Oh God, What Now?

As yet another self-justifying Dominic Cummings megablog arrives, will this latest real-life No.10 Spider-Man meme affect actual politics? Barrister Jolyon Maugham joins us to explain “de facto opposition” the Good Law Project’s work on the Government’s breathtaking cronyism and back-handers, and what happens in a country where there’s no cost to lawbreaking. And five years on from the Brexit vote, Tom Peck of The Independent joins us to look at the Referendum winners who lost – and the losers who won.  “Is anyone is shocked any more by shocking revelations of Boris Johnson behaving like Boris Johnson?” – Tom Peck  “Matt Hancock is Boris Johnson’s human shield. The more the focus on Hancock, the less heat falls on Johnson.” – Naomi Smith “This Conservative Party is like the Sex Pistols. They don’t know what they want but they know how to get it.” – Jolyon Maugham “Biggest loser from Brexit? Dominic Cummings. He’s literally back where he started.” – Tom Peck www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Alex Andreou with Naomi Smith with Tom Peck and Jolyon Maugham. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. 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

Will US journalist Tom McTague’s lengthy profile for The Atlantic help us comprehend the dumbfounding appeal of Prime Minister Posh Benny Hill? Plus, what does the G7’s Biden-boosted tax rate for multinationals tell us about legislating against companies that are bigger than countries? And on the eve of the Euros, our not-very-football panel ponder the most political preamble to a sporting tournament ever. • “Johnson is a master of getting away with it. He’s that breed of privileged person who fails upwards.” – Naomi Smith • “Nothing in certain in life except death and taxes – unless you’re Amazon and Facebook.” – Nina Schick • “Don’t vote for something just because it will f**k up another part of the country. Cos it will come back and f**k you.” – Dorian Lynskey • “It seems that you have to be some sort of sadist or masochist to want to be in British public life.” – Nina Schick Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Naomi Smith and Nina Schick. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Britain’s hostile border environment starts to entrap visitors from the EU, is the Home Office’s Brexit-infected immigration arm out of control? And why does the Home Office turn reasonable Ministers into monsters? Plus, new Netflix documentary Nail Bomber: Manhunt unravels the story of the neo-Nazi terrorist who bombed Brick Lane, Brixton and the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho in 1999. What it teach us now that far right terror is once again on the rise? • “The Home Office is like a giant game of Jenga, with new legislation balanced on top of already chaotic policy.” – Minnie Rahman • “When you follow this route on immigration, you end up detonating your own trade network to win the freedom you never needed in the first place.” – Ian Dunt• “The awful function of Home Secretaries is to give Prime Ministers a Hard Cop they can define themselves against.” – Ros Taylor • “Border Force are extremely shady with no accountability… They can’t even say how many sites there are.” – Minnie Rahman Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt, Ros Taylor and Minnie Rahman. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s our FOURTH BIRTHDAY edition! And what a sumptuous spread Classic Dom has laid on for us. The classic line-up of Dorian, Naomi, Ros, Alex and Ian reassemble in an actual physical studio (!) to discuss Cummings’ committee drive-by on Johnson and his vendetta against multi-sackable Matt Hancock, and why he supported a PM he knew was unfit for the job. Plus a special treat for listeners: yes, we’re talking about the Progressive Alliance! This edition out early as a special bonus for our loyal listeners.• “When Cummings reports that Johnson ‘loves chaos because it shows who’s in charge’, that has the ring of truth.” – Alex Andreou • “Cummings knows he’s the reason Johnson is in No.10… and his ego was big enough to fool him that he could stop Johnson’s worst excesses.” – Ros Taylor • “There are no great points of principle here. Cummings just hates Johnson’s girlfriend and he’s a spiteful, resentful t**t.” – Ian Dunt • “Hancock was working on what he could claim as a success at the next press conference… He was disrupting all the long-term work.” – Alex Andreou • “We don’t have democratic equality in this country… We are the only ones who use antiquated FPTP.” – Naomi Smith Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Ian Dunt, 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So, Brexit five months in – how’s it going? As the Government prepares to pauperise Britain’s farmers with its Australian trade deal, and as Unionists compare the NI Protocol to the Vichy Regime, are the wheels finally off the Brexit bus? Plus the FT’s Chief Political Correspondent Jim Pickard joins us to look at David Cameron’s performance in committee and how the Greensill saga is playing out. And we say goodbye to a beloved friend of the podcast. Audio warning: Jim is recording from inside a cupboard in the House of Commons. Please be kind.  “All of these ‘teething problems’ should have been dealt with in the transition period. How long did business get to prepare? Six days.” – Alex Andreou “Why are we bringing a dead cow from the other side of the world? Is Australian beef really that much better?” – Jim Fitzpatrick “This Prime Minister flip flops more than most men change their socks.” – Nina Schick “Cameron promised to clean up lobbying while simultaneously selling himself for dinners on the Conservative website.” – Alex Andreou “For those of us following Cameron’s story closely, there were some hilarious excursions into parallel reality.” – Jim Fitzpatrick Presented by Naomi Smith with Nina Schick 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.www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Government celebrates its electoral victories with a bout of naked voter suppression and intimidation of protest, we look at Labour’s farcical response and where the party goes from here. Plus we talk to Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnot, co-authors of Failures Of State: The Inside Story Of Britain’s Battle With Coronavirus. Exactly what went wrong in the pandemic response and how can a colossal crime of Government negligence happen in plain sight – and go unreported?• “It’s almost as if this government is afraid of the task ahead of it, because it know the vaccine bounce can’t last.” – Ros Taylor• “The Government’s problem is that young people don’t vote Conservative, so they want to stop them voting.” – Ian Dunt • “Those last nine days, when Boris Johnson was implacably against lockdown and the majority of deaths occurred, are squarely on Boris Johnson.” – George Arbuthnot• “Scientists were clear to us that the first wave might have been understandable but the second and third were absolutely unforgivable. Johnson knew what he had to do and didn’t do it.” – Jonathan Calvertwww.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor 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

On the eve of what looks like a not-great election day for everyone who isn’t Boris Johnson, the SNP, a Labour metro mayor or Count Binface, are we witnessing the final mopping up of the 2019 General Election? The Independent’s sketchwriter TOM PECK joins us for Election Doomwatch ’21. Plus, the Conservatives pack cultural institutions in an act of Home Counties Orbanism. And why do politicians insist on being photographed with pints? • “If I could tell you why people aren’t angry, believe me I’d have put it in the column.” – TOM PECK.• “The Government seems to be trying, without any sense of irony, to cancel cancel culture.” – NAOMI SMITH• “Saying it’s ‘the same old Tories’ doesn’t work when a load of people have just voted for them for the first time” – TOM PECK• “Come on, what kind of country would lower itself to allowing Brad Pitt to live there?” – IAN DUNT on points-based immigration • “Sleaze is shagging your secretary… What’s going on now is straightforward corruption.” – TOM PECK www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowPresented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith 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

As Johnson’s odious comments about “bodies piling up” collide with Carrie Antoinette’s golden wallpaper splurge and the Vengeance of the Cummings, has this barrage of sleaze finally putting the PM on the ropes? Tech expert Alexi Mostrous of Tortoise joins us to explore what Big Tech and Bigger Data have in store for our democracies. Brexit eats another of its children in the shape of Arlene Foster. And what will our film critics make of Matt Hancock’s blockbuster COVID: The Movie? “This is like me going shoplifting, then dropping a tenner in the till a year later and saying it’s OK, I paid for it.” – Alex Andreou “Never mind Chatty Rat, there are clearly multiple rats who don’t want Johnson around any more. Gove and Vine are like Pinky and the Brain.” – Minnie Rahman “Maybe mistresses and illegitimate children cost a lot of money. Who knew?” – Alex Andreou  “So Chris Whitty is waving a terrifying graph at Johnson while Carrie Symonds is showing him a Farrow & Ball chart?” – Dorian Lynskey “It’s quite a revelation that in the DUP universe, Arlene Foster is the reasonable one.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It turns out that all you need to fix your tax problems is the PM’s mobile number! We look at Britain’s sprawling corruption problem and whether the Government even wants to control it. Plus, after the Super League fiasco, can politicians really tell private companies what to do – even if they’re football teams? And the Allegra Stratton Press Conference Room lasts about as long as, er, the Super League. Our special guest Pippa Crerar, political editor of the Mirror, explains what it all means.   “Johnson hates apologising. He sees it as a sign of weakness that his opponents will hold against him forevermore.” – Pippa Crerar “The COVID sceptic pub landlord thing sent me into an all-caps Brian Blessed rage for a moment.” – Alex Andreou “If this Government feels like they can get away with something then they’re going to go ahead with it regardless.” – Pippa Crerar Presented by Ros Taylor with 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

Northern Ireland descends into violence and it seems that Boris Johnson just doesn’t care. We ask Belfast-based political journalist Amanda Ferguson how much of the rioting is down to Brexit, or are the causes deeper? And does the border in the Irish Sea put us on course for worse troubles? Plus: Does public indifference over the death of Prince Philip indicate bad news for the future of the Monarchy? Or did we just know it all already from watching The Crown? And why it’s your duty to get out and shop. “Unionists feel betrayed by Boris Johnson… They see their Britishness being diluted.” – Amanda Ferguson “The Royal Family act as this kind of warped, gilded mirrors of ourselves.” – Ian Dunt “We haven’t seen the end of this. All the grievances that were there before the riots are still there now.” – Amanda Ferguson “The idea that Philip being obnoxious and rude ‘breaks the ice’ is just utterly ridiculous.” – Minnie Rahman “We’re a country that has culture wars over children’s books. An elected head of state would be a culture war minefield.” - Ian Dunt Presented by Naomi Smith 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices