The Trawl

It's not often that Marina and Jemma are truly shocked anymore, but gold medal to Kelvin Mckenzie for managing to articulate views so abhorrent they even jar on GB News.  Given they're happy to platform hate speech, it seems strange that Jeremy Hunt has agreed to talk about the budget on the very same channel. Though perhaps the fact he's going to be interviewed by two Tory MPs was the clincher. R...

This week, Jemma and Marina, cordially invite you to The Troscars (that's the Trawl Oscars). Hugh Grant wins one for 'most whatevs performance on a red carpet' and there are many more virtual, meaningless awards to be bestowed throughout the ep.  The 'Stop The Boats' saga rumbles on, with the policy only ever seeming more cruel the more you scrutinise it. 'Gary-gate' reached extraordinary proporti...

After a quick ode to anyone with bosoms of any type whatsoever (International Women's Day), Jemma and Marina dive into the government's latest immigration 'plan' to stop the boats. It's controversial, sinister, cruel, probably illegal and no doubt unworkable so there's a lot to unpack. Phil calls into LBC to tell Shelagh Fogarty people should stay in their own country even if they die as a result,...

Marina and Jemma start with a clip that hugely inspires them both. Across the pond, Jon Stewart, shows how to hold someone to account in an interview. Then, Isabel Oakeshott and Cathy Newman have a tete- a -tete (or tete-a- tit) in an exchange with a very different vibe before our hosts dive into the increasingly appalling and enlightening Lockdown Files. Meanwhile, over at GB News, a lawyer is fu...

At the time of recording, Jemma and Marina had just learnt about the 'lockdown files' and their explosive contents. Before they get to that, they pay tribute to Betty Boothroyd who has gone to the big Parliament in the sky.  Then, it feels only fair to warn you, this trawl is Isabel Oakeshott heavy, but then she's been doing the media rounds and trending on twitter so perhaps it's not surprising....

Therese (lots of accents) Coffey has out Marie Antoinette’d Marie Antoinette herself. Instead of cake, our Secretary of State for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs, hath proclaimed we can eat…..turnips. Egg and turnip sandwich anyone? In PMQ’s Coffey is stuck for words, but Jemma and Marina aren’t. They’ve got tonnes to say, as per….. Meanwhile, Sunak is celebrating! He’s absolutely buzzing beca...

This trawl begins with headlines about two different people's living arrangements - One is The Andrew Formerly Known As Prince, the other is Johnson, who's definitely on maneuvers.  There's an amazing clip of a caller on Talk Radio. Hannah is utterly sick of migrants coming here and living in hotels so wants to emigrate. Marina and Jemma are fascinated by this logic plus her list of potential loca...

In this episode, Marina and Jemma step into their TARDIS and head back to the 1050s' given that's where some right-wing newspapers have regressed to with their coverage of the tragic cases of Nicola Bulley and Emma Pattison. They explore a shocking revelation of the partiality of what should be an impartial BBC Question Time and share the witty tale of Mike Graham - the shock jock who showed us al...

In this episode Marina and Jemma discuss Starmer’s decision not to allow Corbyn to stand as a Labour MP and Sturgeon’s sudden resignation.  Then, from Brexit wars to culture wars…. Marina thinks 30p Lee Anderson’s appointment as Party Chair, could be proper “get the popcorn in” fodder as he’s already stated that Sunak’s not a vote winner. And, it’s official, Sunak’s strategy to deliberately fuel d...

In this Brexit special, Jemma and Marina unpack where the country finds itself three years on from leaving the EU. There's a look down memory lane with an interesting take on David Cameron, the man who started it all, and even a Brexit benefit or two... The episode takes us to present day, where arch-Brexiters are partaking in the ultimate blame game as to why Brexit isn't working and Jemma shares...

This week Jemma and Marina discuss Dorries’ new career as a broadcaster. Paxman and Maitlis probably aren’t losing any sleep……. The Trawl pledges solidarity to teachers and looks at what Twitter makes of Truss’ ‘defence’ and Lee Anderson’s promotion. As ever they’re spoilt for choice with Twitter gold and clips galore. Pudding is served by James O Brien   Seen a great tweet? Tweet us @TheTrawlPodc...

This trawl is one of the weirdest. Jemma and Marina are wondering why so many of our national newspapers have taken a turn for the deeply weird. From reporters wearing masks in bathtubs, ridiculous headlines about Kate Middleton's latest venture to war mongering in the Express, it's all gone a bit bananas.    And that's before you discover that Nadine Dorries has been given her own TV show.    Joi...

Jemma and Marina discuss the latest Sam Smith video which is causing a lot of pearl clutching in certain circles. But is it any more outrageous than thousands of other videos that have gone before? This leads into the bizarre fact that not one woman has been nominated for Best Artist at this year's Brits. Oops.  Then - Zahawi's been sacked as Chairman of the Conservative party. Yes! But he's still...

In this trawl through Twitter, Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte delve into the batshittery of our Govt fining universities if they train too many GPs (during a healthcare crisis, no less), wade through the endless Govt corruption, corruption, corruption and finish with a pudding that highlights just how pathetic the need for an investigation into clear-as-day wrong-doing actually is... And, to switc...

In this trawl through Twitter, Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte dive deep into the so-called bonfire of EU regulations, Rishi Sunak evades questions when being grilled in Scotland, and there's some laughs at Hunt's latest promo video. Our Lord of the Week makes some odd comments about Eastenders and this edition's pudding comes from Ian Hislop. Seen a great tweet? Twit us  @TheTrawlPodcast . Follow ...

In this week's trawl through political happenings in the Twittersphere, Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte rummage in a tombola of Tories, to discover what they've been up to. They find a former chancellor wrestling with HMRC, 30p Lee's latest saga, Suella Braverman reacting to a holocaust survivor and a confession about the RMT strikes. Plus there's a saucy little extract from Prince Harry's book and...

This episode ends, like all editions of The Trawl, with a bit of fun. In 029 it's the return of amazing satirist Rosie Holt , who is best known for her Tory MP alter ego, which tweeters often mistake for a real Tory MP such is the bonfire Britain we live in. This slice of pudding features a "handy" tip for how to navigate the cost-of-living crisis… and that sort of sums up the tone of this edition...

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...