Quiet Riot

And so to John Healey's Budget which went... pretty well as predicted. Horses were not scared, rabbits were not pulled from hats and Healey was, well, pretty dogged. Alex and Kenny are joined by economist extraordinaire Vicky Pryce to look at the headlines but also to dive beneath the surface of a Budget that was big on the volume of announcements if not surprise. PLUS ... that Liz Truss book. HOW...

'An afterthought' – that is the damning description of how Government treated care homes during the pandemic, according to a coruscating report from the independent Covid 19 Inquiry. Alex and Kenny lift the bonnet on the report's disturbing findings with Quiet Riot favourite Christina Pagel, UCL Professor of Operational Research and co-founding member of Independent Sage. From Government incompete...

It's all kicking off on planet AI again this week – Britain is about to spend £100m on an AI biosecurity lab, yet more jobs are being replaced by AI and some investors are making money by betting the whole AI investment circus is going to come crashing down. Alex and Kenny ask What and Why, and take a look at the disturbing flood of AI political attack ads that risk skewing public debate with, wel...

Chaos. As Trump and Putin keep grabbing stuff for themselves, and Trump fantasises about meeting with Putin and Xi, are we already in a 'everyone-and-everything' war? Alex and Kenny are joined by Quiet Riot's tame geopolitics expert, Arthur Snell, to ponder all that – and ask if we even know what victory would look like in the current global political climate. Plus, a particularly mad God! Less Am...

The team is joined by Labour MP Alex Sobel to discuss whether Britain's outdated method of electing MPs may finally be getting a shake-up. Alex is  MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, and Chair of the huge and influential APPG for Fair Elections – he really knows his electoral onions. Naomi, Alex and Kenny ask what the practical implications are – as well as the risks from changing the way w...

If these are the sort of recruits you get when you don't apply diversity and equality policies, maybe Nigel Farage and Donald Trump should rethink their notion of a meritocracy. Alex and Naomi discuss whether even a cult like Reform UK can survive the number of scandals it is being investigated for, laugh heartily at Katie Zacharia not even managing half a 'mooch, and rage about the BBC's decision...

In this special episode, celebrating the recent Nobel prize winners, we look at the state of science in Britain with Financial Times Science Editor Michael Peel. Kenny is asking the questions, including what tech is doing to journalism, Britain's place in the scientific world, what on earth is happening to our universities and (inevitably) AI... or, more specifically, should we treat it more like...

Blimey, did the last 10 years not happen? Andy Burnham announces the next UK-EU summit. In Westminster Hall,  a debate takes place about the UK joining the EU. Russian interference is front-and-centre. That B-word that has been taboo for so long ... is suddenly de rigueur. Join Naomi, Alex and Kenny as they discuss the turning tide on all (well, lots of) things Brexity. Plus, a colourful dose...

Middle East politics is an unusual topic to dominate a UK by-election but here we are. So, what can Zack Polanski and his Greens take from the debacle that overshadowed their efforts in Holborn and St Pancras? Talking of debacles, how did Kemi Badenoch, a self-proclaimed stickler for detail, manage to misplace almost half a TRILLION pounds in her Tory conference speech? And were the fawning elemen...

French students have decided to lightly flambé the republic and things have rapidly got incontrôlable. We're joined by Quiet Riot's favourite Chevalier, Olivier Morel, to disect what is going on and consider how it might impact on France's looming elections. PLUS a Grin And Share It dug up from the mud. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Conference season finally gets around to the Tories which means it's Kemi Badenoch's turn to preach to the choir. Alex, Naomi and Kenny look at policy, presentation and polling, to discern whether the upbeat mood in the conference hall is likely to translate into an uptick in the Conservatives' moribund polling figures. PLUS a particularly timely instalment of God! Less America! ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠...

Andy Burnham's arrival has seemingly rejuvenated not only Labour, but all British politics. Maybe competition does work in some sectors! Naomi and Alex look at Zack Polanski's speech to the Greens' shindig - he seems increasingly under pressure - and contrast it with a very buoyant Rhun ap Iorwerth addressing Plaid Cymru, whose biggest risk is allowing ebullience to morph into overreach. PLUS we l...

Andy Burnham's biggest announcement – in a conference speech littered with the things – was his ambition to create a National Care Service, which he said would be as significant as the NHS. We can't fault his ambitions especially as, at Quiet Riot, we have all had dealings with care services and know only too well how threadbare and inadequate present provisions are. That big ambition, of course,...

Andy Burnham's big speech to Labour was big on ambition, big on ideas and big on emotion. If you liked what you heard, then there's a good chance you think it was the best such speech in a decade if not more; if you didn't, then you probably realise that battling Burnham isn't going to be like battling our other recent PMs. Naomi, Alex and Kenny break Burnham's big number down into bitesize chunks...

A snap General Election? No way, says Andy Burnham. Do we believe him? Is it a smart call? Does anyone outside of the Westminster bubble actually want a General Election any time soon? Alex and Kenny ponder all of that, and take some time to dwell upon what happened in that other political bubble, Trump World, when Xi Jinping came to talk ... was there a winner? PLUS tiny acts of rebellion – a cel...

Reform UK have had such a heroic meltdown in Wales, we had to do a special on it ... and we couldn't keep up. Join Alex and Kenny as our Welsh expert Will Hayward looks on in wonder at how Reform have imploded (and continue to implode). PLUS Naomi's been hanging around the Lib Dem conference in Brighton – what has she learned, and what gossip is she able to share with us..? All this and PROBABLY t...

***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** And so Andy Burnham's first face-to-face with Trump passed off without blood being spilled, although Chagos islanders may disagree with that interpretation. Alex and Kenny are j...

It's been a big week for Europe and Canada, with Mark Carney's historic appearance at the European Parliament, and a political love-in between him and Ursula von der Lyen. Naomi and Kenny look on in wonder as Canada gets closer to the EU than Britain has been in a very long time, and ask: what on earth is an EU 'Associate Member'? What are the implications for Europe and for Britain? And what role...

***SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE COOLER HEADS PODCAST FAMILY - How Do You Solve A Problem Like Everything? on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, or ⁠Spotify⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts*** Piddington has declared independence! That's Piddington, down the road from Bicester and all its designer outlets. Alex, Naomi and Kenny ask what on earth is gong on, and what does it tell us about the power of co...

***SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE COOLER HEADS PODCAST FAMILY - How Do You Solve A Problem Like Everything? on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts*** All of a sudden, Reform UK has loadsamoney. In fact, this week it's received more wonga than all the UK political parties received last year. So should we congratulate Farage & Co? Or is this the perfect time (OK, per...

***SUPPORT US ON ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Trump is so thistry for the midterms, he is offering bribes from money he doesn't have. Stephen Yaxley Lennon is promising to pay it forward but doesn't. And tech bros want it so much,...

***OUR 102nd EPISODE THIS YEAR! REMEMBER TO SIGN UP ON ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TO SUPPORT US IN TIME FOR THE 13 SEPTEMBER LIVE EDITORIAL ONLINE EVENT*** German far right party Alternative fur Deutschland has scored a historic...

***OUR 101st EPISODE THIS YEAR! REMEMBER TO SIGN UP ON ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TO SUPPORT US IN TIME FOR THE 13 SEPTEMBER LIVE EDITORIAL ONLINE EVENT*** What do the Dover and Portsmouth riots tell us about how the far right is...

***OUR 100th EPISODE THIS YEAR! REMEMBER TO SIGN UP ON ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TO SUPPORT US IN TIME FOR THE 13 SEPTEMBER LIVE EDITORIAL ONLINE EVENT*** Nigel Farage has become that politician who can't see a hole without jumping i...

***SIGN UP ON ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TO SUPPORT US IN TIME FOR THE 13 SEPTEMBER LIVE EDITORIAL ONLINE EVENT*** As Canada says "Oui, Please" to Europe, Iceland says "Nei, Takk". But both - along with the rest of the world - look at t...