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Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou talk through the week's stories, including the government's climbdown on welfare reform and the launch of its trade and industrial policies.

Finally, three weeks ago every other news story was about the "riots" in California. What happened?

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

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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Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou, with special guest, Green Party MP (and co-leadership candidate) Ellie Chowns, discuss the Labour rebellion against welfare cuts and the future of the Green Party as a new home for those looking outside the establishment.

And an update on the Iran ceasefire and the NATO Summit/Trump crèche, with security expert Arthur Snell.

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

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CALL TO ACTION

Help MamaSuze here, in honour of Annabel Rook.

Find out about Ellie and Adrian's leadership campaign here.

GRIN AND SHARE IT

Read about that extraordinary Alan Turing Attic Haul 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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And so it came to pass that the US, in lockstep with Israel, bombed Iran, probably while you were sleeping.

For this week's Sunday School, we knew it would be tough to keep up with developments in the Middle East and so we called in our tame geopolitics expert Arthur Snell, he of the wonderful Behind The Lines podcast, for a look at where things stood on the eve of Trump's decision to send in the B-2s.

Who knew what and when? What’s it mean for Britain? Should we cancel holidays in Cyprus?

And ... are we careering towards regime change here?

Closer to home, your presenters Naomi Smith and Kenny Campbell also look at the latest data on what Brits REALLY think about getting cozier with the EU, and don their mortar boards to examine a couple of big stories that have shaken the university sector this week.

"That’s the thing you've got to remember about populists… as soon as the thing that they think is popular no longer is, then they move on to the next thing"

Show notes

That YouGov poll on Brits and the EU

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

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

***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***

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

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With just over a year to go until the 2026 Senedd elections, Welsh politics is anything but quiet. Reform UK is making noise, Plaid is recalibrating, and Labour is battling to stay visible - all as new EU-UK agreements raise questions about the future of flagship Welsh initiatives like the Taith scheme. Award-winning journalist Will Hayward joins Naomi Smith for a deep dive into the political forces shaping the next chapter of Welsh democracy. From Wrexham terraces to Cardiff Bay, it's all in flux and it all matters, and not just for Wales.

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LINKS:

Find Will Hayward's ⁠substack here⁠, his ⁠podcast here⁠, and his ⁠YouTube channel here⁠.

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

***SPONSOR US AT ⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠***

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

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

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Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou, with special guest, economist Vicky Pryce take a detailed look at the Spending Review. Does the ambition match the maths?

And in Part II, we ask whether, before we have another inquiry, we need to question whether this slow, expensive model achieves change or actually impedes it.

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

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“Infrastructure matters hugely. If you want to be competitive and have an economy with high productivity you have to put the infrastructure in place.” 

“What this new government really should have done is immediately reversed the National Insurance contribution cut that Jeremy Hunt gave just before the election. That twenty billion accounts for most of the black hole they found when they came into power.”

“Public inquiries have become a tool for governments to put distance between themselves and the problem. Instead of being an instrument for change, they are a way to take energy out of a push for change.”

“Often, the very people screaming about rape gangs are the same people saying, we shouldn't have age-appropriate sex education, the very people denying children agency over their own bodies, denying them education to give them the language to be able to talk to someone who can help.”

“It seems utterly bizarre to end up in a situation where the Prime Minister says: ‘Well, I read the report and it convinced me," and everyone's reaction is: ‘What? This is outrageous!’”

CALLS TO ACTION

Buy Vicky's books - and support a local bookshop - at our online bookstore.

Read about the work of Campaign for The Arts here.

Find out more about the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) here.

GRIN AND SHARE IT

Discover more about nano-needle technology!

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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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Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou talk through the week's stories, including Israel's escalation towards Iran and where that leaves an already inflamed region. Plus, the Ahmedabad plane crash and the toxicity added to the trauma by social media.

Finally, some personal reflections about the riots in Ballymena.

CALL TO ACTION

Support the charity Migrant Centre NI.

http://migrantcentreni.org/

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"Netanyahu, Khamenei, Erdogan, Putin, Trump - they are on the same wavelength. A bunch of angry men whose only obssession is holding on to power . They may not agree on many things, they may not agree on anything, but - by God - they understand each other."

"Putin playing peacemaker is like a pyromaniac volunteering for the fire brigade. He's spent the last three years trying to turn Ukraine into a giant car park and is now trying to position himself as a voice of reason in the Middle East. But who knows? Maybe he will be useful for once in his god damn life."

“Social Media is a negative space. You don't exist unless you say something vaguely original or controversial. And controversial is easier. The majority of people lack the capacity to articulate something original. That leaves only one avenue to being noticed - to existing ."

"What happened in Ballymena wasn’t panic or collective outrage. It was a crowd eager to act out. The girl at the centre of it was not mentioned once. Not her name. Not a sign. Not a chant. She was not the reason. She was the excuse."

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

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

***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou, with special guest, Liberal Democrat MP James McCleary, analyse the political landscape, the recent election results, what next for the LibDems, the rise of Reform UK, and react to the Spending Review.

And in Part II, we look at the absolute madness in California and ask whether it is retrievable or whether America is heading for full-fat authoritarianism.

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

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“It’s one thing if you lose lots of councillors and they’re sitting there, demotivated, waiting for a new leader to reactivate them. The existential threat is that Conservatives are losing them to another party. Reform UK are hoovering up disillusioned Tories. When that starts to happen it’s very difficult to build back, because people who want to get involved in local politics are rare.” 

“We have to get better at doing the quid-pro-quo of providing infrastructure - roads, schools, GPs - together with building houses. We’re just saying to people: take the houses and magically this other stuff will appear. And it’s not appearing.”

CALL TO ACTION

Here is Jazz Turner's mission to sail around Britain and her fundraising page - as promoted by James.

Here are some California and Los Angeles migrant charities you can support:

California Immigrant Policy Centre

https://caimmigrant.org/

Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project

https://www.esperanza-la.org/

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)

https://www.chirla.org/who-we-are/about-us/mission-history/

GRIN AND SHARE IT

Learn all about diamond battery technology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgGVt4sUnnw&t=1s

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

***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou, and Kenny Campbell talk through the week's political stories, covering the nuclear fallout from the war of words between the world's most powerful narcissist and the world's richest sociopath.

Also, does Zia Yusuf's flounce out - and flounce back in - point to dysfunction inside Reform UK?

Plus, we have the closest this podcast has even come to a row, over the result of the Scottish by-election in Hamilton.

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“Trump is now a Tesla owner who hates Musk. Surely this will make him more popular than ever.”

"If there is substance behind Musk's accusations, Team Trump are going to go into full panic lockdown. And if not, Musk's just gifted him the 'look at the unhinged billionaire trying to smear me' defense."

"We're seeing this from an Anglocentric perspective. There is nothing to stop Musk from taking his technology and his business in a direction that brings him closer to the Middle East, let's say. There are plenty of other places. Who knows what China's view on this is, for example."

"A lot of the MAGA crowd, the big influencers, the YouTubers, the podcasters, the blue ticks, are monetizing X. So a lot of them depend on it for reach and actual income. Musk is in quite a powerful position when it comes to them."

"The Authoritarian Right is populated by people who think the harshest possible rules should apply - to everyone else."

"The problem for Labour is that they are losing seven times more votes to the left than they are to the right. With such very small margins, in other parts of the country that could really tip them down into danger territory."

"Labour dodged a bullet. And in that part of Scotland in particular, once upon a time, not too long ago, if Farage and Tice walked into a pub and started spouting, you'd have to say that they'd exit through the window."

“Can you stop saying 'Boris Johnson' please? It might be like Candyman. Like, if you say his name on a podcast three times, he appears as a guest."

"This fragmentation in a first-past-the-post system is difficult for Labour. And it is for that reason that I think they should definitely back PR - and they're not going to. But they will be extremely concerned about pursuing an 'if you don't like Farage, you have to vote for us' strategy. That's clearly not where voters are."

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

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

***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex Andreou and Zoe Williams, with special guest, former Home Secretary and author of a new Harold Wilson biography, Alan Johnson, discuss the Strategic Defence Review, the upcoming departmental budgets, whether Starmer's government has a choice, but to spend that money and a choice on where to find it.

Also, taking over a stagnant economy after more than a decade of Tory cuts, a poor start in government, trying to balance a tight fiscal position with demands on public services, pressure from a US President, and facing accusations of being unprincipled. Yet Wilson survived and went on to win election after election. What can his story teach the Starmer government?

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

You can buy Alan's biography of Wilson at our own bookshop. Help a local shop and this podcast.

https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/the-quiet-riot-contributor-bookshop

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“The media’s orientation towards the Labour government is that nothing it can possibly do will be enough and anything it suggests will be too expensive.” 

“On defence, you can’t take chances. You can’t say: oh well, we’ll gamble that when Trump goes it will go back to normal. You have to say: this has happened, we’ve got to react to it.”

"The two Labour Party groups to keep together are not Left and Right, but intellectual progressives and blue collar trade unionists. Both groups contain people from the Left and Right."

CALL TO ACTION

Fill in the government survey on benefits reform here.

GRIN AND SHARE IT

Read about men feeding cubs, dressed as bears here.

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

***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell talk through the week's political news, with a focus on the end of Musk's chemical romance with the White House, Trump's well-earned "TACO" moniker, and Harvard's resistance.

Also, we look back at the RBS bail-out and how it continues to be felt in our politics today.

PLUS - Watch out. Robert Jenrick's about. Why has our politics become so small, meand, and petty?

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“The big difference between Trump’s first term and this one is that everyone around him seems resigned to the idea that they can’t make policy, consult, or shape his thinking ahead of time. The whole outfit has swung into hearing his latest brain-fart, same time as we do, then double down and pretend that it is the best plan ever.”

“Jenrick is not a vigilante. He’s not an action man. His defining quality is flaccidity. His reputation is that of a petty, mean, small man, who paints over kids’ murals. So, while the stunt might have worked for someone else, for Jenrick it simply cements his reputation as a petty, mean, small man.”

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

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

***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices