Oh God, What Now?

Kemi Badenoch was supposed to reboot and re-energise the Tories. Now she’s tanking in the polls and flailing in the Commons. If she can’t beat Farage, will her leadership make it to the end of the summer? Plus, America’s slide from functioning democracy to autocracy summons up dark memories of when the same thing happened to the Ancient Roman republic. Classics lovers Rachel Cunliffe and Jonn Elledge join Zöe Grünewald and Andrew Harrison to ask whether the Fall of Roman democracy is a warning or a manual.  • Read Rachel’s New Statesman piece What Went Wrong of Kemi Badenoch? • Andrew interviews John Higgs, author of Exterminate! Regenerate! – The Story of Doctor Who at the Rock’n’Roll Book Club, Walthamstow on Tue 22 April. Escape Routes: • Zöe’s choice Broken Country. • Andrew’s choice Exterminate! Regenerate! • Jonn’s History of the World in 47 Borders in paperback. • Jonn’s choice I Want To Go Home But I'm Already There. • Jonn’s OTHER choice Ghosts of Iron Mountain. • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Rachel Cunliffe, Jonn Elledge and Zöe Grünewald. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Theme music by Cornershop. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been five years since Boris Johnson announced the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown. How much did that strange time in our recent history change the world we live in today? What lessons have we learned? And what hasn’t gone back to how it was before Covid-19 took hold of our lives? Christina Pagel is a professor of operational research at University College London and a member of Independent SAGE and joins the panel for an important two-part discussion. We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow   www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey, with Marie Le Conte, and Hannah Fearn. Producer: Chris Jones Audio. Production by: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump’s election win delighted Farage, the Telegraph, GB News and the Tory Right – but since then the President’s behaviour has horrified British voters. Has the British Right bet on the wrong horse? And will it pay a price for backing a man who seems intent in punishing Europe? Plus, if you like TV but haven’t seen Adolescence yet – do. The harrowing knife crime drama starring Stephen Graham takes in the ‘Manosphere’, social media and what that toxic mix can do to our young people. What does it tell us about Britain today? The Economist’s British politics correspondent Matthew Holehouse joins Andrew Harrison, Ros Taylor and Jonn Elledge n the studio. • Buy Jonn Elledge’s A History of the World in 47 Borders through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund us by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Hear Ros Taylor’s More Jam Tomorrow. • Listen to Constellations For The Lonely by Doves.  • We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow   www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor and Jonn Elledge. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio. Production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With defence spending rising and welfare cuts causing unease, is it finally time for Labour to bite the bullet and raise taxes? Plus, DOGE has been tearing the US government apart at breakneck speed. But are Elon Musk and his band of merry nerds doing it legally and what could the consequences be to everyday Americans? Dr. Casey Burgat, author of We Hold These “Truths”: How to Spot the Myths that are Holding America Back and host of the Mastering the Room podcast. joins the panel to get into it. • Join Dorian and Ian Dunt for Origin Story Live: Grand Theft America in London on Weds 16 April.  • Buy We Hold These "Truths": How to Spot the Myths that are Holding America Back 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   www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey, Zoë Grünewald and Marie Le Conte. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Has Keir Starmer finally found a crisis he can excel in? Will his supposedly boring manner and measured approach steer Britain and Europe through the Trump-Ukraine horror show? And will he eventually have to stop pretending he’s best friends forever with Trump? Plus, UK universities are going through a bit of a crisis. Are they still the pathway to bring young people out of poverty that they were? We find out from Exeter University’s Lee Elliot Major, the first UK professor on social mobility.  • Sign up for our Live Zoom on Thursday 20 March at 7pm, exclusive to Patreons. • We’re on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow   Presented by Ros Taylor, with Hannah Fearn, and Seth Thévoz. Producer: Chris Jones Audio production by: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices