnson trashes everything from the Privileges Committee to Tory detente to objective truth itself. We reassemble the original Remainiacs team to look at the squalid final days of Britain’s worst Prime Minister. Could he ever come back?Plus, as Trump ends up in court and Berlusconi goes to the Great Bunga Bunga Party in the Sky, is populism unravelling? And there’s news for long-time listeners.Listen to our new paper review podcast PAPER CUTS here. https://listen.podmasters.uk/PCogwn • “Johnson is treating the inquiry itself with contempt… Even his fingernails lie. There’s no limit to his depravity.” – Ian Dunt• “The Trump indictment is like someone fed every John le Carré novel into ChatGPT and then asked it to write an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.” – Alex Andreou• “The mystique has gone. That sense of the ‘proven winner’ has gone. The Tory Party are not complete chumps. He’s running scared.” – Ian Dunt• “Johnson’s version of events are undermined because he’s a lying liar that lies.” – Naomi SmithPresented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou, Ros Taylor, Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Simon Williams. Producer: Chris Jones. Art: James Parrett. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


