Planet Normal

Planet Normal

Download on the App Store
  • Favorites

    742

    Followers

  • Typical duration

    62 min

    per episode

  • If it hooks

    57%

    finish an episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Planet Normal episodes

  • Red Ed’s kamikaze net zero policies and the most expensive email in history

    Secrets, lies and spies are on the agenda for this week and your co-pilots are here to make sense of the madness.


    Allison is horrified by the secrecy surrounding the Ministry of Defence data leak, which has been estimated at a potential cost of £7bn to the UK tax payer, without any oversight or accountability of where people will be settled around the Country.


    Meanwhile Liam focuses on the news inflation has increased and the warning that the Labour tax increases are curtailing growth, which could lead to the dreaded term ‘stagflation’.


    Stowing away this week is MD of REIDsteel, Simon Boyd, who lays out his case for Ed Miliband's net zero policies being ‘dangerous’.



    Read Allison: ‘Starmer is sacrificing our troops on the altar of human rights law’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/15/starmer-sacrificing-british-troops-on-altar-of-human-rights/ |

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |

    Read Liam: ‘Reeves needs to take a leaf out of Gordon Brown’s book‘ ​​https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/07/13/reeves-needs-take-a-leaf-out-gordon-brown-book/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: [email protected] |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 17 min
  • Labour’s multicultural project has been a devastating experiment

    Another week in Labour’s u-turn government and the rumblings of a wealth tax are on the horizon, just as your co-pilots predicted!


    Allison thinks the PM’s speech on Monday was a ‘soft focus’ reflection of the 7th July London bombing, and once again avoiding the concerns of Islamists and mass immigration.


    Meanwhile Liam focuses on the sticky issue of a potentially imminent ‘Wealth Tax’ as Chancellor Rachel Reeves struggles to balance the books with Starmer’s constant spending u-turns.


    Stowing away this week is Matt Goodwin, pollster, political commentator and author joins Allison and Liam to discuss the 20th Anniversary of the London Tube attack and how Labour’s experiment of immigration and integration has failed.


    Matt’s substack: https://www.mattgoodwin.org/ |

    Read Allison ‘Britain’s craven appeasement of Islam is an insult to the victims of 7/7‘ : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/08/britain-appeasement-islam-an-insult-to-the-victims-of-77/ |

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |

    Read Liam ‘A wealth tax will only make the Chancellor’s problems worse’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/07/06/wealth-tax-will-only-make-chancellors-problems-worse/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: [email protected] |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 15 min
  • Starmer's ‘ming vase’ strategy smashed by policy pirouettes


    As Labour performs another head spinning u turn, your co-pilots are here to cut through the madness, so you don’t have to.


    Allison thinks this government has been a series of ‘car crashes’ culminating in another major humiliating U-turn on the flagship Welfare Bill. The rebellion of his own MPs is making him a ‘dead man walking’.


    Meanwhile Liam focuses on the impact of the concessions Starmer has had to make, and how this will affect Rachel Reeves’ ability to balance the books.


    Strapping in this week is columnist Dan Hodges to give his take on where this Labour Party didn’t learn anything from the Blairite years.



    Read Allison: ‘We may have to defund the BBC to get our country back’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/01/glastonbury-horror-show-tim-davie-bbc-bob-vylan-kneecap/ | 

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: [email protected] |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 4 min
  • Starmer's morally and politically bankrupt stance continues to humiliate us

    With another packed news week at home and abroad, your co-pilots are here to steer you through the carnage with their usual dose of common sense.


    Allison thinks the PM’s weak response to the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities is once again humiliating the UK on the world’s stage, and that Keir Starmer is concerned more about the Muslim vote share than National Security.


    Meanwhile Liam wonders if Labour’s is now deploying a ‘scorched earth’ policy as they drop in the polls.


    Making a special trip in the rocket this week is Conservative Peer and lawyer, Baroness Cash, who shares her thoughts on Labour’s Employment Rights Bill and the mythical non-existent worker it’s claiming to help.


    Read Allison: ‘The mistreatment of Lucy Connolly in prison is deeply sinister’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/24/the-mistreatment-of-lucy-connolly-in-prison-is-sinister/ |

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |

    Read Liam: ‘Labour’s 1970s employment rights bill could send Britain over the edge’

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/06/15/labour-1970s-employment-rights-bill-could-send-uk-over-edge/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: [email protected] |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 12 min
  • Starmer should resign in shame at his latest U-turn on grooming gang inquiry


    As Labour skids into yet another U-turn, your co-pilots are here to clear the chaff from the wheat.


    Allison is hopeful the inquiry could finally shed light on the ‘worst scandal in British history’ as it is led by Louise Casey, but is concerned the scope won’t see enough towns included by Labour who want to avoid their own patches coming under scrutiny. 


    Meanwhile Liam thinks accusations of racism aimed at Sajid Javid for insisting ethnicity be recorded on these crimes when he was Home Secretary, now seem ridiculous and he should be commended for trying to get a clear picture of the issue. 


    Making a special trip in the rocket this week is campaigner, author and grooming gang survivor Sammy Woodhouse, who shares her thoughts on the national inquiry into grooming gangs and her experiences as an exploited child.



    Read Liam: ‘Labour’s 1970s employment rights bill could send Britain over the edge’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/06/15/labour-1970s-employment-rights-bill-could-send-uk-over-edge/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Read Allison: ‘No jail sentence is long enough for the cowards who covered up for the Pakistani rape gangs‘ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/17/grooming-gangs-truth-revealed/ |

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/  |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: [email protected] |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 20 min
  • Labour’s spending review has no credibility

    Chancellor Rachel Reeves has outlined her spending review and your co-pilots are here to wade through the madness with Telegraph Columnist Gerard Lyons. 


    Allison thinks Rachel Reeves is going on a ‘spending frenzy’ and racking up too much national debt to cover her costs.


    Meanwhile Liam thinks the Chancellor is throwing out big numbers to make it appear Labour is increasing spending but is concerned the money will come from pension funds to cover the cost.


    Gerard Lyons is concerned about the Chancellor being able to control her spending and thinks her ‘fiscal rules’ are back-to-front policy making.


    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/  |

    Read Allison: ‘Dear Tim Davie, here are 10 easy ways to get Reform voters to watch the BBC’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/11/attract-more-reform-voters-to-the-bbc/ |

    Read Allison: ‘Woke police chiefs whinge about underfunding when the real problem is their warped priorities’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/10/woke-police-chiefs-whinge-underfunding-real-problem-warped/ |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: [email protected] |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min
  • The economy is a laffer minute

    The rocket welcomes stowaway Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mel Stride aboard.


    As Rachel Reeves announces a clunky U-turn on winter fuel payments, your co-pilots clear a way through the confusion so you can keep up to date with the latest turmoil from the Labour benches.


    Allison thinks Rachel Reeves’ time is up and she’s ‘for the chop’ because of her ‘iron-clad’ fiscal rules being undermined by the Prime Minister.


    Meanwhile Liam thinks the Tories need to be bolder in their ideas to challenge the harm he says Labour are doing to the economy and stifling growth.



    Read Liam ‘This is the opportunity the Tories have been waiting for. Can they take it?’

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/06/01/this-is-the-opportunity-tories-have-been-waiting-for/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Read Allison ‘Don’t believe Starmer when he says he’s angry about the small boats’: 

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/03/defence-starmer-priority-invasion-illegal-migrants/ |

    Read Allison ‘The BBC’s biased Israel reporting is fuelling anti-Semitism’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/04/the-bbcs-biased-israel-reporting-fuelling-anti-semitism/

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/  |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: [email protected] |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 7 min
  • Is this the end of the woke as we know it?

    As tensions simmer among the Labour benches ahead of their spending review, your co-pilots wade through the noise so you don’t have to.


    Allison is pleased to see Reform focusing on families again, by pledging to increase the income tax threshold for married couples.


    Meanwhile Liam thinks Starmer is sidelining his Chancellor and making spending pledges Rachel Reeves can’t cover.


    Plus comedian and writer Andrew Doyle stows away in the rocket, and tells Allison and Liam why he wrote his latest book The End of Woke, and why he thinks society has swiftly moved away from culture war issues.



    Read Liam: 'Labour is pioneering the Blackadder approach to public finances': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/05/25/labour-pioneering-blackadder-approach-to-public-finances-uk/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Read Allison: 'Only a very clever man like Lord Sumption could be so stupid when it comes to Lucy Connolly': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/27/clever-lord-sumption-could-be-so-stupid-lucy-connolly/ |

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/  |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: [email protected] |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 14 min
  • Starmer sells off our sovereignty

    Following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement of an EU ‘reset’ your co-pilots invited regular flier Lord David Frost to the rocket, former chief negotiator for exiting the EU, to give his assessment of the proposed deal.


    Allison is shocked the deal includes 12 years more fishing rights for the EU in our waters and thinks the deal will once again prevent investment in our fishing industry. 


    Meanwhile Liam thinks Starmer has made too many concessions to the EU and we are once again ’rule takers, not rule makers’ and will have no choice but to adhere to EU rules without a vote.



    HELP LUCY CONNOLLY REBUILD HER SHATTERED LIFE AND FIGHT TWO-TIER JUSTICE: https://democracythree.org/helplucyconnolly |

    Read: ‘Angela Rayner demands tax raid on savers’ 

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/05/20/angela-rayner-demands-tax-raid-savers-rachel-reeves/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Read Allison: Lucy Connolly: ‘The judges should be ashamed of themselves. It’s cruel and twisted’

     https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/20/exclusive-lucy-connolly-interview-judges-cruel/ |

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/  |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: [email protected] |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 1 min
  • Starmer’s reverse ferret to the Right

    Following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ‘strangers in our own land’ speech this week, your co-pilots give their take on his apparent change of heart on migration.


    Allison isn't convinced by the PM’s reverse ferret and thinks it’s less convincing than ‘Meg Ryan’s simulated orgasm’ - is Starmer gaslighting voters? 


    Meanwhile Liam thinks Starmer’s team knew exactly how the speech would be received by the Left of Labour and was sending a message. 


    Plus hopping on board the rocket of right thinking this week is Shadow Business and Trade Secretary, Andrew Griffith, who makes the case for banishing red tape for British businesses - do we need a UK DOGE? 




    HELP LUCY CONNOLLY REBUILD HER SHATTERED LIFE AND FIGHT TWO-TIER JUSTICE: https://democracythree.org/helplucyconnolly |

    Liam Halligan is raising money for Duchenne UK: https://www.justgiving.com/page/liam-halligan-2?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=TW&utm_campaign=015 |

    Read Liam: ‘Britain’s deal with India will have far more impact than Trump’s razzmatazz’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/05/11/britain-deal-india-far-more-impact-trump-razzmatazz/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Read Allison: ‘Our cretinous police must answer for their tyrannical behaviour in court’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/13/cretinous-police-must-answer-for-their-tyrannical-behaviour/ |

    Read Allison: ‘Starmer’s tough policy on migration is the biggest con since Meg Ryan simulated an orgasm in a diner’

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/12/starmers-tough-policy-on-immigration-is-the-biggest-con/ |

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: [email protected] |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 6 min

About Planet Normal

From the publisher's feed

The podcast that speaks your language. News and views from beyond the bubble with Telegraph columnists, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, every Thursday.

Hosted on Acast. See

Best of Planet Normal

Ranked by our users in the last 21 days

More shows like Planet Normal

Best of the Spectator by The Spectator

Best of the Spectator

184 Listeners

Coffee House Shots by The Spectator

Coffee House Shots

170 Listeners

Politics Unpacked by Times Radio

Politics Unpacked

111 Listeners

Americano by The Spectator

Americano

258 Listeners

The spiked podcast by The spiked podcast

The spiked podcast

209 Listeners

The Telegraph Rugby Podcast by The Telegraph

The Telegraph Rugby Podcast

44 Listeners

TRIGGERnometry by TRIGGERnometry

TRIGGERnometry

2,153 Listeners

Christmas Tales by The Telegraph

Christmas Tales

6 Listeners

The Brendan O'Neill Show by The Brendan O'Neill Show

The Brendan O'Neill Show

365 Listeners

The Edition by The Spectator

The Edition

49 Listeners

Last Orders - a spiked podcast by Last Orders - a spiked podcast

Last Orders - a spiked podcast

57 Listeners

What Most People Think with Geoff Norcott by Geoff Norcott

What Most People Think with Geoff Norcott

54 Listeners

Expenses by The Telegraph

Expenses

19 Listeners

The Daily T by The Telegraph

The Daily T

159 Listeners

Crossfire by The Telegraph

Crossfire

69 Listeners

Coronavirus: The Latest by The Telegraph

Coronavirus: The Latest

7 Listeners

Heretics | Andrew Gold by Andrew Gold

Heretics | Andrew Gold

640 Listeners

The Trump Card, with Nigel Farage by The Telegraph

The Trump Card, with Nigel Farage

25 Listeners

Missing Debbie | Bed of Lies by The Telegraph

Missing Debbie | Bed of Lies

494 Listeners

UnHerd with Freddie Sayers by UnHerd

UnHerd with Freddie Sayers

215 Listeners

The Juggling Act by The Telegraph

The Juggling Act

1 Listeners

Imposters by The Telegraph

Imposters

8 Listeners

Off Script by The Telegraph

Off Script

26 Listeners

History Defended by The Telegraph

History Defended

12 Listeners

Off Script by The Telegraph

Off Script

7 Listeners

Ukraine: The Latest by The Telegraph

Ukraine: The Latest

1,875 Listeners

Call Bethel by The Telegraph

Call Bethel

208 Listeners

The Winston Marshall Show by Winston Marshall

The Winston Marshall Show

464 Listeners

The Diamond King | Telegraph Investigates by The Telegraph

The Diamond King | Telegraph Investigates

10 Listeners

The Telegraph Women's Sport podcast by The Telegraph

The Telegraph Women's Sport podcast

0 Listeners

I Witnessed History by The Telegraph

I Witnessed History

3 Listeners

Bright Ideas with Anita Rani by Telegraph Media Group

Bright Ideas with Anita Rani

0 Listeners

Quite right! by The Spectator

Quite right!

52 Listeners