Quiet Riot

MAGA begins to turn on Trump. Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and special guest Brian Klaas discuss the reasons for the Find Out stage coming so soon in this second FAFO Trump term. And - why is Nigel Farage afraid "to walk of an evening wearing jewelry"? Plus regular features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “The best way to think about Republi...

Uh-oh, the US economy appears to be entering the 'find out' stage of team Trump's eff-around experiment. As employment figures, market confidence and senior statisticians all take a beating from agent Orange , Naomi Smith and Kenny Campbell survey the wreckage – and pay special attention to how AI is acting both as a destroyer of jobs and a huge economic stimulus. Closer to home, they look at Labo...

All about contested spaces: physical statehood and online safety. Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell discuss the impending recognition of Palestine by Britain (and France). Why now? And as the Online Safety Act begins to impact our internet use, we ask whether it fixes anything or just creates a whole new range of problems. Plus regular features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'. ***...

The Left has a new bouncing baby party! Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell talk through the week's political stories, with a focus on Your Party - no, not your party; Your Party - the trade deal between the UK and India, and the success story of Baltimore, pointing the opposite way of populism on how to reduce crime. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “If we did an episode a...

Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith and special guest, CEO of migrant support charity PRAXIS, Minnie Rahman, discuss the protest flashpoint in Epping and ask what does a humane, open, fair immigration policy look like and how we can make the case for it. And in Part II, as Parliament goes into recess, we look at the assortment of Oppositions' Positions and whether they add up. Plus 'Wokey Dokey'. ***SPONSOR...

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 horr...

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...

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, ef...

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*** “...

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...

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...

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 'Wo...

***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 bo...

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'....

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...

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 forc...

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/QUIETRIOTP...

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 U...

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...

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...

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 go...

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? *...

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...

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...

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 mor...