Planet Normal

Strap in, its Budget week and the Planet Normal rocket has got a first class ticket to the most eagerly anticipated financial breakdown of this Spring. Co-pilot Pearson has been sent off on a special mission (more on that to come) so Telegraph Associate Editor Ben Wright is keeping her seat warm. So: are we on course for a rocky economic ride? Liam is quietly optimistic that this ‘steady as s...

We may be aboard the rocket of right thinking, but this week on Planet Normal we're discussing a very different type of vessel, small boats, and the Prime Minister's strong words this week about stopping them.  Allison argues that if we have to leave the European Convention of Human Rights to gain control of borders then so be it, and Liam worries that this could be the latest battle in...

Our co-pilots are feeling a bit smug this week, as a series of revelations lift the lid on Covid untruths at home and abroad. Allison argues The Telegraph's Lockdown Files give us a 'jaw-dropping' insight into the mayhem behind decision-making in the pandemic. Liam thinks the leaked messages will have a profound impact on the public inquiry into Covid-19. The FBI chief's admission that the virus l...

Spring is in the air on Planet Normal, with resident economist Halligan spotting some economic green shoots amongst the doom and gloom. But all is not well on the rocket… Our co-pilots are appalled at the news that Roald Dahl’s books are being re-written. Liam labels the move cultural vandalism, with Allison declaring it is grotesque censorship. So with 'woke totalitarianism' taking hold, is...

It’s all eyes on Scotland this week, after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's surprising decision to stand down. And with a TikTok ban and a Tory tax row, it’s far from a quiet week on the rocket. Liam thinks Sturgeon's determination to have her own way on gender identity issues ultimately led to her downfall. Allison believes she ran out of road on Scottish independence, and predicts Labour could b...

She’s back. Former short lived Prime Minister Liz Truss has re-entered the Westminster fray, but is it a triumphant return? Our co-pilots give their hot take. Liam thinks the Former PM has moved the needle in the economic debate, and forced those who tore down her ideas to think again. Allison was left concerned about how much influence the OBR really has on economic policy. Also boarding the...

As we mark the third anniversary of Brexit, our co-pilots take on the doomsters and get to the bottom of why the country feels short-changed by the decision to leave the EU. Allison argues the current government is obstructing the Brexit we voted for, whilst Liam feels the benefits of leaving the EU have been hampered by the pandemic and war in Ukraine. Also boarding the rocket of right thinking t...

Our co-pilots feel like they’re back to the 90s this week with a cloud of Tory sleaze and looming recession hanging over the country. But will it be death by one too many scandals for the Sunak Government? The residents of the rocket are appalled by the latest ‘petty’ Westminster developments. Allison worries that Rishi Sunak is merely a ‘timid technocrat’ not fit to lead, whilst Liam thinks the P...

Just when you thought the strikes couldn't get worse, teachers have decided to join the wave of walkouts. But who do our co-pilots think will come out top of the class? Allison thinks the move to strike is disgraceful after children already missed out on so much school during lockdown. While Liam believes teachers will struggle to gain as much public support for their strike as nurses. I...

It's a brand new year on Planet Normal and while the rocket has been taking a well earned break there has been a tsunami of news. Our co-pilots deliver a no-holds-barred review of Prince Harry’s bombshell book, declaring it a ‘pathetic’ attack on the media that will only result in more supposedly unwanted attention. Closer to home, as industrial strife and an NHS in crisis strain the Sunak Governm...

It’s a ho ho ho from our co-pilots this week as they embark on a very special festive voyage, strapping in for one last orbit of 2022 to look back at a year of tumultuous news. Allison had to steel herself with a glass of mulled wine before looking back at the year that's been: Three Prime Ministers, a war in Europe, soaring cost of living, the Queens' death, and a series of strikes. Amid the chao...

It’s less striking action, more strike-in-action this week as England crash out of the World Cup and industrial action rumbles on. But how many strikes can the Tories take until they are down and out? Strapping into the rocket of right thinking this week is Stanford professor Dr Jay Bhattacharya. He tells our co-pilots about his private meeting with Elon Musk and why he doesn't blame the new Twitt...

Our co-pilots are doing their best to minimise the gloom threatening to eclipse the rocket this week, by bringing a little festive cheer. Allison and Liam deliver their verdict on the week’s blockbuster releases; the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Netflix tell-all, and Matt Hancock’s new book the 'Pandemic Diaries'. Co-pilot Pearson is shocked that the former government minister has been allowed to...

The winter of discontent appears to be in full swing, with strikes, swelling inflation and power cuts threatening to dim the Christmas lights. This week our co-pilots are wading into the immigration debate, and strapping into the rocket to help them is the Chair of Migration Watch UK, Alp Mehmet. Alp shares his concerns at the impacts increased levels of immigration are having on our country,...

December is fast approaching but the mood is far from festive on the rocket, with strikes, spiralling living costs and World Cup wokery afoot - can it still come home? As a growing number of Conservative MPs announce plans to step down at the next election, our co-pilots mull over whether it might be time for a change in high office. Allison believes the Tories have given up on business and g...

Tax is the word on our co-pilot’s lips this week as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveils the Autumn Statement. But with some bold moves expected, could there be Tory mutiny on the horizon? Liam is frustrated at the cynical use of ‘stealth taxes,’ which he worries might drive the economy into deeper recession and break already delicate bonds of trust between the public and the state. Allison thinks the C...

It’s Cop27 week, and as the world leaders jet in, our co-pilots digest the highs and lows from what is better known on the rocket as ‘the inverted pyramid of piffle'. The hypocrisies of the event certainly weren’t lost on either co-pilots. Liam thinks the PM should have set a better example, attending the event remotely on Zoom rather than attending by plane, whilst Allison is concerned that...

Halloween might be over but the witch hunt has only just begun , as the Home Secretary Suella Braverman is under fire over the ongoing migrant crisis haunting the UK. Allison is appalled at the treatment of the Home Secretary,  who she feels has been subject to ‘political parlour games’. Whilst Liam thinks that with the right support from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Home Secreta...

Another week on the rocket, and another Prime Minister on Planet Earth. But what does the future hold for ‘dishy Rishi’ as he moves into No10? Our co-pilots have their crystal ball out. Both our co-pilots think the new PM made a strong debut at his first PMQ’s. But Allison wonders how the new PM will fare when faced with conquering the red wall. Liam is also concerned that the Tories could be givi...

The beloved rocket gains a few extra passengers this week as our second Planet Normal live event is broadcast from the IET in London. Allison has been gone for a mere two weeks and the country has descended into what she calls a ‘post apocalyptic mad max wasteland’. Can things come back from the brink or will co-pilot Halligan have to step in as the next Chancellor? Anything could happen! In the w...

Another week, another dose of economic woe to digest on the rocket. Honorary Planet Normal citizen Nick Timothy is back to give his take on what the Labour Party have dubbed ‘the crisis made in Downing Street’. Nick thinks the Government rushed into their budget, and that the Truss camp have been slow to switch gears from campaigning to governing. Liam thinks the Chancellor and PM might be st...

The lights have come down on another Conservative Party conference, but it hasn't been without its political psychodrama. Co-pilot Halligan beams in from the heart of the action in Birmingham, and joining him in the cockpit whilst co-pilot Pearson takes a well-earned rest is columnist and former Chief of Staff to Theresa May, Nick Timothy. Underwhelmed by the turnout and the mood at conference, Ni...

Strap in for an economic rollercoaster on the rocket this week. Fresh from his perch outside the Bank of England, co-pilot Halligan is here to break down why the mini budget has caused such big waves. Liam thinks that the markets have overreacted, but the decision to cut the top rate of tax during a cost of living crisis was ‘venal’ and 'indulgent.' Allison agrees the move was an ac...

After a momentous period in which we lost our beloved Queen, the co-pilots are back to reflect on the historic turn of events. Allison was moved by scenes of people queueing to view the late Queen's lying-in-state, and shares her thoughts on the seismic sense of change the country is experiencing. Liam reveals the surprising warmth towards Her Majesty that he witnessed in Ireland, of all...

It’s the dawn of a new era on the rocket as Liz Truss takes the throne as Prime Minister. But do our co-pilots think she's got what it takes? Co-pilot Halligan predicts Truss will grow into the role, but warns she will have to be a 'shape-shifter' in order to tackle the toughest in-tray of any peace-time PM.  Allison wasn't blown away by Truss' debut speech, comparing her performance to that...