Oh God, What Now?
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: Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry Of Truth: A Biography of Orwell’s 1984 and host of Origin Story • Alex Andreou, writer, commentator, cook, actor, secret agent • Writer and commentator Ros Taylor • Rachel Cunliffe of the New Statesman • Writer and host of This Is Not A Drill Gavin Esler • Hannah Fearn of the i paper • Comedian Matt Green • New Statesman policy and politics corresponent Zoë Grünewald • Group Editor Andrew Harrison • Journalist Marie Le Conte • Podmasters Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis Sign up and get ad-free shows earlier than anyone else: patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow. Oh God, What Now? is a Podmasters production
Episodes
May 2, 2024 • 61 mins
The US Election is just six months away. How come snoozy Trump still leads in several states, even though he’s in court every day? We’re launching a brand-new US election podcast American Friction and its regular panelist Nikki McCann Ramírez joins OGWN to scope out American’s Final Countdown. Plus, last-minute speculation on the local elections. Are our devolved local institutions really “a hot mess”? And in the Extra Bit for Patr...
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April 30, 2024 • 63 mins
The right wing press’s feverish attempts to take down Angela Rayner seem to be failing. What’s the secret of Rayner’s appeal and what does the future hold for Labour’s combative Deputy Leader? Plus, the SNP in turmoil as Humza Yousaf’s powerplay against the Greens goes badly wrong, forcing him to quit as Scotland’s First Minister. Scottish writer Gerry Hassan unpacks it for us. And how misty-eyed nostalgia accounts sneak hardline c...
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April 26, 2024 • 60 mins
Sunak is still adamant his Rwanda plan will ‘stop the boats’. Will it? We unpack the latest in Tory failure and cruelty. Plus, the local elections are just around the corner and some Tory councillors are literally begging Sunak to stay clear of their constituencies. What should we be looking out for come May 2nd? Then in the Extra Bit for backers, are we heading for a future where all our politicians are weird and wealthy, as Tony ...
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April 23, 2024 • 62 mins
Rishi Sunak has found a new target to pick on – the sick. He claims Britain needs to get rid of its ‘sick note culture’ and he wants work and health professionals to issue the fit notes instead of GPs – what could possibly go wrong? And Starmer might be popular now, but if he’s elected as PM his popularity will likely dwindle and fast. How will he and his party handle that?
• “There is a lazy ignorance here born out of not hangin...
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April 19, 2024 • 66 mins
• Join us for OGWN: It’s Grim Up North London live in Islington on Mon 20 May. Tickets onsale now.
Liz Truss’ new book 10 Years To Save the West certainly isn’t a boring read but neither is it a good one. Actor and impressionist Jan Ravens joins the panel to pick through how Truss thought her 45 days of office went compared to reality and all her other ludicrous claims in between. Plus: Sunak’s cigs ban. Is it fair to create two t...
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April 16, 2024 • 63 mins
The Middle East is on the verge of all-out war after Iran fired missiles and drones into Israel. Where does Britain stand on this latest escalation – and would we be ready if things get worse? Labour has outlined its hopes to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP – but is that enough? CEO of Chatham House and host of the Independent Thinking podcast Bronwen Maddox talks to Ros Taylor. And it’s a But Your Emails special! Are ther...
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April 12, 2024 • 63 mins
Reform UK’s candidates have proven to be controversial, to say the least. But, unfortunately, the party seems to be doing ok in the polls. What does Tice’s group actually stand for and what are Reform’s policies? And in the second part, why are we so obsessed with the end of the world? Dorian Lynskey’s new book Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell about the End of the World explores that very idea – and the panel quizzes him ove...
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April 9, 2024 • 57 mins
Britain is the second most powerful country in the world… according to Sunak’s latest desperate brag anyway. You probably saw the weird collage the Tories posted on Twitter — but is there any truth to the party's claims? Or is this just another bizarre fantasy? Plus, Brexit is about to rear its ugly head even higher with new food import charges. What are they and why could they damage consumers and small businesses alike?
• “A cha...
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April 5, 2024 • 52 mins
What have fourteen years of Conservative rule done to Britain?, asks Sam Knight in that mega-piece by the New Yorker’s baffled readers. You might well ask, say our panel, who discuss what the world thinks of Britain’s weird experiment on itself. Plus, our special guest the political economist Will Hutton is here to talk about Labour’s options on the economy and his new book This Time No Mistakes: How to Remake Britain. And in the E...
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April 3, 2024 • 60 mins
The Royal Family are experiencing their worst year in decades. Is it time we wound down the Monarchy not just for our sake but for their sake too? Or are things best left the way they are? Plus, Boomers (not all of them we’ll add) are “used to having everything its own way”, says the Economist, but times are changing. Has the time of the Millennials finally come?
• “The Monarchy doesn’t provide a service like the BBC or the NHS bu...
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April 1, 2024 • 31 mins
While you wait for the next episode of Oh God, What Now? Why don't you give our sister podcast PAPER CUTS a try?
PAPER CUTS is the modern press review. We're out Monday to Friday, Miranda Sawyer and guests look at what’s behind the biggest stories, and bring you the weirdest headlines, the biggest scoops and the most astonishing manifestations of mass newspaper neurosis. Guests include Marcus Brigstocke, Rosie Holt, Jon Ellege, Sc...
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March 28, 2024 • 56 mins
What on earth were they thinking? The Conservative Party’s weird, dystopian, GOP-style attack ad on Sadiq Khan shows just how much the party has lost its mind. The panel unpack what was wrong with it and why the Tories might have thought this was a good idea at all. And Jeremy Hunt says £100k a year “doesn’t go far” – is he right? Or is he just massively out of touch? Plus, in the extra bit for subscribers what could replace the La...
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March 26, 2024 • 48 mins
Is The Sun newspaper starting to pivot towards supporting Keir Starmer? Will any of the rest of the Tory press follow suit? And does political endorsement from a newspaper even matter any more? Plus, double outrage as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves acknowledges that Margaret Thatcher was, you know, quite a big deal. Was she right to do so and why can't we stay level-headed around the Iron Lady?
• “I think there’s an acknowledgmen...
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March 22, 2024 • 62 mins
Rishi Sunak is going for yet another relaunch. Will it work? (Probably not…) Plus, plucky newcomer Vladimir Putin has won the Russian presidential election with a massive landslide of 87% which is DEFINITELY legitimate. What have we learned from this sham election and what does it mean for Russia? Dr Ben Noble is an associate professor of Russian politics at UCL and chats with Alex Andreou. And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, wil...
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March 19, 2024 • 55 mins
Why are we so obsessed with ‘The Red Wall’? What does it mean and are the Tories about to lose all of those seats in the North? Plus, new research shows the government’s levelling-up project has not worked… at all. Only 10% of the approved fund has been spent by councils. Why? And were the government’s missions ever achievable?
• “The red wall are actually voters who should’ve been Tory for quite a long time.” – Marie Le Conte
• ...
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March 15, 2024 • 52 mins
As the Tories face another racism row, we imagine a world where the Conservative Party simply didn’t exist. Would that be for the best for everyone? Plus, according to new research, only Uzbekistan is more miserable than the UK. What does this tell us about the British psyche? And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, is Kate Middleton just bad at Photoshop or is there a darker conspiracy at play? (PS. It’s definitely the first one.)
...
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March 12, 2024 • 60 mins
Lee Anderson has thrown a strop and joined Reform UK. What is this political journeyman trying to do – other than seek a load of attention? And, the budget hasn’t managed to win hearts and minds for the Tories. In fact, it made the dial creep in the wrong direction. What will they try next?
• “If the Tories choose to radicalise, then I’m sure Lee Anderson could find a home back within the party.” – Hannah Fearn
• “Talking up the ...
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March 8, 2024 • 55 mins
Jeremy Hunt’s budget has arrived. We unpack the good, bad and ugly – and ask: “Are we all going to be much richer now?” Short answer: No. Also, the BBC’s first-ever disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring joins the panel to discuss her new book Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland, how she wards off online hate – and why social media is so rife with conspiracy theorists.
Buy Among the Trolls: ...
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March 5, 2024 • 62 mins
Is Galloway’s victory in Rochdale quite the seismic event that Gorgeous George claims it is? With even Mail readers more likely to vote Labour than Tory, do the papers still have the power they used to? And there’s a debate brewing on assisted dying. What do our panel think? Plus, Budget tips, the Supreme Court on whether Trump gets on the ballot, and why Marie le Conte considers herself a Space Arab.
• “Literally nobody wants ...
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March 1, 2024 • 67 mins
After Lee Anderson and Suella Braverman’s recent outbursts, why are the Tories so scared of the word Islamophobia? And how deep does this issue run in the party? Plus, it’s a But Your Emails special! In the second half the panel answers as many of our listeners burning political questions as possible. Then in the Extra Bit for subscribers, what are political marches good for? The panel discusses their own experiences.
We’re on Yo...
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