The Trawl

This Trawl begins with a tribute to the late, great Dame Maggie Smith.  Then, Marina and Jemma discuss two prominent political figures who have decided their parties aren't for them after all. Labour's Rosie Duffield has become an independent (which raises questions in itself) and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has left the conservative party, which means she can be more forthright than before which...

Only in Blighty would a one-word slip-up manage to dominate the news cycle... Yes, sausages. Marina and Jemma discuss the ongoing fallout and the concern that, of all things that went on at Labour conference, this appears to be one of the few stories that is landing.  Then it's onto a party conference of a very different kind, less political conference, more Phoenix Nights rehash - because th...

Boris Johnson has been churning out his Daily Mail opinion pieces again, but this week the bloviating bell was even lazier than usual when we learnt he couldn't even be bothered to research the Bridget Jones plot line before putting out his casually sexist guff. Then it's onto the ongoing Labour and Starmer drama which shows no signs of quelling. Jemma and Marina discuss the lazy comparison with t...

Uh oh... We thought we were done with dodgy donor activity, but there are question marks over Keir Starmer's wife, Victoria being in receipt of some dresses from a very well-to-do Labour donor. Jemma and Marina discuss the terrible optics and nuance around the matter, while agreeing wholeheartedly that Tories coming out to try and claim the moral high-ground can ABSOLUTELY DO ONE. The ladies move...

Yes, the internet can be an absolute cesspit at times, but it can also be a source of pure (Trawl) gold, as indeed it was thanks to the hilarious takes from the craziness going on stateside. You've got musical renditions of "they're eating the cats", a dramatic monologe and even a clip of The Simpsons, Chief Wiggum himself.  Jemma and Marina discuss the move from cats and dogs...to geese, and...

The Trawl ladies are in a romantic mood at the top of this episode. 83 year old, Nan Schiff's dating life has inspired Jemma and Marina is very much enjoying excerpts from Diane Abbott's book which details her relationship with Jeremy Corbyn. Where did they go for their first date? The cinema? For dinner? Casual trip to a graveyard?  Then Marina and Jemma are compelled to discuss at length th...

Jovan stood against Nigel Farage in the last election as the candidate for Labour and sadly lost. At twenty seven years old he's the antithesis of Farage in every way and would certainly have gone about things differently had he won. He would have spent lots of his time in Clacton for instance. But, it wasn't to be and, as Jemma points out, the whole episode will be difficult for right minded vote...

The Mail are OUTRAGED... again. They're outraged about something so mild (vegan cafes), Jemma and Marina decide to bring up somethings which are actually enraging. For instance, Vance thinks staying in abusive relationships is the right thing to do... the Trawl ladies don't agree.  They spend some time discussing Labour's decision to take away the winter fuel allowance against a backdrop of n...

Summer's over and the Trawl ladies start this pod with some inspiring chat about how to cope with the shorter days. Let's get fat and sassy everybody!  Then they hop over to the States because there's a lot of pre Trump Harris debate to cover which frankly is Trawl gold. Though one of the revelations about Trump's washing habits is pretty stinky - oh dear, or should that be odour.  The D...

Did you get tickets for Oasis? No, nor did Jemma. And at over £350 a pop, she's gone right off the idea. The ladies open on the dynamic pricing uproar surrounding the ticket sales and find a tweet from Liam Gallagher that aged like milk. Then it's onto the outrage that was reported by the Daily Mail after Starmer removed Thatcher's portrait from his new home - quite who was outraged, perhaps we'll...

Labour are considering a ban on smoking outdoors which the hospitality industry are understandably concerned about. Esther McVey however, posted a response which managed to be, not just incredibly stupid and disproportionate and offensive too. Well done, you've won gold in the wally Olympics. Dorries has been in the running too because Johnson's biggest cheerleader is not happy that Rayner...dance...

Oasis are back! The nation are mad for it. Jemma and Marina discuss the frenzy of excitement around the announced Oasis reunion and there are clips galore including the iconic one starring Kathy Burke. Then its to the Rose Garden where Keir Starmer has made a speech. Is it a little bit thorny or are we smelling of roses? The jury is out until the October budget, but it's not looking massively opti...

The Trawl is back! The Trawl ladies are full of energy and ready to dissect all the latest bellendery - and there’s a lot…. Footballer and presenter, Jermaine Jenas, has been inspiring limericks with his online behaviour and Andrew Tate is in Romania on charges for multiple horrific crimes. Talking of felons, we then cross over to the States where Trump is falling apart before our eyes and in our...

Jemma is away on holiday this week, so The Trawl is taking a well earned break until she gets back, refreshed and sporting a lovely suntan. Although, we couldn't just leave you high and dry this week! So we've compiled some of the best bits from our Trawl Meets series for your delectation. Please enjoy this medley of some of our favourite moments from our chats with Gary Lineker, Carol Vorderman,...

This week's pod opens with a chuffed and excited Marina, who realised that she has what it takes to be an Olympian - or more specifically, an Australian breakdancing Olympian.  Marina and Jemma lament what X has become under Musk, who has been taking aim at the UK in his new self-appointed role of free speech hero of the people. Though, as the ladies discuss, Musk doesn't always practice what...

The fallout from the riots continues, with Met Police Commissioner, Mark Rowley responding badly to a question on two-tier policing. Marina and Jemma discuss how this term came about and why the hell Elon Musk is adding to its use with his inevitably viral tweet: #TwoTierKier. Give the state of his X platform and what does/doesn't constitute a violation, he may want to look closer to home... Then...

It's been a tough old week for the country after days of violence on our streets by rioters - and no, they aren't pro-Britain marches or anti-immigration protests – they are rioters. End of.  Jemma and Marina discuss the road that got us here, and the pied pipers at the helm who are now trying their best to distance themselves from the so called 'Farage riots' - yeah, good luck with that.&nbs...

Warning - this episode was recorded remotely and there are moments when George sounds like he’s in space. We apologise for the poor sound quality in those moments but he’s so worth listening to hopefully substance makes up for style George Monbiot is a  journalist, author, and environmental and political activist. He writes a regular column for The Guardian and has written several books....

With riots kicking off and more planned for the weekend, Jemma and Marina open with a chat about those who appear more than happy to stoke the flames and the media platforms that do nothing to put out the fires. Speaking of which, Elon Musk has been having online beef with his estranged child, and when he's not doing that he's sharing deepfake videos of Kamala Harris that threaten US democracy. An...

Jemma and Marina felt they couldn't start this episode without mentioning the tragic events in Southport. Three little girls have been murdered and many more children, carers and police officers have been injured. Yet, as Southport grieves and tries to process the atrocity, certain people on the far right have deemed it appropriate to incite violence based on circulated misinformation - a dark day...

And the Republicans go after Kamala's...laugh?! Kamala, Kahmaala, Kohmohla - Jemma and Marina open with a little lesson in how best to pronounce the name of the woman who is getting Republicans all hot under the collar over in the US. But first, domestic issues - with a focus on the Labour rebellion that saw seven Labour MPs lose the whip after voting against the Government in regards to the much...

Biden has stood down! But, before the Trawl ladies get to that, they want to discuss the Crowdstrike bug which hit Microsoft hard. People in offices were crossing their fingers Teams would go down too so they could leave early, some poor souls had their flights cancelled or experienced other huge inconveniences, others didn't even notice. Then, it's off to the States where it's all happening. Or,...

This episode starts with a sobering chat about the recent murder of Carol, Louise and Hannah Hunt. The three women were killed brutally leaving a sister and father behind. Marina and Jemma ponder the fact that a woman is killed by a man, in her own home, every three days. A shocking statistic which surely requires immediate attention.  Then the talk turns to Labour and the good and bad things...

Football isn’t coming home - again. So where are we on Southgate? Is he a legend? Or a roaring disappointment?  And then, where were you when you found out that someone tried to assassinate Trump?  Marina and Jemma delve into what this shocking news might mean. Does it mean the election is in the bag for the Republican Party?  And who is JD Vance and why is his appointment as V...

Labour are off the starting blocks and at quite a pace. Jemma and Marina discuss everything that's happened since the Labour government got into power which, in a nutshell, is more than the Tories have achieved in 14 years. Inspired appointments include putting James Timpson in charge of prisons, Miliband in charge of climate and a Minister for Education who respects teachers. What are the chances...