Oh God, What Now?

• The Very, Very Cross of St George

  Who let the flags out? We look at the mania for running a Cross of St George or Union Jack up the nearest lamp-post, who’s fomenting it and why it’s smart but dangerous politics for the far-right. Meanwhile Nigel Farage launches his completely uncosted, unrealistic, fantasy plan for mass deportations. Are the press so completely on the Reform bandwagon that they’ll just let it go unquestioned? Our special guest David Klemperer puts the case for compulsory voting and why it solves more problems than you think. And in the Extra Bit for Patreon people: TfL and the Tories team up against the scourge of people playing music on their phone speakers on public transport. Will they succeed – and what would we ban if we could? ESCAPE ROUTES  • David recommends Love and Death in Long Island by Gilbert Adair.  • Marie recommends French Exit by Patrick deWitt.  • Hannah recommends Evenings And Weekends by Oisin McKenna.  • Ros recommends A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge Theatre (but it’s finished and you can’t see it).  When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop, you help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Ros Taylor, Hannah Fearn and Marie le Conte. Audio and video production by Chris Jones, Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Confessions of an Unlikely MP – Chris Bryant on his astonishing life

  One of the best-liked MPs in Westminster, Chris Bryant has led an incident-packed life as the title of his new autobiography A Life And A Half  proves. In a frank, astonishing, sometimes dark but also very funny interview he explains how he went from a painful childhood to becoming an Anglican priest to winning a very traditional South Wales seat as an out gay man. From early encounters with Boris Johnson to bizarre stories in Brussels, it’s one of the most remarkable interviews we’ve done. “My mum looked after Shirley Bassey’s wigs, which may explain my sexuality,” he tells Seth Thévoz and Marie le Conte.  • Don’t forget you can watch full video on Spotify.  Warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual abuse which some listeners may find difficult. ESCAPE ROUTES  • Chris saw the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Edinburgh Festival.  • Marie recommends The Door by Magda Szabó. • Seth has been watching old episodes of Doctor Who with Tom Baker, some of which were good... ... and some of which weren’t. When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop, you help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here https://nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow. It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money back guarantee!  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more • Back us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Seth Thévoz and Marie Le Conte. Audio and video production by Chris Jones and Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Why predict a riot? – The people who want Britain to explode

  Robert Jenrick’s hanging out with the far-right at the migrant hotel protests, the Express claims “tens of millions” of Britons want a full-blown revolution, and Alison Pearson is hoping for a military coup. Why are the former law-and-order right so desperate for political violence to erupt? Plus, will Sally Rooney’s reign of terror ever end? As calls mount for her to be banned (somehow) or prosecuted (somehow) for backing Palestine Action, we ask if the proscription of the Gaza protest group could get any more absurd. And in the Extra Bit: Do the right-wing anti-academia mob have a point? Is university just not worth it for some people?  ESCAPE ROUTES  • Marie recommends Out of Sheer Rage by Geoff Dyer.  • Jonn recommends the Hamad Butt retrospective Apprehensions at the Whitechapel Gallery. • Dorian recommends people watching. Just go out for a walk. It’s summer.  When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here. It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money back guarantee!  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Marie le Conte and Jonn Elledge. Audio production by Simon Williams and Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Israel and Gaza – The full picture and what happens next – with Dr Julie Norman

  It seems like there’s no end to the horrors in Gaza, the torment of the Israeli hostages and Netanyahu’s expansionism. And the more events escalate, the less we understand this nightmare. Today we’re joined by UCL politics professor Julie Norman to take as sober a look as possible at how the Middle East has changed after the October 7 attacks and Israel’s devastating response. Is Netanyahu prolonging the war to say in power? Does it fit the description of a genocide? And what happens next? Plus we have excellent questions on this topic in a special But Your Emails.  This episode was recorded before the anti-war protests in Israel over the weekend. • Don’t forget you can watch full video of our panel editions on Spotify.  If ever we needed ESCAPE ROUTES it’s this week… • Julie recommends Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run on its 50th anniversary.  • Raf recommends The Genius Myth by Helen Lewis.  • Andrew recommends Alien Earth on Disney+.  When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here https://nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow. It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money back guarantee!  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more • Back us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Audio and video production by Chris Jones. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• “Farage will be found out” – ED DAVEY on how the Lib Dems can fight Reform and rival Labour

  Ed Davey’s reborn Lib Dems are on a 100-year high with 72 MPs and a shot at becoming the conscience of progressive Britain. So why do Reform get all the coverage? He joins our regulars to talk about fighting Farage, Labour’s travails, the war on cruelty in politics, why all those General Election surfing and bungee stunts worked, and what the Lib Dems can get done in Parliament. “We’ve been the best opposition,” he tells Alison Phillips, Matt Green and Hannah Fearn. Will they believe him…? • Get our exclusive ⁠NordVPN deal here⁠. It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money back guarantee! ESCAPE ROUTES • Ed Davey recommends There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak. • Hannah has been watching Black Doves on Netflix.  • Matt recommends Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz.  • Alison recommends Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.  When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.   • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Presented by Alison Phillips with Hannah Fearn and Matt Green. Audio production by Tom Taylor and Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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