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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

1:02:41

Labour’s asylum seeker 'Carry On'

Planet Normal ·

2025/10/30

Our co-pilots, energised from their trip down to earth for the live show at the Battle of Ideas festival last week, are back on the Rocket to try and make sense of a week of madness!They address the growing discontent following a string of high-profile incidents involving illegal migrants, most recently in Uxbridge.The discussion turns into a blistering attack on the Home Office and the entire Civil Service, who the co-pilots argue, are actively stifling political reform and preventing any

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1:22:38

Planet Normal: Live Special at the Battle of Ideas 2025

Planet Normal ·

2025/10/22

This episode was recorded live at the Battle of Ideas Festival in London on 19th October 2025In this very special episode of Planet Normal, the rocket beams in live from the Battle of Ideas Festival featuring not one, but two very special stowaways..Labour Life Peer, Lord Maurice Glasman, founder of the Blue Labour movement, shares his thoughts on the state of the Labour Party and slams the progressive policies which he argues is destroying its traditional party roots.Inspirational sailor and author

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1:02:52

Trump’s peace plan and the China spy row unfurling in...

Planet Normal ·

2025/10/15

With co-pilot Halligan off the train and back in the rocket the team has returned to wade through the madness.As Donald Trump declares “peace in the Middle East” Liam and Allison take their hats off to him as they credit his deal that led to the release of all the remaining hostages, as co-pilot Pearson reflects on the stark reality of Hamas's true face and Starmer’s attempts to claim credit were slapped down by Trump with disdain.Back home, the UK political landscape is rocked by astonishing polls,

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1:03:35

October 7th freed Hamas hostage Eli Sharabi speaks to...

Planet Normal ·

2025/10/08

In a special episode of Planet Normal co-pilot Pearson brings you a long interview with Eli Sharabi, who after the 7th of October spent 491 days as a captive of Hamas under the tunnels of Gaza.Eli has recently told his story, in his own words, in his book, Hostage. The book tells the harrowing and deeply moving story of his period of captivity, a scarcely credible tale of man's inhumanity to man.An awful added chapter of his story is that on his release in February this year he learned that both his

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52:10

The courageous ‘Pink Ladies and Starmer’s toxic speech

Planet Normal ·

2025/10/01

As Labour Conference draws to a close and Prime Minister Keir Starmer launches an attack on Nigel Farage, your co-pilots are here to make sense of the madness.Allison brings you a special report from the “Pink Ladies” demonstration outside Downing Street and speaks to women who have raised concerns about migrant hotels and lack of accountability for women’s safety, and catches Conservative London Assembly member Susan Hall ahead of her speech at the event.Meanwhile Liam keeps you on track with the

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1:01:43

Trump and Reform are right on immigration

Planet Normal ·

2025/09/24

With Trump giving a dressing down to the UN and Starmer clinging on amid yet more scandals, there is no shortness of madness for your co-pilots to get their teeth into!Returning crew member Danny Kruger straps in to explain why he defected to Reform after so many years in the Conservative Party and he admits he feels ‘guilty’.Allison shares her disgust and anger at the government's shameful decision to recognise a state of Palestine, with Hamas calling it a ‘victory and one of the fruits of October

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59:53

Starmer shows off for Trump as ‘no confidence’ in him...

Planet Normal ·

2025/09/17

With a Trump state visit, an axed Ambassador and Labour polling in third in the upcoming Welsh election there is no shortage of news to wade through, and your co-pilots are here to steer you through it all!Allison questions the chances of Andy Burnham being able to challenge Starmer for the Premiership, having to rely on a by-election which could be won by Reform, while polling in Wales is showing a battle between Plaid Cymru and Reform who are looking to depose Welsh Labour.Meanwhile Liam shares

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1:00:36

Ed Miliband’s Net Zero Gamble: blackouts and sky-high...

Planet Normal ·

2025/09/10

After a brief trip to Planet Earth at the Reform UK party conference, the rocket is back and making sense of the madness, so you don’t have to!Allison questions Starmer's decision making in light of yet another scandal, this time concerning Lord Peter Madelson and his 'friendship' with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.Meanwhile Liam shares his frustration at Labour’s unrealistic net zero targets, which ignore the realities of our energy infrastructure and the harm it could cause the UK

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21:36

'I would like to work with Reform' - Lucy Connolly...

Planet Normal ·

2025/09/06

The co-pilots briefly dock the rocket of right-thinking at the Reform Party Conference this week, for an on-stage episode with special guest Lucy Connolly.Watch Allison, Liam and Lucy on stage here: https://youtu.be/VMjbGgpiVSURead more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here:

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1:02:45

Taxing questions for Angela Rayner

Planet Normal ·

2025/09/03

The rocket is back from the summer break and blasting through the nonsense to bring you some common sense! There’s a lot to catch up on so buckle in…A special stowaway this week is former Home Secretary, Suella Braverman to discuss the rise of Reform in the polls, and renews her call to leave the ECHRAllison, fresh from her sun lounger, shares her disgust that comedian and Father Ted writer, Graham Linehan, was arrested over 3 tweets and praises Nigel Farage for sharing free speech concerns with

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45:58

Best Voyages from the Rocket 2025 Part 3

Planet Normal ·

2025/08/27

Summer is coming to an end on Planet Normal!So in our final installment of our "best of the rocket" series, our co-pilots take a look back at another two of their most explosive voyages on the rocket of right thinking from the year so far.In May, after Keir Starmer's EU 'reset', Allison and Liam invited Lord David Frost on to the rocket. The former diplomat and Boris Johnson's chief Brexit negotiator, now a Conservative peer, discussed Starmer's efforts to bring post-Brexit Britain closer to the

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1:04:17

'Am I Starmer's political prisoner? Absolutely' |...

Planet Normal ·

2025/08/22

Citizens of Planet Normal, you were expecting the co-pilots to be on holiday during August but we nowhave a surprise bonus episodefor you!Allison was literally at the beach when the exciting news came through confirming Lucy Connolly was about to be released. Lucy is of course the Northampton mum and childminder who ad spent more than a year behind bars for posting a tweet which she quickly deleted in the wake of the Southport murders, and hercause has been very much championed here on Planet

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54:16

Best Voyages from the Rocket 2025 Part 2

Planet Normal ·

2025/08/20

Summer continues on Planet Normal! In this, the second of the three part best of the rocket series, our co-pilots take a look back at some of their most explosive voyages on the rocket of right thinking from the year so far.Back in March, Allison spoke to Ray Connolly -husband of Lucy Connolly, who was sentenced to 31 months for posting a tweet in response to the tragic death of 3 girls in Southport last year. Ray discusses the devastating impact of Lucy’s ongoing incarceration on their family.And

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1:06:49

Best Voyages from the Rocket 2025 Part 1

Planet Normal ·

2025/08/13

It's the summer break on Planet Normal so in the first of this year's best of the rocket series, our co-pilots take a look back at some of their most explosive voyages on the rocket of right thinking from the year so far.Following the emergence of more harrowing details of rape gangs operating in the UK, in January Allison spoke to a warrior of free speech, and one of her heroines, Ayaan Hirsi Ali. A former Dutch MP, Ayaan has put herself in danger many times for speaking out against Islamists and

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1:03:30

Labour! Leave our kids alone

Planet Normal ·

2025/08/06

Another black hole has appeared in the country’s coffers, but you can bank on your co-pilots to make sense of the pennies and cents.Allison thinks Starmer’s new migrant swap deal with France is nonsense and nothing more than a secret legal route made by Labour under the pretence of benefiting the British tax payer.Whilst Liam says the ongoing cost of Labour’s private school VAT increase is crippling families and private schools help the local community as well as the tax payers as they free up

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1:12:29

Feeble Starmer is stoking a febrile country

Planet Normal ·

2025/07/30

With Donald Trump giving Starmer a piece of his mind, there’s no shortage of madness this week, and your co-pilots are ready to make sense of it all!Allison thinks The US President took the Prime Minister to task on his immigration and green power policies, completely humiliating him on the world stage.Whilst Liam says the ‘febrile atmosphere’ in the country isn’t being managed very well by Starmer's immigration policies.Stowing away this week is Epping resident Orla Minihine who tells the co-pilots

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1:05:21

The UK is on a Hard Road tackling immigration concerns

Planet Normal ·

2025/07/23

Co-Pilot Pearson is taking a break but fear not, Nick Timothy is strapping in to help Co-pilot Halligan make sense of this week’s madness.Liam is pleased Labour have caught up with the rest of the country in talking about addressing ‘concerns’ over immigration, but is concerned they haven’t given any substance to their position or how they will achieve it.Nick points out Labour scrapped the Rwanda scheme deterrent and still don’t have a concrete plan other than speeding up decisions, which is

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1:16:27

Red Ed’s kamikaze net zero policies and the most...

Planet Normal ·

2025/07/16

Secrets, lies and spies are on the agenda for this week and your co-pilots are here to make sense of the madness.Allison is horrified by the secrecy surrounding the Ministry of Defence data leak, which has been estimated at a potential cost of £7bn to the UK tax payer, without any oversight or accountability of where people will be settled around the Country.Meanwhile Liam focuses on the news inflation has increased and the warning that the Labour tax increases are curtailing growth, which could

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1:14:05

Labour’s multicultural project has been a devastating...

Planet Normal ·

2025/07/09

Another week in Labour’s u-turn government and the rumblings of a wealth tax are on the horizon, just as your co-pilots predicted!Allison thinks the PM’s speech on Monday was a ‘soft focus’ reflection of the 7th July London bombing, and once again avoiding the concerns of Islamists and mass immigration.Meanwhile Liam focuses on the sticky issue of a potentially imminent ‘Wealth Tax’ as Chancellor Rachel Reeves struggles to balance the books with Starmer’s constant spending u-turns.Stowing away this

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1:03:25

Starmer's ‘ming vase’ strategy smashed by policy...

Planet Normal ·

2025/07/02

As Labour performs another head spinning u turn, your co-pilots are here to cut through the madness, so you don’t have to.Allison thinks this government has been a series of ‘car crashes’ culminating in another major humiliating U-turn on the flagship Welfare Bill. The rebellion of his own MPs is making him a ‘dead man walking’.Meanwhile Liam focuses on the impact of the concessions Starmer has had to make, and how this will affect Rachel Reeves’ ability to balance the books.Strapping in this week

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278 results

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