Oh God, What Now?

Has Brussels just handed Brexiters the killer argument they so desperately needed? The EU’s bizarre decision to impose and then cancel restrictions on COVID vaccines crossing the border from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland exasperated pro-Europe campaigners and left the Brexit press crowing. Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou look at what this terrible error means.  Presented by Andrew Harrison 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the EU considers restricting exports of the COVID vaccines, are we in the midst of the first authentic post-Brexit row between the EU and the UK – or are Brexiters just using it as a distraction from their own failures? And who’s really to blame for the vaccine shortage? Plus, what has the Year of Living Isolatedly done to Britain’s appetite for alcohol and “miscellaneous stimulation”? What will an independent English parliament look like if (when) it happens? And, in the Extra Bit, what did we think of Russell T Davies’s AIDS drama It’s A Sin? “Boris Johnson did far LESS than he should have. 100,000 deaths should be a resigning matter.” – Naomi Smith “Maybe after five years of Brexit campaigning, British people really DO trust celebrities more than scientists…” – Alex Andreou “If we create vaccine passports we’re just reserving travel for the richest countries.” – Yasmeen Serhan “We’re entering a dangerous phase in the UK:EU relationship where each side is trying to use the other side’s failure of their own success.” – Naomi Smith Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith, Yasmeen Serhan 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’s a little bit later than usual but still early for Patreon backers… Our long international nightmare is over – for now. As Trump exits the White House to fester in Mar-A-Lago, former UK Ambassador to the USA Kim Darroch joins us to look at what the Biden/Harris Era will mean for British trade, British foreign policy, and Boris “Britain Trump” Johnson. Plus: What does that huge exodus of immigrants from the UK mean for the character of our cities and the future of our country? And why do middle-class British people insist on claiming they’re working class? “There was never a moment where you felt that Trump would ever be a normal President…” – Kim Darroch “British Customs policy is like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic after the Titanic has sunk.” – Naomi Smith “There’s no doubt that ending Freedom of Movement was a cynical ploy to get non-EU immigrants to support Brexit.” – Nina Schick “If you ever followed Trump’s career, you knew it was a no-brainer that he would never accept losing an election.” – Kim Darroch “Priti Patel’s home office isn’t iron-fisted, it’s ham-fisted.” – Naomi Smith Presented by Dorian Lynskey with 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This podcast recorded before the impeachment vote. As Republicans distance themselves in horror from Donald Trump’s violent sedition, can we finally conclude that yes, he was a fascist all along? Will the GOP or Johnson pay any price for their years of fawning before Agent Orange? Special guest Philip Stephens of the Financial Times joins us to talk about his new book Britain Alone: The Path from Suez to Brexit and the strange psychodrama of Britain’s search for a foreign policy identity. Plus, when is it right to kick extremists – and extremist presidents – off popular social networks like Twitter, MySpace and Club Penguin?   “What we have to remember is that Trump is a failed populist and failed autocrat.” – Yasmeen Serhan “It doesn’t matter that Trump is too inarticulate and dimwitted to understand what fascism is. He was unable to deliver it.” – Ian Dunt “Cabinet ministers just don’t know what it’s like to run out of money on a Thursday.” – Philip Stephens “The most vital thing we need in the next few years is for the Right to start policing its own norms.” – Ian Dunt “Blair would tell us pro-European journalists that he was absolutely pro-EU that we were going to join the Euro. And then he’d tell Trevor Kavanagh from The Sun that we’d never, ever give up sterling…” – Philip Stephens Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Yasmeen Serhan 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

This podcast recorded before the invasion of the Capitol building in Washington DC. “Happy” New Year! With Britain’s kids getting one whole day of virus-spreading schooling, is a third lockdown any use in the absence of a coherent COVID policy? And how are we coping with yet more home schooling and working from home without even a takeaway pint to assuage the misery? Plus trade expert David Henig joins us to point out the hidden traps in Johnson’s make-do trade deal and explain what the UK needs to do to get EU trade back to a passable standard.  “The deal we have does nothing like what’s needed for a modern trading relationship.” – David Henig “On Brexit, Starmer is becoming less distinguishable from Johnson. He needs to remember that most people no longer support the Brexit vote.” – Naomi Smith “Other than spite, I have no idea why we didn’t choose to participate Erasmus.” – David Henig “Keeping schools open was the only thing the Government could cling to as a success. No wonder they clung to it like wreckage.” – Ros Taylor “We’re already getting companies saying, With all these data barriers is it really worth us being based in the UK?” – David Henig “It’s pretty clear that Johnson agrees with the last person he spoke to… and that Dominic Cummings’ influence was perhaps not as malign as we thought.” – Ros Taylor “There’s a Greek saying: If you’ve eaten a whole donkey, don’t forget to eat the tail.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Ros Taylor, Andreou and Naomi Smith. 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

Intra-Christmas Emergency Edition. Having cancelled Christmas, Johnson then ruined what was left of it by crowing about his Deal. But what’s in it? How should Remainers feel about it? Where did Britain cave? Have British fish been sold down the river? Why is nobody talking about services? And exactly how much of that tasty, tasty control has Brexit Britain really taken back? “The dominant narrative is ‘Don’t scrutinise this deal, it’s all water under the bridge now.’ When does accountability happen?” – Alex Andreou “This is a piss-poor deal even by its own standards… It’s a base camp to us eventually getting closer and closer to Europe.” – Ian Dunt “The Withdrawal Agreement was the first one where the EU got exactly what it wanted… and now the Trade Deal is the second.” – Alex Andreou “There are concrete reasons to think this is the start of us going back, not the end of us leaving.” – Ian Dunt “I hate to say it, but the EU really has taken back control.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey 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

The new mutant strain of COVID has shattered the Government’s Christmas strategy and plunged Britain into isolation and chaos. Is government dithering to blame or are the hard right, libertarian, chlorinated chickens coming home to roost? Are we really looking at 20,000 new hospital admissions and 5,000 deaths a day in the New Year? And how is Britain going to cut a Deal with the EU when Johnson has ensured we’re more cut off from Europe than at any time since 1939? “I would not be surprised if Johnson had been told about the new strain but not listened – and continued with his usually bloody bombast.” – Naomi Smith “Johnson has learned nothing from any of this. Everything will be back to normal by Easter? He just makes the next easy promise.” – Alex Andreou “Would Johnson really have mocked Starmer as a Christmas killer on Wednesday if he knew he’d be cancelling Christmas on Friday?” – Dorian Lynskey “The BBC are normalising catastrophe. Reporter after reporter was repeating the line that this ‘proves’ we’re ready for No Deal…” – Naomi Smith “It’s astonishing that the Conservatives have won the last three elections by saying ‘Don’t vote for THEM, it’ll be CHAOS…’.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. 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

Out early to beat potential Deal obsolescence! All we want for Christmas is… a deal. Any deal. Has an agreement already been concluded and is it just waiting for the window-dressing? We assemble the full panel to explain where Johnson has caved, how Labour might have a get-out-of-jail clause, and why there’s not much wriggle room on fish. Oh, and the Government’s incomprehensible Christmas advice. Plus, we present the Oh God, What Now? Awards for 2020. Who are the winners, losers, disasters and great moments of this wonderful year which we enjoyed so much? And the panel’s closing thoughts this Very Mini Christmas.  “We’re hearing that Johnson’s accepting the European Court of Justice as final arbitrator. That would be massive .” – Alex Andreou “Everything we’ve heard about what Rishi Sunak does behind the scenes confirms that he’s deeply, deeply wrong.” – Ian Dunt “Somehow the scientific advice became secondary to what anti-lockdown Tories will put up with. And that’s really dangerous.” – Alex Andreou “In any other cabinet Matt Hancock would be by far the worst member. In this one, somehow he’s pretty much the best.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Ian Dunt, Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.Back OH GOD, WHAT NOW? and help us make political life more bearable. Get every new episode a whole day early, plus new and classic merchandise when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform.Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop. Our companion podcast THE BUNKER is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too. For the moment we’re still at remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Boris Johnson joins Ursula von der Leyen for the worst dinner since Mr Creosote in The Meaning Of Life, we’re joined by LBC frontline key worker and friend of the ’cast James O’Brien to discuss Britain on the brink of No Deal and his new book How Not To Be Wrong: The Art of Changing Your Mind. Plus, who decided that this catastrophe was Remainers’ fault all along?  “I’m walking the tightrope between complete vindication and avoiding triumphalism…” – James O’Brien  “How can Johnson ever say he achieved anything if we leave without a deal?” – Minnie Rahman “Everytime Farage farts, the whole Conservative party holds their nose.” – James O’Brien Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman and Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.Back OH GOD, WHAT NOW? and help us make political life more bearable. Get every new episode a whole day early, plus new and classic merchandise when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform.Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop. Our companion podcast THE BUNKER is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too. For the moment we’re still at remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does the arrival of a COVID vaccine really mean for No.10’s virus strategy? Who’s the real opposition? Cool, calm and perhaps-too-collected Keir Starmer, or the wild men and women of the CRG – the disaster artists formerly known as the ERG? Plus special guest Giles Whittell of Tortoise Media joins us to explain Britain’s national security future and tell us why we should be optimistic about Russians, if not Russia. Shout out to @DMReporter for an unbeatable episode title. “As soon as we get the vaccine it’s like, Would you like some pernicious lying tribalism to go with your optimism?” – Ian Dunt “Britain badly needs a reality check… so I’d actually like to see a cataclysm on 31 December.” – Giles Whittell  “Even a deal as bad as this would be good for Remainers, because it gives us what we need to build back.” – Ian Dunt “Biden aptly described Brexit as the dog that caught the car, and then the car reversed over the dog.” – Giles Whittell  Presented 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.Back OH GOD, WHAT NOW? and help us make political life more bearable. Get every new episode a whole day early, plus new and classic merchandise when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform.Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop. Our companion podcast THE BUNKER is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too. For the moment we’re still at remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices