Sunak is still adamant his Rwanda plan will ‘stop the boats’. Will it? We unpack the latest in Tory failure and cruelty. Plus, the local elections are just around the corner and some Tory councillors are literally begging Sunak to stay clear of their constituencies. What should we be looking out for come May 2nd? Then in the Extra Bit for backers, are we heading for a future where all our politicians are weird and wealthy, as Tony Blair puts it? Or are we already there?

• “It will cost more to send a person to Rwanda than it would to send them to space – that was read out in Parliament.” – Hugo Rifkind

• “People think Rwanda is the Tories’ worst plan…it’s not.” – Hugo Rifkind

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Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Yasmeen Serhan, Ros Taylor and Hugo Rifkind. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by: Robin Leeburn. Video production by: Kieron Leslie. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis.. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Rishi Sunak has found a new target to pick on – the sick. He claims Britain needs to get rid of its ‘sick note culture’ and he wants work and health professionals to issue the fit notes instead of GPs – what could possibly go wrong? And Starmer might be popular now, but if he’s elected as PM his popularity will likely dwindle and fast. How will he and his party handle that? 

• “There is a lazy ignorance here born out of not hanging out of hanging out with anyone who has used the benefits system.” – Rafael Behr

• “You can’t just shout people into feeling better.” – Jonn Elledge

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Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Hannah Fearn, Rafael Behr and Jonn Elledge. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by: Robin Leeburn. Video production by: Kieron Leslie. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis.. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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• Join us for OGWN: It’s Grim Up North London live in Islington on Mon 20 May. Tickets onsale now.

Liz Truss’ new book 10 Years To Save the West certainly isn’t a boring read but neither is it a good one. Actor and impressionist Jan Ravens joins the panel to pick through how Truss thought her 45 days of office went compared to reality and all her other ludicrous claims in between. Plus: Sunak’s cigs ban. Is it fair to create two tiers of adult, one blissfully smoke-free and one battering the gaspers? And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, we look into the politics of Alex Garland’s ‘Civil War’.

• “Liz Truss is a cross between a haunted doll and a little girl whose dad has told her that she’s funny, and is always looking around for applause.” – Jan Ravens

• “She says ‘Now is no time for finger-pointing.’ Cue three hundred pages of finger-pointing.” – Dorian Lynskey

• “It’ll either be an early election with Sunak at the helm… Or a late one, and Sunak won’t be leader.” – Alex Andreou

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Presented by Dorian Lynskey, with Alex Andreou, Zoe Grunewald and guest Jan Ravens. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by: Robin Leeburn. Video production by Keiron Leslie. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis.. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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The Middle East is on the verge of all-out war after Iran fired missiles and drones into Israel. Where does Britain stand on this latest escalation – and would we be ready if things get worse? Labour has outlined its hopes to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP – but is that enough? CEO of Chatham House and host of the Independent Thinking podcast Bronwen Maddox talks to Ros Taylor. And it’s a But Your Emails special! Are there any good right-wing podcasts? And what would you replace the monarchy with? The panel gets to as many of our listeners' questions as possible.

• “This current situation does play into Netanyahu's hands.” – Seth Thévoz

• “If you were advising Netanyahu, you might want to point out that sympathy and patience is really wearing thin.” – Rachel Cunliffe

• “Lots of Labour leaders, with the exception of Corbyn, feel like they have to look tough.” – Matt Green

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Presented by Ros Taylor, with Matt Green, Seth Thévoz and Rachel Cunliffe. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by: Robin Leeburn. Video production by Kieron Leslie. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis.. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Reform UK’s candidates have proven to be controversial, to say the least. But, unfortunately, the party seems to be doing ok in the polls. What does Tice’s group actually stand for and what are Reform’s policies? And in the second part, why are we so obsessed with the end of the world? Dorian Lynskey’s new book Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell about the End of the World explores that very idea – and the panel quizzes him over his latest work. And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, Netflix’s Scoop gives an account of how BBC Newsnight secured that infamous Prince Andrew interview. The panel reveals all about their biggest interviews, how they got them, and how they went.

• “I just think there’s no end to how weird people’s political opinions are.” – Dorian Lynskey

• “Reform voters are so angry with Rishi Sunak… they probably wouldn’t even vote if there was no Reform Party.” – Ros Taylor

• “Some people would really like the world to be destroyed, they would just like it to be over.” – Dorian Lynskey

Buy Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell about the End of the World through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund Oh God, What Now? by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow 

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Presented by Dorian Lynskey, Ros Taylor, Zoë Grünewald and Hugo Rifkind. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Video production by Keiron Leslie. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Britain is the second most powerful country in the world… according to Sunak’s latest desperate brag anyway. You probably saw the weird collage the Tories posted on Twitter — but is there any truth to the party's claims? Or is this just another bizarre fantasy? Plus, Brexit is about to rear its ugly head even higher with new food import charges. What are they and why could they damage consumers and small businesses alike?

• “A chair would be a much more impressive communicator than Sunak.” – Matt Green

• “Every aspect of it either made no sense or was dodgy in some way.” – Matt Green

We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow 

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Presented by Alex Andreou with Hannah Fearn and Matt Green. Producer: Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Video production by Keiron Leslie. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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What have fourteen years of Conservative rule done to Britain?, asks Sam Knight in that mega-piece by the New Yorker’s baffled readers. You might well ask, say our panel, who discuss what the world thinks of Britain’s weird experiment on itself. Plus, our special guest the political economist Will Hutton is here to talk about Labour’s options on the economy and his new book This Time No Mistakes: How to Remake Britain. And in the Extra Bit: Which books shaped our panelists’ politics?

• “It felt as though the Tories were treating the country as a giant experiment… May and Sunak’s roles were simply to try and clean up.” – Ros Taylor

• “The Tory logic is ‘Whatever we’re doing, at least WE’re in power and THEY’re not’… It’s a very efficient way to hold your party together.” – Rachel Cunliffe

Buy This Time No Mistakes: How to Remake Britain through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

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Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Rachel Cunliffe. Produced by Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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The Royal Family are experiencing their worst year in decades. Is it time we wound down the Monarchy not just for our sake but for their sake too? Or are things best left the way they are? Plus, Boomers (not all of them we’ll add) are “used to having everything its own way”, says the Economist, but times are changing. Has the time of the Millennials finally come?

• “The Monarchy doesn’t provide a service like the BBC or the NHS but I think it’s rational, because it’s been there for such a long time, for people to not want to get rid of it.” – Rafael Behr

• “Even if you just look at the makeup of Congress there really aren’t a lot of millennials present.” – Yasmeen Serhan

• “Gen X really are the absolute waster generation.” – Rafael Behr

We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow 

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Presented by Andrew Harrison, with Yasmeen Serhan and Rafael Behr. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Video production by Keiron Leslie. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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While you wait for the next episode of Oh God, What Now? Why don't you give our sister podcast PAPER CUTS a try?

PAPER CUTS is the modern press review. We're out Monday to Friday, Miranda Sawyer and guests look at what’s behind the biggest stories, and bring you the weirdest headlines, the biggest scoops and the most astonishing manifestations of mass newspaper neurosis. Guests include Marcus Brigstocke, Rosie Holt, Jon Ellege, Scottee, Jason Hazeley, Daniel Foxx and the BAFTA nominated Gráinne Maguire.

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PAPER CUTS. We read the papers so you don't have to.

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What on earth were they thinking? The Conservative Party’s weird, dystopian, GOP-style attack ad on Sadiq Khan shows just how much the party has lost its mind. The panel unpack what was wrong with it and why the Tories might have thought this was a good idea at all. And Jeremy Hunt says £100k a year “doesn’t go far” – is he right? Or is he just massively out of touch? Plus, in the extra bit for subscribers what could replace the Labour Party’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ ring-walk tune for the 2024 election?

• “They do a really bad video, they get roundly mocked… and the next day they do something worse?” – Ros Taylor

• “The Conservatives are going to have to improve 12 points just to do as ‘well’ as 1997… They are looking at a generational defeat.”– Jonn Elledge

• “People are now locked into jobs and house shares they don’t like because they feel too financially insecure to start again.” – Zoë Grünewald

We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow 

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Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Zoë Grünewald, Ros Taylor and Jonn Elledge. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Drum’n’Bass insert by Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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Is The Sun newspaper starting to pivot towards supporting Keir Starmer? Will any of the rest of the Tory press follow suit? And does political endorsement from a newspaper even matter any more? Plus, double outrage as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves acknowledges that Margaret Thatcher was, you know, quite a big deal. Was she right to do so and why can't we stay level-headed around the Iron Lady?

• “I think there’s an acknowledgment from the papers that you can’t ignore Labour anymore.” – Rachel Cunliffe

• “Any papers who don’t want to back Labour just won’t back ANYONE…” – Hugo Rifkind

• “The Thatcher of now might be hosting a TV show on GB News, who knows?” – Hugo Rifkind

We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow 

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Alex Andreou with Rachel Cunliffe and Hugo Rifkind. Producer: Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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