Oh God, What Now?

It’s their party and they’ll lie if they want to… Mere hours after Allegra Stratton fell on her sword, the Oh God, What Now? panel assemble before a baying crowd at the Leicester Square Theatre, London, for our Christmas special. What does the party-that-wasn’t mean? What were the ten worst things about 2021? And what would our panelists do if they were suddenly made Dictator? Back us at www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you thought the Culture War was a recent invention, you’d be wrong. Investigative mischief-maker JON RONSON joins us to explain how its roots run a lot deeper than you might think – as he learned from making his new podcast series Things Fell Apart. Plus, are progressive politics finally turning the corner? The Guardian’s RAFAEL BEHR on the difference between where Starmer is and where he needs to be. And what will the NEXT Culture War be about? • “If you fill your head with ideology then there is no room for curiosity.” – JON RONSON• “The Government only has two approaches: total lockdown or Plague Party.” – NAOMI SMITH• “There is no Blairism left in the Labour Party. But there is anti-Corbynism.” – RAF BEHR• “Every generation wants to solve the problems of the previous one.” – JON RONSON• “Brexit was sold on controlling the borders – but you can’t do that if you only control one side of the border.” – RAF BEHRListen to Jon Ronson’s Things Fell Apart: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/m0011cprBack us at www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Johnson makes a pig's ear out of his speech to the CBI, and with unrest sizzling on the Tory backbenches over social care, is the Prime Minister in danger of getting smoked out, or can he use red meat to buy off his MPs? Plus continental Europe is facing a fourth wave of COVID, reaching case rates the UK has seen for months! Will Britain avoid another lockdown, and are we changing our behaviour as Christmas approaches? Naomi, Dorian and Alex are joined by special guest Gavin Esler on this week’s show. “Johnson turning up and winging his speech is effectively another way of saying ‘fuck business’.” - Alex Andreou “I hate commentators using the word ‘authentic’, some people are authentically shit.” - Gavin Esler  “Johnson is under attack from all groups in the party, this makes it very difficult for him to buy them off.” - Naomi Smith “One person I think has a good chance is Jeremy Hunt. He’s biding his time, outside the cabinet of disasters.” - Gavin Esler “The UK became desensitised after the 80,000 death second wave, something that other European countries didn’t go through.” - Alex Andreou Back us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the House of Funds… Parliament’s sleaze scandal rolls into yet another week. But have no fear! Boris Johnson has announced plans to reform the rule for second jobs MPs can do, and this time it’s totally going to work, you guys. Gracie Mae Bradley from human rights group Liberty joins us to discuss the week’s news... Will the Tory old guard be impressed with Johnson threatening to take away their nice little earners, and is there any stopping serial filibusterer Christopher Chope from ruining votes at the last minute? Plus, President Putin is piling the pressure on his regional allies, and refugees are being used a political pawn by Belarus. We take a look at why the story isn’t bigger here in the UK, and how the erosion of democracy on the other side of Europe affects us all. “Johnson had a torrid time at PMQs, the speaker told him in politer terms to sit down and shut up” - Alex Andreou“MPs are paid to be full time representatives of their constituency, so any jobs should be agreed with that in mind” - Alex Andreou“Conservative MPs elected in marginal seats look at Christopher Chope and think ‘what impression is he giving the public of us?’” - Ros Taylor“All that Johnson has going for him is that he wins, that’s the only reason people in the party like him” - Dorian Lynskey“There is a horrible continuity between the accounts of people in Calais and on the Belarus/Poland border” - Gracie Bradley“All of this is Putin’s way of testing Biden’s resolve” - Alex Andreouwww.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowDon’t forget the OH GOD, WHAT NOW? Christmas live show - tickets are selling fast so get yours at https://bit.ly/3CvhpqHPresented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vultures circle as the Owen Paterson scandal disintegrates into a circular Tory firing squad featuring Geoffrey Cox (hon. member for the Virgin Islands), vengeful whips, an absentee unmasked PM… and a collapsed Conservative poll lead. Plus COP26 winds down, we talk to PETER STOTT, author of Hot Air to find out how climate denial has morphed into a campaign to smear climate mitigation as “too costly”. And ARTHUR SNELL drops in to introduce our new sibling podcast Doomsday Watch, a deep dive into mammoth global threats that media and leaders are ignoring. “Being in power is not enough. They need to be in power with nobody looking over their shoulders. And now, everyone is looking over their shoulders.” – ALEX ANDREOU“The Paterson story is so simple. Man took money. Government changed rules to get him off. Even the Mail could see it.” – NAOMI SMITH“There’s an internal implosion going on in the Conservative Party – and it’s delightful to witness.” – ALEX ANDREOU “We need to stop talking about climate ‘sceptics’. They’re not sceptics. Scepticism is a tool of science. They’re deniers.” – PETER STOTT“The Tories are terrified at this story that they’ve all got their noses in the trough because… they’ve all got their noses in the trough.” – ALEX ANDREOUPaterson no, Patreon yes! Back us at www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowBuy Peter Stott’s Hot Air: https://amzn.to/31JkIxDPresented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A sneak peek at a brand new series from the producers behind Oh God, What Now? To hear more, visit kite.link/doomsdayThe world has never stood as close to the apocalypse as it does today.Hosted by ARTHUR SNELL, a former British diplomat and counter-terrorism operative who has seen service in Yemen, Helmand and Zimbabwe, DOOMSDAY WATCH meets experts and eyewitness for an unflinching look at the threats that conventional media ignores. On this first edition: Is a toxic combination of extreme partisanship, detached elites and Trump’s incitement driving the world’s greatest democracy to a second Civil War?• “This is the story of a great project that has torn itself apart from the inside.” – ARTHUR SNELL• “At what point do we stop saying this is a democratic country?” – BRIAN KLAAS• “Where there is anger and polarised states, democracy may not work any more.” – JACK GOLDSTONEDOOMSDAY WATCH was written and presented by Arthur Snell and produced by Robin Leeburn – with assistant production from Jacob Archbold. Theme tune and original music is by Paul Hartnoll. The group editor is Andrew Harrison. DOOMSDAY WATCH is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“A bingo card of Tory sleaze…” It’s COP26 week so naturally the Tory Government puts the recycling out – bringing back 90s corruption by overturning the suspension of self-enriching paid lobbyist MP OWEN PATERSON. What were they thinking, will it bite them back in the end, what exactly were Randox getting for their money, and can we consign “standards in public life” to the box of quaint historic relics? Plus our guest this week is PAUL HAWKEN, author of Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation. • “Johnson's like a greasy pastry. The sleaze is baked in.” – NAOMI SMITH• “Politics is the most environmentally destructive industry in the world.” – PAUL HAWKEN• “The Brexit Party saved Labour from an even worse defeat in 2019… ‘Thank God for Nigel Farage’ is quite a statement” – DORIAN LYNSKEY• “The only thing Bolsonaro hates more than trees are the indigenous people living among them.” – NAOMI SMITHwww.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowBuy Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Paul-Hawken/Regeneration--Ending-the-Climate-Crisis-in-One-Generation/25990481Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Government sanctions explosive leaks of noxious material, leaving the country nauseated. But enough about the Budget. As National Sewage Week comes to a glorious end, we reach around the political S-Bend to see what Rishi Sunak has left in Britain’s economic pan. Also we welcome guest MICHAEL BRADDICK, author of 'A Useful History of Britain: The Politics of Getting Things Done’ to ask if ‘Britishness’ really exists. Plus, what would our panel do if they were dictators?* “Clean water would bankrupt the water industry? I see problem there…” – Alex Andreou* “If you drink liqueurs on domestic flights, this is the Budget to help you.” – Ian Dunt* “If you want people to feel British, then make Britain work for them. Don’t just tell them they’re British” – Michael Braddickwww.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Alex Andreou with Minnie Rahman and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MPs want the Online Harms Bill to be tightened to take in “hateful speech” – yet the murder of David Amess appears to have had nothing to do with social media. Are they trying to insulate themselves from criticism. Special guest, news and policy blogger David Allen Green, joins us to look at the fallout from David Amess’s killing, plus the confirmation that, yes, the UK government signed the Withdrawal Agreement always intending to break it.  “Just because extremists are on social media, it doesn’t mean that social media is the reason they’re extremists” - Alex Andreou “It’s strange that MPs are demanding the end of anonymity online when they’re so deft at using ‘off the record’ to get messages into the media.” – David Allen Green  “It’s always fun to see the ones who brought you ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE bringing up Angela Rayner’s ‘scum’ comments.” – Dorian Lynskey “This is a betrayal of the central argument that got the Government elected – and everyone just shrugs?” – Alex Andreou “Think how different things would be if we’d had the wit to call the EU the Winston Churchill Memorial Organisation…” – David Allen Green www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brexit’s back! Unelected bureaucrat Lord Frost resurrects the nightmare by tearing into the disgraceful deal and NI Protocol negotiated by dastardly unelected bureaucrat Lord Frost. Wait til he finds that guy… Plus, Johnson re-enacts the late 70s by going on holiday during a national crisis and unfortunately misses the interim COVID report which pins a large chunk of blame on Boris Johnson. Just another perfectly normal week in a perfectly normal country.  “Johnson is like a man who has pissed themselves and then says they’re wearing yellow trousers” - Ian Dunt “When you have a Government who wants to shrink the state, you can’t be surprised that when a crisis does occur the state can’t handle it” - Alex Andreou “What kind of Government would tear up their own territorial customs arrangements?” - Ian Dunt “The DUP’s handling of Brexit when they had the whip-hand at Westminster has seen their support plummet” - Naomi Smith “Johnson is not going to go without a turkey at Christmas. This is class war, plain and simple.” - Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices