Planet Normal

• Labour’s asylum seeker 'Carry On'

  Our co-pilots, energised from their trip down to earth for the live show at the Battle of Ideas festival last week, are back on the Rocket to try and make sense of a week of madness!They address the growing discontent following a string of high-profile incidents involving illegal migrants, most recently in Uxbridge.The discussion turns into a blistering attack on the Home Office and the entire Civil Service, who the co-pilots argue, are actively stifling political reform and preventing any government—regardless of party—from delivering functioning public services or stopping the boats.Strapping into the rocket this week is Conservative MP Helen Whately, who joins to discuss the urgent need for benefits system reform to encourage young people into work and end their reliance on state support.Meanwhile Allison addresses the historic collapse of Labour in its heartlands in the Caerphilly by-election last week, signalling what could be a death knell for Labour in Wales.Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorRead Allison ‘The soaring cost of mince signals we’re in for a difficult winter’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/29/rising-food-prices-difficult-winter/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ | Read Liam: ‘Britain’s national accounts now resemble a Ponzi scheme’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/l/lf-lj/liam-halligan/ |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.

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• Planet Normal: Live Special at the Battle of Ideas 2025

  This episode was recorded live at the Battle of Ideas Festival in London on 19th October 2025In this very special episode of Planet Normal, the rocket beams in live from the Battle of Ideas Festival featuring not one, but two very special stowaways..Labour Life Peer, Lord Maurice Glasman, founder of the Blue Labour movement, shares his thoughts on the state of the Labour Party and slams the progressive policies which he argues is destroying its traditional party roots.Inspirational sailor and author Tracy Edwards CBE, famous for skippering the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989, explains what true leadership and resilience looks like in the face of overwhelming odds and institutional sexism. Plus Tracy gives some shocking revelations about the criticism she faced in standing up for women's rights when the story of her voyage was adapted by the arts industry.And your co-pilots weigh in on the government’s nonsensical energy policy which is causing so many in the country pain through the soaring cost of living. Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorRead Allison ‘The Met’s U-turn on ‘hate crimes’ is welcome, but our police are still in thrall to Leftist forces’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/21/noncrime-hate-incidents-metropolitan-police-left-wing/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ | Read Liam ‘China’s influence is vast. It has taken over ‘Russia’s backyard’’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/10/19/chinas-influence-is-vast-it-has-taken-over-russias-backyard/ |Read Oliver Brown’s interview with Tracy Edwards:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sailing/2025/08/24/tracy-edwards-trans-activists-fights-back/ |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.

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• Trump’s peace plan and the China spy row unfurling in Westminster

  With co-pilot Halligan off the train and back in the rocket the team has returned to wade through the madness.As Donald Trump declares “peace in the Middle East” Liam and Allison take their hats off to him as they credit his deal that led to the release of all the remaining hostages, as co-pilot Pearson reflects on the stark reality of Hamas's true face and Starmer’s attempts to claim credit were slapped down by Trump with disdain.Back home, the UK political landscape is rocked by astonishing polls, including one showing a massive Reform UK majority! They also dismantle Rachel Reeves' "delusional" economic claims and expose the moral decay at the top of government, from the immigration crisis to the collapsed Chinese spy trial.Stowing away this week is author and broadcaster Iain Dale to celebrate 100 years since the ‘Iron Lady’ was born. He tells Liam about his latest book in the Prime Minister Series on Margaret Thatcher and why the younger generation barely know of her.See Planet Normal Live: https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/ |Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorRead more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Read Liam ‘Badenoch’s Tories are standing up for fiscal reality – and rightly so’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/10/12/badenochs-tories-standing-fiscal-reality-and-rightly-so/ |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.

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• October 7th freed Hamas hostage Eli Sharabi speaks to Allison

  In a special episode of Planet Normal co-pilot Pearson brings you a long interview with Eli Sharabi, who after the 7th of October spent 491 days as a captive of Hamas under the tunnels of Gaza.Eli has recently told his story, in his own words, in his book, Hostage. The book tells the harrowing and deeply moving story of his period of captivity, a scarcely credible tale of man's inhumanity to man.An awful added chapter of his story is that on his release in February this year he learned that both his daughters and his wife had been murdered on October 7th after he was taken hostage. It feels an appropriate interview to share on the week we marked two years on from the appalling terror events, and also in the wake of the tragic events of the Manchester synagogue attack. Watch the full interview: https://youtu.be/zDZ8PH8UIkE |See Planet Normal Live: https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/ |Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorRead Allison ‘Two years on from Oct 7, Labour would rather appease its Muslim voters than root out anti-Semitism’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/07/two-years-on-labour-would-rather-appease-muslim-voters/ |Read Allison: ‘‘Break my ribs again, just give me food’: Hamas hostage on his desperate plea to captors’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/03/eli-sharabi-hamas-hostage-interview/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Read Liam ‘Rachel Reeves can’t hide behind Trump as she raises taxes again’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/10/05/rachel-reeves-cant-hide-behind-trump-as-she-raises-taxes-ag/ |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.

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• The courageous ‘Pink Ladies' and Starmer’s toxic speech

  As Labour Conference draws to a close and Prime Minister Keir Starmer launches an attack on Nigel Farage, your co-pilots are here to make sense of the madness.Allison brings you a special report from the “Pink Ladies” demonstration outside Downing Street and speaks to women who have raised concerns about migrant hotels and lack of accountability for women’s safety, and catches Conservative London Assembly member Susan Hall ahead of her speech at the event.Meanwhile Liam keeps you on track with the economy whilst reporting from a plush train in Uzbekistan!Both agree the Labour conference has been a confusing affair, claiming Nigel Farage ‘hates Britain’, when he has worked as a politician for the UK for decades…See Planet Normal Live: https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/ |Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorWatch Allison chat with the Pink Ladies: https://youtu.be/cQRPz1EnhCkRead Allison ‘Everything you wanted to know about digital ID but were afraid to ask’’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/01/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-digital-id/ |Read Allison: ‘Toxic Starmer’s dirty tactics won’t fool the people of Britain’https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/30/starmers-racism-slurs-are-final-nail-in-labours-coffin/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Read Liam ‘To solve the UK’s productivity puzzle we need to start with the state’’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/09/28/solve-uk-productivity-puzzle-need-start-with-state/ |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.

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