PODCAST

Quiet Riot

Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith, Kenny Campbell

Quiet Riot, the politics podcast with more passion, less shouting and lots of laughter

news politics

All Episodes

57:00

Sunday School: Smells like teen spirit

Quiet Riot ·

2025/07/20

Votes for 16-year-olds incoming, Stephen Colbert's Late Show outgoing.Naomi Smith and Kenny Campbell take a peek at the latest moves to let 16 and 17-year-olds vote in general elections – is it a long-overdue resetting of democratic rights or the end of days? And the grim news that CBS is cancelling The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has us asking whether this is about politics, profits or a horrible combination of both. Plus, Trump decides to sue Murdoch as we record this episode... so much

75:02

Palaces or Parliaments? Keeping score of Democracy's...

Quiet Riot ·

2025/07/17

Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith and special guest, data scientist Christina Pagel, discuss the Afghan data breach, the confusion over resettlement schemes, misinformation and its role in the rise of the far right. And in Part II, we delve into Christina's project, charting the (at last count 707) anti-democratic actions of the Trump administration. Plus 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin and Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠*** - “Farage is demanding Parliament is recalled to be

38:46

How dark money is taking our politics backwards

Quiet Riot ·

2025/07/15

Alex Andreou and special guest, investigative journalist Peter Geoghegan, discuss how dark money is "Americanising" our political debate in areas like women's reproductive health - and how Reform UK represents an opportunity for those who wish to subvert our democracy further. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠*** “The US State Department’s substack put out a statement recently saying, effectively, we’re going to meddle into other people’s elections. They were criticising the German

62:23

Sunday School: A Very Clever Cat

Quiet Riot ·

2025/07/13

Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou talk through the week's political stories, covering the outcome of Macron's state visit, and the churn on the right of politics, with every splitter starting his own party/movement/grift.Plus, a very special report from our resident Chevalier, Olivier Morel, with behind-the-scenes gossip from Macron's visit. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “He [Macron] went off script and that was the best part of the speech. He got the biggest cheer

67:36

Manu Best Friend - Macron's visit may be a turning point

Quiet Riot ·

2025/07/10

Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith and special guest, investigative journalist Peter Geoghegan, discuss the significance of the French President's visit, the Post Office scandal first report, how big money has infected politics, and Woke Superman. Plus 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin and Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠*** “Brexit is still the word that nobody in British politics wants to utter. We’re constantly talking about stagnant growth, but nobody in the Labour Party wants to say:

55:36

Sunday School: Not Another One!

Quiet Riot ·

2025/07/06

Another new party is created, another Reform MP is un-created, another ceasefire is hoped for, and another depressing poll. Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell talk through the week's political stories, with a focus on the emerging (possibly Corbyn-led) party on the left of British politics, hopes of respite for Gaza from being pounded, and a new pan-European poll that finds the youth of our continent more disengaged from politics than ever. PLUS news of Reform UK losing another MP reached us

66:24

The Sum of All Tears

Quiet Riot ·

2025/07/03

Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou, with special guest, security expert Arthur Snell, discuss the first anniversary of Labour's election victory being marked by - probably - it most difficult week. Also, what is next for Ukraine, now that much of the West is fully distracted by the Middle East? Plus, who will actually pay for Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill.? And, of course, the latest instalments of 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***

54:26

Sunday School: PIP of the iceberg

Quiet Riot ·

2025/06/29

***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou talk through the week's stories, including the government's climbdown on welfare reform and the launch of its trade and industrial policies. Finally, three weeks ago every other news story was about the "riots" in California. What happened? ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Our bookshop including many of the books we have featured can be found at

80:59

More Arms Than Good

Quiet Riot ·

2025/06/26

Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou, with special guest, Green Party MP (and co-leadership candidate) Ellie Chowns, discuss the Labour rebellion against welfare cuts and the future of the Green Party as a new home for those looking outside the establishment.And an update on the Iran ceasefire and the NATO Summit/Trump crèche, with security expert Arthur Snell. Plus 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** CALL TO ACTION Help MamaSuze

55:34

Sunday School: Three's a crowd

Quiet Riot ·

2025/06/22

And so it came to pass that the US, in lockstep with Israel, bombed Iran, probably while you were sleeping. For this week's Sunday School, we knew it would be tough to keep up with developments in the Middle East and so we called in our tame geopolitics expert Arthur Snell, he of the wonderful Behind The Lines podcast, for a look at where things stood on the eve of Trump's decision to send in the B-2s. Who knew what and when? What’s it mean for Britain? Should we cancel holidays in Cyprus? And

27:59

Wales 2026: The Battle Begins

Quiet Riot ·

2025/06/20

With just over a year to go until the 2026 Senedd elections, Welsh politics is anything but quiet. Reform UK is making noise, Plaid is recalibrating, and Labour is battling to stay visible - all as new EU-UK agreements raise questions about the future of flagship Welsh initiatives like the Taith scheme. Award-winning journalist Will Hayward joins Naomi Smith for a deep dive into the political forces shaping the next chapter of Welsh democracy. From Wrexham terraces to Cardiff Bay, it's all in flux

58:33

The Definition of Insanity

Quiet Riot ·

2025/06/19

Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou, with special guest, economist Vicky Pryce take a detailed look at the Spending Review. Does the ambition match the maths? And in Part II, we ask whether, before we have another inquiry, we need to question whether this slow, expensive model achieves change or actually impedes it. Plus 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “Infrastructure matters hugely. If you want to be competitive and have an

49:10

Sunday School: Weapons-Grade Escalation

Quiet Riot ·

2025/06/15

Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou talk through the week's stories, including Israel's escalation towards Iran and where that leaves an already inflamed region. Plus, the Ahmedabad plane crash and the toxicity added to the trauma by social media.Finally, some personal reflections about the riots in Ballymena. CALL TO ACTION Support the charity Migrant Centre NI. http://migrantcentreni.org/ ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** "Netanyahu, Khamenei, Erdogan, Putin, Trump

61:51

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave?

Quiet Riot ·

2025/06/12

Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou, with special guest, Liberal Democrat MP James McCleary, analyse the political landscape, the recent election results, what next for the LibDems, the rise of Reform UK, and react to the Spending Review. And in Part II, we look at the absolute madness in California and ask whether it is retrievable or whether America is heading for full-fat authoritarianism. Plus 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***

55:59

Sunday School: X-Communicated

Quiet Riot ·

2025/06/08

Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou, and Kenny Campbell talk through the week's political stories, covering the nuclear fallout from the war of words between the world's most powerful narcissist and the world's richest sociopath.Also, does Zia Yusuf's flounce out - and flounce back in - point to dysfunction inside Reform UK? Plus, we have the closest this podcast has even come to a row, over the result of the Scottish by-election in Hamilton. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***

62:09

The Expense of Defence: Is rearming the right priority?

Quiet Riot ·

2025/06/05

Alex Andreou and Zoe Williams, with special guest, former Home Secretary and author of a new Harold Wilson biography, Alan Johnson, discuss the Strategic Defence Review, the upcoming departmental budgets, whether Starmer's government has a choice, but to spend that money and a choice on where to find it. Also, taking over a stagnant economy after more than a decade of Tory cuts, a poor start in government, trying to balance a tight fiscal position with demands on public services, pressure from a

61:14

Sunday School - Exit far right, pursued by despair

Quiet Riot ·

2025/06/01

Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell talk through the week's political news, with a focus on the end of Musk's chemical romance with the White House, Trump's well-earned "TACO" moniker, and Harvard's resistance. Also, we look back at the RBS bail-out and how it continues to be felt in our politics today. PLUS - Watch out. Robert Jenrick's about. Why has our politics become so small, meand, and petty? ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “The big difference between Trump’s

71:00

Nigel Farage; Man of The PayPal

Quiet Riot ·

2025/05/29

Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith discuss the great socialist Farage camouflage mirage, and the reemergence of Dominic "Team Player" Cummings, with special guest Marcus Brigstocke. Also, a deep dive into the UK's reluctance to protect the intellectual property of creatives from Artificial Intelligence. Plus 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. You can find the dates to Marcus Brigstocke's "Vitruvian Mango" tour here. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “We have a massive

53:18

Sunday School: Briefing Counter

Quiet Riot ·

2025/05/25

Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith talk through the week's political news, with a focus on the apparent briefing and counter-briefing war inside No. 10, the softening of policy on winter fuel payments, and the latest ONS migration data.PLUS guest Arthur Snell explains the significance of the change of stance by the US and Europe towards Israel over Gaza. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “Conventional wisdom was that local election results had strengthened the hand of the Blue

67:21

Lost in Triangulation

Quiet Riot ·

2025/05/22

Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith discuss Labour's obsession with voters to the right, while haemorrhaging voters to the left, with guest Labour MP Marsha de Cordova. Also, a deep dive into Labour's reform of support for people with disabilities and the worry and hurt it is causing. Plus 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠*** GRIN AND SHARE IT Read more about the International Museum of Migration. Our bookshop including many of the books

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