CakeWatch

CakeWatch

Steve - @guitarmoog - and Chris - @ottocrat - investigate cakeism: the philosophy of having your cake and eating it, as preached and practised by the British government in its approach to Brexit. Each week, we explore the latest developments as we head towards Brexit and spend time wading through the weeds from the perspective of two long-standing Brussels and UK government insiders. Our aim: to inform you, our listeners, about EU realities and so, hopefully, to equip you to spot lies and to thwart attempts to manipulate you. There may be swearing. We are regularly joined by guests and occasionally by special guest co-hosts.

Episodes

Episode 72: The Four-Letter Guest

October 5, 2020 • 85 mins
Steve is back, but as a guest, and joined by Ian Dunt to reflect on what makes a liberal, how to win the culture war, and whether we remember anything from our undergraduate days. Swearing. Buy Ian Dunt's new book, How To Be A Liberal, from Canbury Press. (https://www.canburypress.com/products/how-to-be-a-liberal-by-ian-dunt-hardback-isbn9781912454419) Audio clips from Patrick Tull's reading of Treason's Harbour by Patrick O'Brian ...
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Episode 71: Specific and Limited Return

September 23, 2020 • 49 mins
Chris and Garvan Walshe catch up on how they handled lockdown, what to expect next, and what has changed since they last recorded the podcast together, in November 2018. Just as it did two years ago, the Northern Ireland backstop features heavily in Lie of the Week. Also, will the Conservative Party have the good sense to ditch its current leader? Special Guest: Garvan Walshe.
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Episode 70: Our Friends In The North

March 4, 2020 • 60 mins
Alviina Alametsä (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/204335/ALVIINA_ALAMETSA/home#detailedcardmep) is a Green Party MEP from Finland. She took up her seat only in February 2020, after it was vacated by a departing UK MEP. Cakewatch likes to think that she took one previously occupied by a Faragist. Alviina's particular policy interests are public mental health and conflict resolution, so who better to talk about tackling the Br...
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Episode 69: Back to the Future

February 4, 2020 • 63 mins
Trade expert David Henig joins the podcast again for our first survey of the post B-day wreckage. With the EU and the UK apparently offering different visions of their future relationship, which one is the more realistic? Hahaha no seriously, which? Special Guest: David Henig.
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Episode 68: One Thousand Days

January 22, 2020 • 103 mins
For our final podcast before Brexit, we're joined again by Tanja Bueltmann to talk about coping strategies, Steve's album of ambient prozac, and the ongoing work to support EU citizens in the UK as they face mounting hostility and an unforgiving bureaucracy. You can get Steve's album here, and become an EU Citizens' Champion (https://eucitizenschampion.allwelcome.org/en/donations/supporter/27/one-thousand-days/). We're dedicating t...
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Episode 67: We Raged Against the Lying of the Right

December 16, 2019 • 96 mins
The aftermath. Rather than wallow in despair we look back on a fight well fought, and the friends that have joined us on the podcast. We also reflect a little bit on what the future will bring. It's not pretty, so we need to find strategies to help us through the dark times ahead. Thank you to all our guests who have helped us out on the podcast over the last 67 episodes: Alyn Smith Andy of Remainer Now Axel Antoni David Henig Dmit...
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Episode 66: Goodnight and Good Luck

December 11, 2019 • 14 mins
We cut to the chase. Nothing is more important than this. On Thursday, vote for the candidate most likely to beat Boris Johnson. Because if you don't, if he wins, our country will become unrecognisable. This will be the defining battle of our culture war.
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Episode 65: Vote Early Vote Often Vote Tactically

December 3, 2019 • 72 mins
Brexit flowchart hero and EU Twitter legend Jon Worth joins Chris this week to take a deeper dive into tactical voting in the UK's general election - where is a tactical vote needed, how to work out where a tactical vote should go, and what might happen? All in the service of depriving Boris Johnson of a working majority and so keeping our hopes of remaining in the EU alive. Jon and Chris also reflect on their experiences of living...
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Episode 64: Centrist Unicorn Hunt

November 19, 2019 • 58 mins
Steve studied moral philosophy. (So did Chris but he doesn't get a word in edgeways.) We look at the ethics of tactical voting in the 2019 general election, and why you should hold your nose and vote for a candidate from a party you might not endorse as a party of government. Not just because you want to Remain in the EU, but also because you want to avert a catastrophic Johnson majority and engineer a situation where your first an...

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Episode 63: Honey Badger

October 21, 2019 • 63 mins
Laura's kitchen table is once again the scene of a cosy chat about our favourite things: Brexit, Boris Johnson, his so-called new deal, and the wholesale attack on citizens' rights. For light relief we join four Remainers Now standing in the rain outside the European Commission's headquarters and hear from them why they've made the journey to Brussels and what they want to achieve here. This podcast was brought to you by a large gi...
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Episode 61: Brexit is a Legacy Issue

October 1, 2019 • 66 mins
Chris is back from Tashkent with a head full of musings. How badly does the EU want the UK to leave? Quite badly, he thinks. Steve sort of agrees. But this week's unicorn chaser is the imminent collapse of the Bannonite populist project on both sides of the Atlantic. Steve sort of disagrees. Rafael Behr's excellent analysis piece in the Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/01/boris-johnson-eu-prime-minister-...
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Episode 60: Bettel The Devil You Know

September 17, 2019 • 84 mins
Johnson says he has a deal that might fly but he won't show it to anyone yet, because it's too soon isn't it? [turns head, stares at camera] Is the EU losing patience? Xavier Bettel looks as if he has. What are the implications for Remainers? Plus we have a half-hearted go at a making verbal Jon Worth flowchart (https://jonworth.eu/brexit-what-next/) on the fly - what are the scenarios from here on out? And - we can dream - what ha...
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Episode 59: Rentrée

September 4, 2019 • 84 mins
After a long absence, Steve is back co-hosting the podcast and here we all are again: parliament versus executive. Does Cummings have a grand strategy? Or is Johnson flying by the seat of his pants and about to crash? After a long evening watching Parliament TV, we catch up with each other and wonder where this shaggy dog story will go next. Our rights are under immediate and serious threat from Brexit and Boris Johnson: join us on...
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Episode 58: Transatlantic Perspective

August 5, 2019 • 64 mins
Chris is joined by Jason Knoll who teaches high school students in Verona, Wisconsin. His particular interest is the European Union, and he brings his particular point of view to the podcast in a discussion about Trump, Johnson, populism, and grassroots politics. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EA4nCIZWwAETmR0?format=jpg&name=4096x4096 Cakewatch will be back in September. Special Guest: Jason Knoll.
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Episode 57: Act Three Scene Three

July 23, 2019 • 72 mins
Former Tory Party insider Peter Wilding is back on an historic day for his old party and for the UK. We reflect on the realisation of Boris Johnson's ambition and how he'll handle his poisoned chalice; the Jacobins are now in charge and the next hundred days will be... eventful. Plus a few reflections on the European election and on the EU top jobs. Special Guest: Peter Wilding.
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Episode 56: Montagegate

June 25, 2019 • 78 mins
Chris and Steve Analyst discuss 'montagegate', in which Steve documents selective editing of news footage by the BBC to give the false impression that Leavers and Remainers alike said ahead of the referendum that voting to leave the EU would mean voting to leave the Single Market. This is not true. Montagegate Part 1 Montagegate Part 2
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Episode 55: In Medias Res

June 12, 2019 • 79 mins
Ancient historian Katie Low joins Chris to talk about why ancient history has so much to teach us about modern Brexit. Will Brexit be the UK's Sicilian Expedition? (Yes.) Is Boris Johnson the modern Alcibiades? (Sort of.) Is Jacob Rees Mogg a modern Cicero? (No.) Is Jeremy Corbyn the modern Julius Caesar? (No but Seumas Milne might be.) With a side order of griping at British educational elitism. Katie's guest post on Chris' blog T...
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Episode 54: Denied My Vote

May 29, 2019 • 82 mins
Chris, Tanja, and Axel Antoni offer a first take on last week's European election and its aftermath before examining in a bit more detail what led to the disenfranchisement of many EU citizens who were denied their vote, and what can be done about it. Now updated with new and improved sound thanks to post-production by heroic listener Charlie Elwess (https://twitter.com/CharlieElwess)! Join The 3 Million's case against the governme...
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Episode 53: More Joy in Heaven

May 15, 2019 • 85 mins
Andy voted Remain but was not particularly engaged in politics. But something prompted him to become an activist and launch a huge and growing grassroots campaign providing a platform for people who voted Leave, but regret it, to challenge the Westminster orthodoxy that "the people have spoken". It's OK to change your mind, and Andy wants to make sure that regretful Leavers understand that. We talk to Andy about his activism, and w...
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Episode 52: Happy Europe Day 2.0

May 10, 2019 • 75 mins
Now the parties have published their manifestos, how should Remainers plan to use their votes in the European election on 23 May? We talk about the tribal nature of party politics and why good people stay loyal to bad parties. Intro music this week by Ludwig van Beethoven arranged & performed by Mr Steve Bullock.
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