Planet Normal

The votes were counted, and then re-counted in last week’s by-election, netting Reform their fifth MP. Similar shockwaves were felt through the local elections and your co-pilots are here to dissect the results with Deputy Leader of Reform, Richard Tice.

Allison’s recent prediction of a Reform win in Runcorn & Helsby was fulfilled - and next she turns her crystal ball towards next year’s May Senedd elections in Wales… 

Meanwhile Liam is looking forward to Reform being able to put more meat on their policy bones and tell voters where they stand economically. Plus how will the turquoise tide fare against the civil servants?

Read Liam: ‘Low oil prices could keep a lid on Britain’s inflation’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/05/04/opec-oil-cartel-could-give-uk-rate-setters-a-helping-hand/ |

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

Read Allison: ‘A new dawn has broken – and Nigel Farage might just be our next prime minister’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/02/nigel-farage-next-prime-minister/ | 

Read Allison: ‘Britain is not worthy of the sacrifice our soldiers made 80 years ago’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/06/sacrifice-soldiers-ve-day-allison-pearson/ |

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

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Following nationwide power outages in Spain and Portugal on Monday this week, co-pilots Pearson and Halligan don their spacesuits to take a deeper dive into net zero pledges and realities.

And as migrant numbers on channel crossings hit 10,000, Allison celebrates a push back on ‘liberal pieties’ and sees migration as the number one concern in the UK.

Taking a return trip on the rocket, historian and author Owen Matthews joins Liam to discuss the war in Ukraine, how much longer he thinks Putin will hold out and the thorny issue of Crimea. 

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

Read Liam: ‘Reeves needs to ditch her net zero delusions for Britain’s sake’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/27/rachel-reeves-needs-ditch-net-zero-delusions/ |

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

Read Allison: ‘To all those about to lose to Reform: it’s immigration, stupid’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/29/reform-is-a-force-to-be-reckoned-with-its-immigration/ |

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

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This week your co-pilots bring you a podcast exclusive with the Leader of The Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, who gives her take on Prime Minister, Keir Starmer’s, vote of support for last week’s Supreme Court verdict.

Both co-pilots are troubled by the PM’s statement, with co-pilot Pearson adamant he should apologise to the women of Britain.

Co-pilot Halligan also turns his eyes to the upcoming Local Elections on May 1st. Could Reform UK sneak past Labour and the Conservatives for surprise gains?

And there’s no shortage of tax and tariff talk as the economic woes rumble on.

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: ‘If Starmer had any shame he would have resigned after Supreme Court ruling’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/22/starmer-championed-dangerous-fantasy-men-called-women/ |

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

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Co-pilot Pearson is back in her rightful place at the helm of the rocket, hurrah! She’s just in time to deliver her verdict on the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling that the terms ‘sex’ and ‘woman’ in the 2010 Equality Act referenced biological sex rather than acquired gender.

And co-pilot Halligan gives his observations as a male observer of such a female focused campaign.

Also strapping into the rocket as a passenger on this pre-Easter voyage is Chief Executive Officer of Ducati, the Italian motorbike makers, Claudio Domenicali who explains more about the impact of tariffs on his industry.

And Allison’s been on a cruise…

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/ |

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This episode was recorded before president Trump announced a pause on some tariffs.

With co-pilot Pearson taking a well earned break, Tim Stanley steps into the cockpit as a trusted controller of the rocket and there’s certainly no shortage of tariff talk to get through…

Liam thinks President Trump is acting like a ‘unipolar president’ whereas Tim Stanley thinks there is a method to Trump’s madness, but how long can the World’s economy hold on for?

Hopping onto the rocket for a return mission this week is Economist Catherine McBride who delivers some truths about what’s really going on with US trade tariffs and what it means for the rest of the world.

And there is a bulging Planet Normal mailbag to contend with…

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: ‘I heard the full story of the woman jailed for two years for a tweet. Her injustice shames Britain’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/04/lucy-connolly-southport-riots-axel-rudakubana-taylor-swift/ |

Read Tim: ‘Labour loves holding consultations and creating action groups but they largely result in cuts’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/08/labour-loves-action-groups-tangibles-government-cuts/ |

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] |

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It’s a new month with the same old madness on Planet earth, with rises in capital gains tax, council tax, energy fees and transport costs, April Fool’s is feeling all too close to home…

Is there another ‘bucket of woe’ for Chancellor Rachel Reeves and will there be more tax rises on the horizon to plug the public finances?

This week’s Planet Normal stowaway is Conservative councillor, Ray Connolly, who discusses his family’s experience after his wife, Lucy, was jailed over a tweet she briefly posted on the day three girls were killed in Stockport.

And your co-pilots weigh in on the political drama from across the Channel. Is there a new French boyfriend on the horizon for Allison?

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 ‘The White House is right: freedom of speech is under threat in Britain like never before’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/01/starmers-britain-trump-free-speech/ |

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As Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her first ‘Spring Statement’ your co-pilots are joined on the rocket by not one but TWO very special incumbents. Calculators and spreadsheets at the ready…

Co-pilot Pearson is less than impressed with what she calls the ‘nothing to do with me guv', Budget.

Stowaway economist Roger Bootle was both ‘depressed’ and 'amazed’ by the Statement but reveals an overwhelming feeling that the Labour Party aren’t actually doing anything all that bad…

And after watching the Budget co-pilot Halligan is concerned the Labour front bench is lacking in business and economic knowledge. 

Also on the podcast, Mike Calvey straps in for a very special interview to discuss his new book ‘Odyssey Moscow’ which details his harrowing ordeal as a prisoner of the Russian State.

And co-pilot Pearson has won an award…

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 more from Roger: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/r/rk-ro/roger-bootle/ |

Read Allison: ‘If Rachel Reeves were Conservative she’d have been turfed out long ago’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/25/if-reeves-were-conservative-shed-have-been-turfed-out/ |

Buy Mike’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Odyssey-Moscow-Westerners-Encounter-Russian/dp/1803997303 |

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

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As Prime Minister Keir Starmer strays further Right in his policy decisions on defence spending and benefit cuts, your co-pilots strap into the rocket once more to journey into the madness orbiting Planet Earth. Are Labour finally talking sense when it comes to reforming the welfare system?

After breaking down the figures Liam thinks the cuts from Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall won’t even touch the sides, whilst Allison reveals some shocking truths about so-called ‘benefit influencers’...

Cashing in on a return fare to the rocket is economist Julian Jessop, who gives his predictions ahead of the upcoming Spring Statement, and just how ‘nasty’ things could be…

And co-pilot Pearson isn’t short of words for the Shakespeare birthplace trust after their recent decision to ‘decolonise’ the playwright's birthplace.

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: ‘Radical welfare reform is the bitter medicine Britain needs’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/18/radical-welfare-reform-bitter-medicine-britain-needs/ |

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

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As the internal ‘punch up’ in Reform UK rumbles on, your co-pilots give their take on the latest fumblings. But whose corner are they fighting for?

Allison is unimpressed and thinks the last thing the country needs is to see one of its newest parties in a ‘willy wanging contest’.

Whilst Liam thinks the fractions could be due to possible ego inflation happening in line with the party’s expansion. 

And both co-pilots ponder if Reform can really reform itself?

Strapping in for a return voyage on the rocket is investigative journalist Charlotte Gill who explains all about her campaign to clean up ‘‘woke waste’ and why the taxpayers in this country are ‘funding their own demise’…

And Liam shares more from his recent journey… up a chimney!

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: ‘Reform’s alpha males need to shut up and get on with the job’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/11/reforms-alpha-males-need-to-shut-up-and-get-on-with-the-job/|

Read Liam: ‘Trump’s economically illiterate bravado could do very serious damage’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/03/09/trumps-economically-illiterate-bravado-could-do-damage/ |

Read Allison and Molly Kingsley: ‘Five years on, British officialdom remains blind to the Covid catastrophe’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/08/british-officialdom-remains-blind-to-the-covid-catastrophe/ |

Read more from Charlotte: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/c/cf-cj/charlotte-gill/ |

Read Charlotte’s substack: https://www.charlottecgill.co.uk/ |

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] |

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It’s geopolitics stupid.The issue at the forefront of the rocket’s orbit today as there’s certainly no shortage of global madness to contend with.

Both your co-pilots reflect on the explosive meeting between President’s, Trump and Zelenskyy. Co-pilot Pearson thinks the latter may have ran out of cards to play when embarking on potential negotiations. Whilst co-pilot Halligan is concerned Donald Trump is underestimating the economic power of the Chinese when raising tariffs.

Strapping into the cockpit this week for a return voyage on the rocket is leading epidemiologist, Professor Carl Heneghan who expresses his concerns of the economic and social implications of the ongoing covid19 inquiry.

And Allison gives her take on Meghan Markle’s latest television project…

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: ‘Starmer’s sabre rattling over Ukraine is dangerous nonsense. We’re in no state to fight a war’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/04/starmers-sabre-ukraine/ |

Read Allison: ‘I hate to think what the late Queen would have made of ‘With Love, Meghan’:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2025/03/05/meghans-netflix-show-late-queen/ |

Read Carl’s substack: https://trusttheevidence.substack.com/ |

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.