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PODCAST

Planet Normal

The podcast that speaks your language. News and views from beyond the bubble with Telegraph columnists, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, every Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

society & culture news commentary

All Episodes

1:11:32

Starmer's morally and politically bankrupt stance...

Planet Normal ·

2025/06/26

With another packed news week at home and abroad, your co-pilots are here to steer you through the carnage with their usual dose of common sense.Allison thinks the PM’s weak response to the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities is once again humiliating the UK on the world’s stage, and that Keir Starmer is concerned more about the Muslim vote share than National Security.Meanwhile Liam wonders if Labour’s is now deploying a ‘scorched earth’ policy as they drop in the polls.Making a special trip in

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1:19:19

Starmer should resign in shame at his latest U-turn...

Planet Normal ·

2025/06/18

As Labour skids into yet another U-turn, your co-pilots are here to clear the chaff from the wheat.Allison is hopeful the inquiry could finally shed light on the ‘worst scandal in British history’ as it is led by Louise Casey, but is concerned the scope won’t see enough towns included by Labour who want to avoid their own patches coming under scrutiny.Meanwhile Liam thinks accusations of racism aimed at Sajid Javid for insisting ethnicity be recorded on these crimes when he was Home Secretary, now

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58:12

Labour’s spending review has no credibility

Planet Normal ·

2025/06/11

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has outlined her spending review and your co-pilots are here to wade through the madness with Telegraph Columnist Gerard Lyons.Allison thinks Rachel Reeves is going on a ‘spending frenzy’ and racking up too much national debt to cover her costs.Meanwhile Liam thinks the Chancellor is throwing out big numbers to make it appear Labour is increasing spending but is concerned the money will come from pension funds to cover the cost.Gerard Lyons is concerned about the Chancellor

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1:06:18

The economy is a laffer minute

Planet Normal ·

2025/06/04

The rocket welcomes stowaway Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mel Stride aboard.As Rachel Reeves announces a clunky U-turn on winter fuel payments, your co-pilots clear a way through the confusion so you can keep up to date with the latest turmoil from the Labour benches.Allison thinks Rachel Reeves’ time is up and she’s ‘for the chop’ because of her ‘iron-clad’ fiscal rules being undermined by the Prime Minister.Meanwhile Liam thinks the Tories need to be bolder in their ideas to challenge the

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1:13:35

Is this the end of the woke as we know it?

Planet Normal ·

2025/05/28

As tensions simmer among the Labour benches ahead of their spending review, your co-pilots wade through the noise so you don’t have to.Allison is pleased to see Reform focusing on families again, by pledging to increase the income tax threshold for married couples.Meanwhile Liam thinks Starmer is sidelining his Chancellor and making spending pledges Rachel Reeves can’t cover.Plus comedian and writer Andrew Doyle stows away in the rocket, and tells Allison and Liam why he wrote his latest book The

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1:00:53

Starmer sells off our sovereignty

Planet Normal ·

2025/05/21

Following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement of an EU ‘reset’ your co-pilots invited regular flier Lord David Frost to the rocket, former chief negotiator for exiting the EU, to give his assessment of the proposed deal.Allison is shocked the deal includes 12 years more fishing rights for the EU in our waters and thinks the deal will once again prevent investment in our fishing industry.Meanwhile Liam thinks Starmer has made too many concessions to the EU and we are once again ’rule takers,

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1:05:35

Starmer’s reverse ferret to the Right

Planet Normal ·

2025/05/14

Following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ‘strangers in our own land’ speech this week, your co-pilots give their take on his apparent change of heart on migration.Allison isn't convinced by the PM’s reverse ferret and thinks it’s less convincing than ‘Meg Ryan’s simulated orgasm’ - is Starmer gaslighting voters?Meanwhile Liam thinks Starmer’s team knew exactly how the speech would be received by the Left of Labour and was sending a message.Plus hopping on board the rocket of right thinking this week

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1:05:52

Are you ready for Reform?

Planet Normal ·

2025/05/07

The votes were counted, and then re-counted in last week’s by-election, netting Reform their fifth MP. Similar shockwaves were felt through the local elections and your co-pilots are here to dissect the results with Deputy Leader of Reform, Richard Tice.Allison’s recent prediction of a Reform win in Runcorn & Helsby was fulfilled - and next she turns her crystal ball towards next year’s May Senedd elections in Wales…Meanwhile Liam is looking forward to Reform being able to put more meat on their

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1:10:10

Net zero nets ‘nul point’ after power outages in Europe

Planet Normal ·

2025/05/01

Following nationwide power outages in Spain and Portugal on Monday this week, co-pilots Pearson and Halligan don their spacesuits to take a deeper dive into net zero pledges and realities.And as migrant numbers on channel crossings hit 10,000, Allison celebrates a push back on ‘liberal pieties’ and sees migration as the number one concern in the UK.Taking a return trip on the rocket, historian and author Owen Matthews joins Liam to discuss the war in Ukraine, how much longer he thinks Putin will

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59:24

Weak Starmer’s week of silence on women ruling

Planet Normal ·

2025/04/23

This week your co-pilots bring you a podcast exclusive with the Leader of The Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, who gives her take on Prime Minister, Keir Starmer’s, vote of support for last week’s Supreme Court verdict.Both co-pilots are troubled by the PM’s statement, with co-pilot Pearson adamant he should apologise to the women of Britain.Co-pilot Halligan also turns his eyes to the upcoming Local Elections on May 1st. Could Reform UK sneak past Labour and the Conservatives for surprise gains?And

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56:48

Tears of joy as Supreme Court rules on ‘women’...

Planet Normal ·

2025/04/16

Co-pilot Pearson is back in her rightful place at the helm of the rocket, hurrah! She’s just in time to deliver her verdict on the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling that the terms ‘sex’ and ‘woman’ in the 2010 Equality Act referenced biological sex rather than acquired gender.And co-pilot Halligan gives his observations as a male observer of such a female focused campaign.Also strapping into the rocket as a passenger on this pre-Easter voyage is Chief Executive Officer of Ducati, the Italian

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1:04:17

Talking tough on tariffs

Planet Normal ·

2025/04/09

This episode was recorded before president Trump announced a pause on some tariffs.With co-pilot Pearson taking a well earned break, Tim Stanley steps into the cockpit as a trusted controller of the rocket and there’s certainly no shortage of tariff talk to get through…Liam thinks President Trump is acting like a ‘unipolar president’ whereas Tim Stanley thinks there is a method to Trump’s madness, but how long can the World’s economy hold on for?Hopping onto the rocket for a return mission this week

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1:16:41

Rachel’s bottomless bucket of woe

Planet Normal ·

2025/04/02

It’s a new month with the same old madness on Planet earth, with rises in capital gains tax, council tax, energy fees and transport costs, April Fool’s is feeling all too close to home…Is there another ‘bucket of woe’ for Chancellor Rachel Reeves and will there be more tax rises on the horizon to plug the public finances?This week’s Planet Normal stowaway is Conservative councillor, Ray Connolly, who discusses his family’s experience after his wife, Lucy, was jailed over a tweet she briefly posted

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1:02:12

Spring Statement Special

Planet Normal ·

2025/03/27

As Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her first ‘Spring Statement’ your co-pilots are joined on the rocket by not one but TWO very special incumbents. Calculators and spreadsheets at the ready…Co-pilot Pearson is less than impressed with what she calls the ‘nothing to do with me guv', Budget.Stowaway economist Roger Bootle was both ‘depressed’ and 'amazed’ by the Statement but reveals an overwhelming feeling that the Labour Party aren’t actually doing anything all that bad…And after watching the

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1:13:40

The Burgeoning Benefits Bill

Planet Normal ·

2025/03/20

As Prime Minister Keir Starmer strays further Right in his policy decisions on defence spending and benefit cuts, your co-pilots strap into the rocket once more to journey into the madness orbiting Planet Earth. Are Labour finally talking sense when it comes to reforming the welfare system?After breaking down the figures Liam thinks the cuts from Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall won’t even touch the sides, whilst Allison reveals some shocking truths about so-called ‘benefit

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1:13:33

Ructions in Reform

Planet Normal ·

2025/03/13

As the internal ‘punch up’ in Reform UK rumbles on, your co-pilots give their take on the latest fumblings. But whose corner are they fighting for?Allison is unimpressed and thinks the last thing the country needs is to see one of its newest parties in a ‘willy wanging contest’.Whilst Liam thinks the fractions could be due to possible ego inflation happening in line with the party’s expansion.And both co-pilots ponder if Reform can really reform itself?Strapping in for a return voyage on the rocket

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1:15:38

The Lockdown Legacy of Covid

Planet Normal ·

2025/03/06

It’s geopolitics stupid.The issue at the forefront of the rocket’s orbit today as there’s certainly no shortage of global madness to contend with.Both your co-pilots reflect on the explosive meeting between President’s, Trump and Zelenskyy. Co-pilot Pearson thinks the latter may have ran out of cards to play when embarking on potential negotiations. Whilst co-pilot Halligan is concerned Donald Trump is underestimating the economic power of the Chinese when raising tariffs.Strapping into the cockpit

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1:14:32

Allison Pearson defends free speech against police

Planet Normal ·

2025/02/27

Co-pilot Pearson has a huge announcement this week as she launches legal action against Essex police after her traumatising experience last year. In this episode she explains what has led her to take a stand against such ‘Orwellian’ behaviour…As Prime Minister Keir Starmer jets to Washington for a meeting with President Trump, your co-pilots ponder whether the Labour Party has changed its tune on defence spending to meet the President’s demands or if it is all statistical smoke and mirrors…Also

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1:23:26

Reeves’ nation inflation

Planet Normal ·

2025/02/20

There’s more woe on the horizon this week with the delivery of less than positive inflation figures.. But no fear, your co-pilots are at the helm to guide you through this economic morass.Co-pilot Pearson has strong feelings about her new ‘boyfriend’ Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the security summit this week, whilst Liam takes a closer look at the latest economic figures. Spoiler alert; there is an ‘I told you so’ on the horizon.Also stepping into the cockpit this week to discuss her recent

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1:10:51

The final nail in the agricultural coffin

Planet Normal ·

2025/02/13

Rule by law or rule by lawyers, that's the question your co-pilots are posing from the rocket today as they ponder the week’s events on Planet Earth, and there’s certainly no shortage of madness!Liam thinks the political state of the UK is less about supporting parties and more about being for or against the Whitehall 'blob’.Whilst Allison is frustrated at the attitude of the Tory party based on her interactions with members of the electorate.The co-pilots bring you a very special interview deep

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278 results

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