The Trawl

In this week's episode of the podcast that trawls social media so you don't have to, you'll meet Politico Bob who is a member of the electorate who picked up 40k+ new followers this week after Nadine Dorries MP sent him a rather spicy reply. There's also the climate emergency being eclipsed by Prince Harry and some rather shocking revelations about how much MPs earn from their second jobs (and oft...

“What are we meant to do with 180 people in a department built for 50?” - a rhetorical question from an NHS staff member. Whilst the UK’s Health Secretary tweets about the couch to 5k app and PM Rishi Sunak discusses the need for more maths, the NHS is in crisis. How is anyone going to run when they have to wait for years for a hip replacement? Is it democide? According to Wikipedia "Democide is t...

Political commentators Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte took one week off for festive merriment and now catch up on a coupla weeks of tweets about toxic misogynist Andrew Tate vs environmentalist Greta Thunberg, alongside a serving of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking to the homeless, Trump's troubled festive message, the strange case of US politician George Santos, and there's also Jemma's "in...

A little Christmas edition of The Trawl, which is less a trawl of the internet and more a trawl of the trawl. Marina & Jemma are in a reflective mood, recounting how much has happened in such a short space of time since the podcast began. There’s been scandals galore, more prime ministers than you can shake a stick at. There's also been tales of portable loos, falling cabinets, and accidentall...

In case you’re wondering how things are going in Britain after 12 years of Tory hell, here’s a snapshot: Nurses and ambulance drivers are on strike so the government have block booked taxis to take people to hospital, which isn’t ideal for obvious reasons but also means far fewer taxis will be available at a time when rail strikes mean you also can’t get a train. The country is basically grinding...

There’s just never a dull week is there? Although trawling through Twitter is a little different these days. Since man child Elon Musk took the reins (Or Space Karen as he’s now known), our Twitter feeds throw up so many more right-whingers. In this edition of The Trawl, Marina & Jemma stumble across clips of Kanye, hot takes on Nadhim Zahawi's odd logic about NHS nurses needing to stand up to...

Part 2 of this week’s pod is a little different. Seeing as we are now 22 episodes in, we thought it was high time we answered a few of your questions about everything from UK Labour’s stance of Brexit to botox. Thank you for all your brilliant Qs. Let us know if you enjoyed this format and we might do it again in future. Seen a great tweet? Twit us  @TheTrawlPodcast . Follow  @MarinaPurkiss ,  @Je...

In this week’s trawl of Twitter, political broadcasters Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte explore the latest supreme court ruling on Scottish independence,  reports of dodgy PPE deals  allegedly earning one lord many millions, Katherine Ryan’s allegations about a famous man, and a sprinkling of Lords atop a second serving of Michael Spicer for this week’s puddy-pud-pud. We’re currently aiming to post...

This is our first trawl of Twitter since the Jeremy Hunt Autumn budget, so we take a look at that underwhelming despair fest. But, don’t worry, twitter has provided plenty of funnies this week too Plus in part 2 (coming on Friday) our political pair will discuss the World Cup and how Space Karen aka Elon Musk is still on the rampage. Another phenomenon that Marina and Jemma have noticed lately, is...

We’re not going to put a “positive gloss” on things, Brexit isn’t going well. In the second part of this week’s episode, political commentator’s Jemma Forte and Marina Purkiss continue their trawl through Twitter, wading through Brexit BS and pondering what Matt Hancock really meant when he was wanging on about “pivoting” his answers to questions from journalists. There’s also fact checks from Fem...

This week’s trawl sees our political pair yank at the short and curlies of Brexit but not before pondering disgraced PM Truss’ attendance at the remembrance service. They also explore a few bits of good news from the US and Brazil, as well as share some great things the Germans are doing to try to avert the climate catastrophe. There was so much to discuss this week that part two will be along on...

This week’s edition of The Trawl spans from Matt Hancock’s appearance on I’m A Celeb , to people on Twitter having a LOT fun making fake verified accounts at Elon Musk’s expense,.  There’s doctors explaining just how bad things are within the NHS, a few thoughts on Gary Neville working for Qatari state TV during the World Cup, and Marina & Jemma tell us what they really think about Sir Keir St...

What is wrong with seeking a better life? Marina and Jemma take a look at the so-called “migrant crisis” overseen by disgraced - and recently fired and rehired - Home Secretary Suella Braverman.  Our political pair also come up with some slogans to help the raw sewage situation, ponder reports of the former PM’s phone being hacked by Russian intelligence, and discuss a hereditary peer who’s taken...

How do we even begin? Jemma “I liked my own tweet” Forte and Marina “there are a lot of Hunts” Purkiss are running out of descriptors for how much trouble Britain is in with these self-serving lunatics at the helm. We have a new PM – our 5th since 2016. Meanwhile, the appetite for a general election increases daily and yet all we’re being served is a s—t sandwiches and cringe worthy dramas, whilst...

Since our last episode, Twitter’s been livelier than a 90’s warehouse rave, spicier than a vindaloo, and as fractious as nursery full of toddlers who have missed their nap. The Tory party is imploding and we have a new chancellor. The British government are all over the shop but… for anyone who was wondering why there was a little gap between episodes, we take a moment at the top of the show to we...

Uplifted by the idea of sending people seeking refuge to Rwanda? Vote Tory. In episode 015 our intrepid political podcasters (aka enemies of the people!) look at Twitter’s reaction to yet another bin fire of a week from Truss and co. There’s been the Tory conference which, some pictures and reports have indicated, hasn’t been the jubilant sell-out extravaganza they might have been hoping for… The...

How much money is enough? That’s one of the big questions political commentators Marina Purkiss & Jemma Forte wrestle with this week, alongside discussing the Lords of the Week, who’s to blame for the crashing economy, incandescent broadcasters, and some hilarious reactions to another bleak week in British life. We also check in on Joe Lycett, Femi, Jonathan Pie, and the tweeter who’s @LizTrus...

Our trawl of Twitter this week will inevitably be focussing on the fall-out of the not so “mini”, mini-budget and we thought it might be interesting to have a gander at the impact it will have specifically on mortgages and therefore renters too. With a morbid fascination, Marina & Jemma also observe the reactions to the budget, which range from shock, fear, denial, delusion, and for the very f...

In the 12th edition of The Trawl, Marina Purkiss & Jemma Forte take a deep dive into two articles that feel worthy of some proper scrutiny. In short: basically we’re now being governed by extremists. There’s a lot of Think Tank chat too… one of whom has blocked one of our hosts. The political pair also discuss UK PM Liz Truss’ tete a tete…or tete a tit as far as Truss is concerned… with Joe Bi...

Who really benefits from Kwasi Kwarteng’s changes to taxes and government investment? Marina & Jemma trawl through Twitter to make sense of what the government is describing as a “fiscal event”, whilst some people online are describing the trickle down illogic as “a raid" on the economy. It’s a weird week when even Julia Hartley Brewer – a staunch supporter of Brexit and the Tories - says that...

As the UK transitioned from pomp to politics, the Tories prioritised some of - you guessed it! - the richest in society. In this week’s trawl, Marina & Jemma crawl through the debris of The Queue, struggle to side-step the national debate surrounding the privilege of queue-jumping, and then focus on chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s gift to bankers during a cost of living crisis… he even reduced ben...

The Queen died last Thursday on the 8th September and, as you’d expect, Twitter lit up with tributes from dignitaries from around the globe and tweets from millions of people expressing heartfelt sadness and grief. Then, as the days went by a lot of it sort of transcended into some absolute sheer, solid lunacy. Reporters who’d been on duty for hours started scraping the barrel for both superlative...

This week’s trawl includes the world’s best booking on a politics show, Twitter’s thoughts on the UK’s new PM, breakfast telly lunacy and more besides. There’s a breakdown of the new cabinet with singing from Jemma whilst Marina gives listeners an illuminating explanation of fracking (can you guess how many of the 20k wells we need have been built?). In a dark week, there are a few shin kicks for...

This week’s Trawl is brimming with corruption, politicians getting an earful, cost of living panic, Tory incompetence and Twitter take downs. Outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson shares some thrifty advice, Marina discusses meeting the Labour leader, and Jemma sings a new jingle for lorrrrrrrrd offfff the weeeeeek!! There’s also a gut-punch clip of a dinner lady discussing the reality of pover...

Rishi's lovin' it and Truss is ready to go nuclear... whilst Johnson is missing in action. In this week's episode Marina 'still en France' Purkiss and Jemma 'was on TalkTV' Forte scroll through 1000s of tweets, so you don't have to. In their trawl of Twitter our duo have concerns about Sunak's big little lies, share some lolz about the Boris Johnson movie (not sure Jemma's alternative title will p...