Trump's presidency reaches the 'Is he dead?' stage, Angela Rayner is pilloried yet again for not breaking the law, and a big tub of sand helps Finland stay warm.

It's an unusually generous helping of madness in this week's Sunday School, and who better than Naomi Smith and Kenny Campbell to skip in wonder through the minefield of headlines and 'he said' lines.

With bonus appearances from the Green Party leadership race and the Home Office workload, because we do serious here as well.

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CALLS TO ACTION:

Email the Home Office to help HOPE not hate stop Great Yarmouth's Neo-Nazi music festival

Check out Quiet Riot fan Emma Monk's excellent fact-checking Substack, Monk Debunks, here

How Atlantic currents are signalling an even bigger climate catastrophe

Finland's super-sandy battery breakthrough

Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global.

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The Labour government is talking about Europe, attacking the opposition, and putting forward some positive ideas. Could the new school year be better for them?

Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and special guest, Labour MP Andrew Lewin discuss the mechanics of a closer relationship to the EU, the half-baked proposal to leave the ECHR, political strategy on whether to attack or ignore Reform - and Andrew's very exciting proposal for a Citizens Advance, to give young people, with no access to parental wealth, a leg-up, when they actually need it.

Plus regular features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'.

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“The technocratic approach is sensible, in normal times, but these aren’t normal times… and I think people, both here and in Brussels, need to realise that there are no longer guarantees on what comes next, here or in member states - everyone is butting up against the rise of the far right. They need to act quickly and lock in as much sensible change as possible.”

“Most people’s position on Europe is practical. Farage is in a minority, because he is ideological about it, as is Badenoch. Both came to Parliament the week of the UK-EU summit and said they would rip the agreement - before they had seen it. Which is an extraordinary position for the leader - and wannabe leader - of the opposition and out of line with mainstream thinking. So, I do think there is an opportunity for us to be braver.”

“The reason reopening the whole question of EU membership would be impossible to reopen in this parliament is that it would dominate everything else. And we were elected to fix a lot of things - public services, cost of living, that would be drowned out. Also, the EU27 are not ready, in my view, to talk about rejoin. So, my view as a backbench MP and a pro-European is that this parliament is the time to build bridges.”

“We often debate inheritance tax and it is an unpopular tax. I wanted to approach it from a different perspective. This is about giving individuals agency, over something that is going to be their money anyway. That’s why it’s called a Citizens Advance. It’s an advance on your pension, at a time it can do the most good.”

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CALLS TO ACTION:

Plant a tree for Europe and help Best for Britain here.

Buy Eliza Philby's "Inheritocracy" here.

Find out more about Citizens Advance (the Lewin Loan) here.

GRIN AND SHARE IT:

Read about extraordinary TIME Girl of The Year, Rebecca Young, here.

Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global.

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Social media firestorms agogo in this week's scorching Sunday School.

Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell take a sideways look at how socials are starting to go wrong for Trump, thanks partly to Gavin Newsom and Jeffrey Epstein, plus the fallout from the release of UK Twitter criminal Lucy Connolly.

And, yes, all the latest madness from the court of King Trump (or as much as we can fit in) and, by way of light relief, an actual discussion about art. Yes, art.

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“I am fully prepared for the number of wars Trump has resolved to go up again next week, in order to include the great Empire-Ewok Accord, the Armistice with the Cylons, and finally sorting out the Gondor/Mordor situation. Perhaps that's why Trump is patchy. He's midway through his transformation from Gandalf the Dusty Rose to Gandalf the Ecru.”

“The White House launched its TikTok account this week, put out a couple of posts, but they didn't turn off comments. There is a lot of MAGA presence on TikTok. But the responses under these two posts were off the scale hating on Trump’s links to Epstein. Hundreds and hundreds of them - to the point where [Billy McLaughlin] the digital media boss had to resign.”

“Lucy Connolly fits a particular box when it comes to developing the “two-tier” narrative from a media perspective. And she came out of prison and straight into a summer of particularly relevant media headlines… There's a redemption arc playing out here. She is being weaponised by the media, in order to become a standard bearer for why it is ok to break the law.”

“The tabloids tell us that Connolly is lovely and ordinary, runs a day care and is a great Mum, has suffered past tragedy and took her dog for a walk after posting what she posted. All of that may be true. But she wasn’t punished for any of that. She was punished for telling people it was okay to set fire to a building with human beings sleeping in it, because their life has little value. That she did that between having a cuppa and shampooing the dog, makes it more chilling, not less.”

“Connolly decided that this country somehow belongs to her and she decides who gets set on fire and who doesn’t. And she communicated that wish, knowingly, to people who were out there looking for precisely such a rationale for their pre-existing grievances and violent tendencies. That is the bit that is not okay. The rest is window dressing.”

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Brought to you by Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global.

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After Monday's European course-correction to Trump’s wobble, the situation is moving. The question is: in which direction?

Plus regular features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'.

Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and special guest, More In Common boss Luke Tryl discuss the big stories.

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“It really aggravates me when I hear news programmes repeat ‘Russia is winning this war’. When you look at territorial gains, you’re looking at one per-cent of Ukraine’s land mass, at the cost of almost a million Russian lives. That’s not ‘winning the war’.”

“In terms of strategic objectives outside Ukraine, Putin has ended up uniting Europe, hardening its resolve, boosting its defence spending to double what it was, uncoupling Europe from his energy infrastructure, and with Sweden and Finland as members of NATO. Some pretty catastrophic misjudgment must have gone into his initial decision to invade.”

“What the US [security] guarantee does is, it makes it easier for European leaders to convince their publics of their piece of it, which is continuing support and even boots on the ground, potentially. Having a US assurance makes that easier to sell to their voters.” 

“If nothing changes, I do not think it is inconceivable that the Tories end up in the high teens at the next election. There is some complacence in the centre-right that of course Farage will flake out, of course he always falls out with everyone, and they’ll come back to us.”

“The group that has had the biggest swing to Reform since the election are Gen-X women. They’re often the most unhappy with the state of Britain. Lots of them face double care crises - they’ve got kids still at home who can’t move out and looking after ailing parents. But they are also inherently more cautious.”

“There is a group of Conservatives, who have always wanted to be Reform and who obsess that the only way forward is to ‘unite the family’. And I find it hard to think of an example where a party competing with another party has been so reluctant to take them on directly.”

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CALLS TO ACTION:

Please help Smart Medical Aid for Ukraine here.

GRIN AND SHARE IT:

Read about the Gallop global poll here.

Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global.

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And so Volodymyr Zelensky returned to the White House, but this time with a phalanx of European leaders to support him – and, perhaps, to make sure the orange toddler didn't get upset.

For his part, Trump played nice, despite talking with Putin mid-way through proceedings – oh to have a transcript of THAT call...

In this Midnight Mass special, recorded while European leaders were still at the White House, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell look at what was said, by whom, and what it might all mean.

Are there grounds for optimism? What, if anything, has changed? And who gets the Nobel Peace Prize..?

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“It was like the world's most elite babysitting team had assembled. As if Thanos had a stroke and the Avengers have to gather around him, as carers, to make sure he doesn't click his fingers. And they may have to do it again tomorrow, and every week for three years, but it's still worth doing.”

“I detected a real insecurity in Trump. He kept going on about how unfair the media is being on him. It tells me that he read the coverage of the Alaska meeting and it did sting him… It's a mistake to see Trump as somehow untouchable. He cares about popularity and craves approval. That is his pressure point.”

“Trump has shifted on the notion of America being somehow involved in the security guarantees given to Ukraine. Unreliable as he is, articulating that publicly for the first time is, I think, a major moment.”

Help Ukraine by supporting ⁠⁠the Smart Medical Aid charity here⁠⁠.

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Brought to you by Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell. A Cooler Heads production, in cahoots with Sandstone Global.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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The Iceman cometh to Alaska, the Iceman getteth his photo opp and then the Iceman poppeth off again, leaving the Donald in a pool of tepid ignominy.

Alex Andreou is joined by our regular foreign policy guru, Arthur Snell, to consider whether this was a bit of a disater for Trump, a bit of a let-off for Ukraine ahead of Zelensky's hastily-announced trip to Washington, or a bit of both.

And they look at the latest from Gaza, another war Trump said he was going to end that has only got worse, as well as the increasing humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

“Trump went out on a limb before the summit to say what he wanted out of it: a ceasefire. This gives a very clear yardstick by which to measure the result, which was - well - not a ceasefire.”

“The fancy lunch that was planned was shelved. So, clearly, behind closed doors, things must have gone quite badly, whatever Trump now claims… Even if you're a supporter of Trump, the last person you would trust on what happened in a meeting behind closed doors, would be Donald Trump.”

“Trump may not have ended the two wars he promised, but he has apparently ended up to six additional wars, some of them nuclear. Although you wouldn’t know them. They go to a different school.”

“The Russians overplayed their hand, with their disrespectful, mocking approach. We know from, for example, Fiona Hill, who was Trump's Russia advisor in the first presidency, a Russia expert of considerable renown, that in meetings in Russian Putin is sarcastic and makes fun of Trump.”

“What is it that Trump wants? This thing about the Nobel Peace Prize, again I thought was a bit of a joke, or that he wanted it just because Obama had had it. But apparently he's obsessed with this idea. He’s been ringing up Norwegian politicians to tell them that he deserves it.”

“Russia underestimated Europe. Now, it had every reason to given the history. But Finland and Sweden in NATO, a huge advance in defence spending, and also Ukraine becoming itself a significant manufacturer of weapons - all of it points to a lack of tactical or strategic insight on Putin's side.”

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CALL TO ACTION

Help Ukraine by supporting ⁠the Smart Medical Aid charity here⁠.

⁠Medecins Sans Frontier⁠ is still operating in Gaza.

Catch Arthur's latest ⁠Behind The Lines⁠ episode.

Arthur's substack Not All Doom is here.

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With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell. A Cooler Heads production, in cahoots with Sandstone Global.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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In trade, as in immigration, and every policy area, we have forgotten how to compromise. We demand the truth, but have a temper tantrum, when we get it.

Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and special guest, trade expert David Henig, discuss Reform's latest attempt to foment violence, by endorsing vigilantism, and the total absence of honest conversations on immigration and trade.

Plus regular features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'.

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“This rhetoric of ‘protecting women’, is actually all about the subjugation of women. Specifically who gets to subjugate us. It's just misogyny dressed up as heroism.”

“There’s this fallacy about a fixed number of jobs, meaning immigrants are taking ‘our’ jobs, therefore we have fewer opportunities. It’s simply not true. Immigrants are often highly motivated and create jobs. What you want is to create an overall dynamic economy. And with these false narratives, we risk talking ourselves into economic decline.”

“Having failed - so far - to fan the Epping protest into spreading, Reform UK seems to be trying an alternative theory of arson: creating the potential for many small fires. After a month of bleating about ‘LAWLESS BRITAIN’, their solution is more lawlessness. But this is good lawlessness, you understand, because it is their lawlessness.”

“The path forward for the EU needs to be one of more openness to trade - not following the US down the path of protectionism. The EU economy has been strengthened by trade. It should deepen its relationship with the UK and others, like Canada, creating a different vision of the world to Trump - one that looks more successful.”

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CALLS TO ACTION:

Donate a little money or a little time to Citizens Advice here.

Find resources for writing to you local paper about youth mobility HERE.

GRIN AND SHARE IT:

Read about the intrepid tortoise, Matilda, and her daring escape here.

Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global.

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Just smile and make nice until he VPees off; Our water is mostly poop now; A big fuss about a little pasta.

Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou achew over the weeks latest news, in their signature, Sunday way.

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CALLS TO ACTION:

Here is Best for Britain's Report on Water Quality. Read it, share it, send it to your MP.

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Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global.

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MAGA begins to turn on Trump.

Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and special guest Brian Klaas discuss the reasons for the Find Out stage coming so soon in this second FAFO Trump term.

And - why is Nigel Farage afraid "to walk of an evening wearing jewelry"?

Plus regular features 'Wokey Dokey' and 'Grin And Share It'.

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“The best way to think about Republicans in Congress is as a full-time propaganda outlet for Donald Trump. What they are mostly doing in hearings is creating smoke screens for Trump. The pretence of trying to legislate has been largely abandoned. They’ve ceded control of process to the President and just create content for Fox News or social media.”

“A huge number of donors use Trump as a vehicle to enrich themselves and they really don’t care about - or even celebrate - some of his more egregious moral stances or his authoritarianism. All that stuff is fine with them, as long as the gravy train for the elite continues to chug along.” 

“The one thing Trump cannot fully distort is whether people out there, near the end of the month, go to the supermarket and can afford their food bill on their remaining salary. That is something they will experience objectively, whatever he does with the data.”

“This looks like Trump trying to land a photo-finish foreign policy win in Moscow, while still angling for a handshake moment with Putin. If the plan is to send a property developer to make peace with a dictator, we should lower our expectations.”

“[The Sidney Sweeney ad] is the corporate equivalent of a dog-whistle: provide the match, let others light the fire, bask in the heat of the coverage. Visually signalling a certain world view, without putting it into words - create the ambiguity, avoid accountability, and monetise the polarisation.”

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CALLS TO ACTION:

Here is Brian's superb blog on slowing down.

If you're a US citizen, you can support Fair Fight.

If you're not a US citizen, you can support Oxfam America or C-Span.

GRIN AND SHARE IT:

Read about Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest.

Watch a demolition of the Discovery Institute.

Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global.

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Uh-oh, the US economy appears to be entering the 'find out' stage of team Trump's eff-around experiment.

As employment figures, market confidence and senior statisticians all take a beating from agent Orange , Naomi Smith and Kenny Campbell survey the wreckage – and pay special attention to how AI is acting both as a destroyer of jobs and a huge economic stimulus.

Closer to home, they look at Labour's new plan to get more working class people into the civil service – lefty social engineering or the beginning of a much-needed reset?

And there's some new polling from our buddies at More In Common, who have been asking people when they think the wheels fell off Britain.

Yes Minister clip courtesy of BBC

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Our bookshop, including many of the books we have featured, can be found at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠uk.bookshop.org/shop/quietriot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

You can find our sister podcast Podyssey ⁠here on Apple Podcasts⁠ and ⁠here on Spotify⁠ - or just search for "Alex Andreou's Podyssey" on any platform.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global.

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