Planet Normal

The curtain is finally falling on the Tory leadership contest. The spectacle might be nearly over - to the relief of our co-pilots - but the madness is just beginning for Boris' successor. As we bid farewell to the Johnson premiership, co-pilot Pearson is adamant we need more of a ‘realist’ at the helm. She warns the incoming PM must put dealing with the cost of living crisis ahead of the gre...

Levels of discontent have reached new highs on the rocket this week, with crisis brewing in the NHS and the economy. Co-pilot Halligan is frustrated that the Government remains 'leaderless, rudderless and hopeless' at such a critical time. While Allison is concerned the country could descend into 'third world Britain.' Plus, our co-pilots deliver their verdict on Rishi Sunak’s revel...

It’s A-level results day, and it’s not just the grades that are up for scrutiny on the rocket this week. Both our co-pilots lament the cost of lockdown on this year’s A-level recipients, with Allison also taking aim at social engineering schemes that are replacing traditional entry requirements into UK universities.  Climbing aboard the capsule of common sense for his second voyage is Conserv...

With temperatures soaring and the energy crisis escalating, our co-pilots have run out of patience with the lack of political leadership. Allison is 'fuming' that the focus on net zero has led to a 'grotesque' failure of energy security, and warns we are on-board a ‘captainless ship’ at the mercy of the elements and heading towards an iceberg as winter approaches. Co-pilot Halligan takes...

The political psychodrama rumbles on, but both our co-pilots think it's time for a curtain call on the leadership showdown.  So will Rishi Sunak throw the towel in? Co-pilot Halligan climbs aboard the rocket from his holiday to deliver some hard truths, warning the former chancellor to ‘bow out’ if he wants to save his future in politics. Liam argues the political class needs to turn its focu...

It's full-contact battle as Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak face off to become the next Prime Minister.  So who better to join our co-pilots on the rocket of right thinking than Dame Andrea Leadsom, campaign manager for former front runner Penny Mordaunt, and a one-time Tory leadership contender herself. Dame Andrea takes aim at political 'black ops' and says it's painful to see candidate...

It’s been a dramatic week since the rocket's last journey, with scores of cabinet resignations shaking the Johnson Premiership. So will the squealing piglet’s head finally reach the chopping block? And which member of the Tory party could be waiting in the wings to take over? Liam warns the job is a poisoned chalice, and wonders who would want to take the crown when an economic crisis is...

The by-election results are in, and the predictions of Planet Normal's very own clairvoyant co-pilot 'Mystic Pearson' proved to be eerily accurate. Allison warns the results show many Conservative supporters are so dissatisfied that they will vote 'A.B.B: Anyone But Boris'. Our co-pilots blame the Prime Minister's broken promises, likening his Government to a Deliveroo driver turning up...

This episode was recorded on Wednesday the 22nd of June before the UK by-elections. It’s all eyes on the Conservative party this week as they face all important by-elections. But will it be fun in the sun for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, or a political washout?  One thing’s for sure, the political heat in rocket this week is rising faster than the soaring rate of inflation, as our co-pilots...

The rising cost of living continues to bite as we board the rocket of right thinking this week, but UK-EU relations have also returned to centre stage. Baroness Claire Fox steps into the spaceboots again as guest co-pilot, to help Liam dissect all of the week's judicial jousting and performative politics.  Claire believes the EU is determined to pick a fight over the North...

The votes are in and the Prime Minister lives to fight another day.  But is it the beginning of the end of the Johnson Premiership? Our co-pilots are divided. Allison is mourning the end of her love affair with Boris Johnson this week. Co-pilot Pearson believes his backflips on Conservative policy pledges are making voters feel like "a cheated spouse." While she's not convinced the ...

It's all eyes on the Queen as the nation celebrates Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee, now known on the rocket as 'Platty Joobs.' Our podcast co-hosts are struck by the parallels between this landmark event and another, the Silver Jubilee in 1977, which also fell during a period of political and economic uncertainty. Liam Halligan thinks while the mood is celebratory at the moment, all bets are off o...

As the partygate scandal reaches a crescendo with the release of the much-anticipated Sue Gray report, our co-pilots bring you their highlights from the revelations.  But is the report damning enough to see Boris Johnson bounced out of No10? Co-pilot Halligan warns the Prime Minister will never truly be rid of 'partygate,' because the scandal will forever be part of his political epitaph...

Inflation has hit a 40 year high this week and so has our co-pilot's frustration with the NHS. The state of the health service is at the forefront of co-pilot Pearson's mind, after a new report revealed the astonishing scale of NHS bureaucracy. Allison is furious at the "parasitical layers of management" in the health service, and argues funding should be focused on providing frontline services an...

This very special 100th episode was recorded live at the Soho Hotel, London. It's a special week on Planet Normal, our co-pilots are celebrating 100 voyages on the capsule of common sense. But does Allison finally know what a podcast is? It’s a star studded affair, with many former Planet Normal stowaways making an appearance on the rocket of right thinking to celebrate the occasion. Esteemed epid...

NB: This episode was recorded on Wednesday May 4th 2022 It's Local Election Day, with some 4,350 seats being contested around the country as the rocket of right-thinking heads into orbit. So which party will come out on top? And how might the result play out for our political leaders?  Liam believes that the Prime Minister has got the big calls right, and argues Boris Johnson will surviv...

With co-pilot Pearson taking a much needed holiday this week, former Labour MP Baroness Kate Hoey steps into the spaceboots once again to help Liam tackle the latest dose of madness from our political class. Forget partygate, because this week it’s all about ‘leg-gate’ in Westminster. So what do our co-pilots think the change of subject might mean for the Prime Minister? Kate thinks Boris Joh...

It might be a marathon of contrition for our Prime Minister this week, but our co-pilots are making no apologies for their views on the Planet Normal rocket. Both Allison and Liam can’t help but feel that the attacks on Boris Johnson over partygate are just parliamentary posturing, and show how unpleasant politics in the UK has become.   Allison thinks Sir Keir Starmer's assaults on the...

It's been a bruising week for the Government, with all eyes on the Chancellor's family finances before a damaging stream of Partygate penalty notices. And with inflation on the rise and the cost of living crisis intensifying, it seems the tsunami of woes has only just begun for Boris Johnson. So can the PM navigate the storm? Co-pilot Pearson is well and truly undecided, as she confesses she is ex...

As national insurance contributions, energy prices and council tax all increased this week, so too did our co-pilot's frustration with the Government's handling of the cost of living crisis. Allison is concerned that covid could throw even more economic turmoil in the mix. With nine new symptoms being added to the official list, co-pilot Pearson fears it will be too easy for workers to use the vir...

It's somewhat of a sombre week on Planet Normal, as our co-pilots are left shaken by the findings of the Ockenden inquiry into maternity scandals. The report found over 200 babies and mothers could have survived if it wasn't for catastrophic failures at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. Allison struggles to contain her anger at the revelation some mothers were even blamed for their own deaths. She...

It's a fiscal feast on this week's voyage, with a special episode all about the Chancellor's Spring Statement. And boarding the rocket of right thinking to give his expert take is Telegraph columnist Ben Wright. So, as inflation hits a 30-year high and families face skyrocketing energy bills, did Rishi Sunak's 'mini-budget' deliver on easing the cost of living crisis? It's a resound...

The cost of living crisis is reaching a boiling point in the UK, and co-pilot Halligan warns things could get even worse.  As food and fuel prices go through the roof, Allison points out how accurate the predictions of 'Gypsy Rose Halligan' and his crystal ball have been so far.   As we eagerly await the contents of Rishi Sunak’s spring statement, Liam thinks the Chancellor needs to...

As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine intensifies, our co-pilots are breaking down what the crisis means for the UK and the rest of the world. Starting on the economic front. With soaring energy prices and public finances in disarray, is a recession now inevitable?  Our resident economic expert co-pilot Halligan says it's not all bad news, with the great unlocking after the pandemic stil...

Entering the capsule of common sense is Former Head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, who tells our co-pilots why he was surprised by Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and warns Russia's arsenal of weapons will cause 'carnage'. Sir Richard also takes aim at Europe's 'unwise' and 'naive' decision to rely on energy from Russia and weighs in on the state of armed forces in the UK. Co-pilot Pear...