Underrated Stories and Closing Thoughts

High interest debt is one of the toughest opponents you'll face. Unless you power up with a so far personal loan A so far personal loan could repackage your bad debt into one low fixed rate monthly payment. It's even got suuper speed since you could get the funds as soon as the same day you signed Visit sofi. com slash power to learn more That's soFi d. com slash PW E Moans originated by Sofi Bank NA, member of theIC terms of Cnditions supppply NMLS six nine six eight nine one forty seven percent of Labour members say they would back and burn him. Meanwhile, we're streeting trials on just four percent of labour members saying that they would support him Hello and welcome to the Trawl, where Britain's political class continues to ask Things get this bad. immmediately after making them worse. I'm Marina Perkis. and I'm Gemma Forte and in this episode we are mainly going to be despairing how amazing the left are at fucking everything up A three four fourzero said, it's an absolute shambles But it feels as if we knew in our hearts that it would be even before the twenty twenty four vote. It's like the thick of it, but people's real lives are on the line. So it's not funny. But anyway, look before we dive into the political quagmire, let's start by talking about something really affirming. So we had our first ever live tour show in a little theater last Friday and it was so much fun and it went really well. So we're gonna be doing more. And in fact, we've got our second one coming up this Sunday And yeah, it was just a very personal moment for Marina and I. You know, we started this podcast Was it three and a half years ago or something like that? And so we had a real moment. We had a real moment just before we started going Would you have imagined this would be happening? like this is crazy. So thank you for enabling us because even if you don't want to come to the show, you've listened and so you've grown this thing and here we are and it's just It's all a bit dreamy and we really, really appreciate it. And for those of you who we did meet just Fabulous Yeah. it was the warmest loveliest crowd couldouldn't quite believe it. And we get to do it all over again. I'm so excited to do it all over again and it's so nice. just so nice meeting N Tulers. You're always so cool, so lovely, so like minded. And you know what? it's bloody tough out there being aware of what's going on in the world. So when you meet like minded people It's just pretty fabulous. Yeah, I mean we'll probably get into it a bit this episode, but I'm appreciating more and more as well just sort being with my tribe think at the moment, Marina and I wheeled out onto the sort of channel five shows that we do It's quite hard at the moment. I don't know that it's sort of a reflection of what is happening out there that peoplee feel more divided than ever. peopleeople are more entrenched in their positions than ever. It's very fragmented And it was easier. It was easier when we were going on to sort of argue towards the end, you know that Boris Johnson had it in that Brexit' a disaster and the Tories needed to go because it was kind of just obvious to everybody concerned, but at the moment Of Things are all over the shop. so we'll get into it. It's not just all over the shop here. it's all over the shop in the States and I woke up this morning. Oh, we will get into that in Friday's episode. but I woke up this morning and I was just like, oh wow. peopleeople like to say the entrenched views It's lost. These people are lost causes, which is why I'm actually done argue with some people. done with it now. Yeah. Yeah too far gone. Yeah. So the way this tour week is going to go, today we are getting into labour. I'm actually really looking forward to it. I need to put it somewhere. There is so much to sort raate over. And then we've got an episode coming out tomorrow and we're just going to be looking back at the time of hainon March. and what a sort absolute dregs of society. Yeah, sort of shamp olic display of Chitt as that was Yeah, It's like wow. everyvery clip. I've seen so I actually don't want to go on Instagram at the moment because it's still ip from that bloody march and I don't like them, I don't think I do. So I'm like stop show me them. stop show me how bad and I understand there's so much so many people who aren't educated and so many people who are living and destitute and there's so many people who are just like hopeless But they're all there shrouded in Union jacks. and can't even when they're asked just by their position, my God My Godd, I want to pull out my fuc e. Well anyway, we're going to go through that together and then on Friday yeah, we're going to America and w we Wawi And in a way it's good was worse there. Yeah it it worse. Exactly. So If you're thinking, Jesus, then yeah, maybe that'll be some kind of comfort that we're not quite there. know you know, we might get on Minie Trump, Yeah. Exactly. Anyway, does anybody watch the old u Absolutely Fx, that it is your vision No, me neither. Yeah. Eactly. Not since I was like ten K PWP Oicial wrote Exclusive, Eurovision has seen a staggering drop in engagement, average of fifty four percent reduction across all channels. This is analyysing likes and comments for identical posts between twenty twenty six and twenty twenty five, with a similar drop When compared to twenty twenty four, your boycott is making a difference. Don't tune in tomorrow. And they didn't, did they? No, they didn't. Well, Scott Brian reported, Eurovision down one point five million viewers in the UK compared to last year. So a five point two, which is still huge, five point two million average audience down from six point seven million in twenty twenty five. They're still whopping It is whopping. Whopping. And the thing is people see it as a lot of fun. A lot of people have Eurovision parties, you know, the kind of like LGBTQ plus community love it, is very camp. You know, that's absolutely fine. But I think this drop will be connected because it is a substantial drop nevertheless. It will be connected to people like me being off because I don't want to see Israel prancing around when, you know, Russia have been sanctioned from it. It's just also, I just don't want to see the UK soiling itself anymore. It's boring. It's boring watching us come last All the I know But we don't exactly send our best though, do we, Joal No This guy This guy. I mean I've never seen him before. The guy we sent, I believe is a YouTube star, who's famous for putting together sort of ronic musical bits on YouTube. Like fair play, if that's your thing Why have we sent him you to other countries like Australia sending Delta Goodrum, like huge stars. The person that won was at Bulgaria. The winner was this huge pop star in her own right, millions of followers. and our guy Wh Why did he sing in German as well? What was that about? I've got no idea. Wh drary?ry It was all very strange. The other thing is lots of countries did Ooycott because Israel were included. Eaten rifles put. Last night Eurovision was won by Ireland, Iceland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia. Well done all Those are the countries that didn't partate Yeah, Royal Penn Cosplay pointed out, notot only did Slovenia boycott also haven't broadcasted it on TV, but rather played short movies from Palestine in that time slot to be a Slovenian Wowousers. That's amazing, isn't it? Yeah, I think similarly to we talked about the M gara recently. I actually had a lot of fun doing that. And it's like that slight thing about it not leaving a nice taste in your mouth. No, it's been tainted. Yeah, I'm one of those people that used to sometimes go to a very camp Euro vision party and just, you know, get your country out the hat and all have a laugh. But yeah, I wouldn't be doing that I't anything very much A say bloody not O Israel. There was an article that was published in the New York Times last week and it caused a lot of uproar. and not for the reasons you would expect. The New York Times published an investigation containing allegations from witnesses and former detainees about the use of dogs during abuses by Israeli forces. So Owen Joens did report on this, but essentially this was a New York Times piece. It was very detailed, It used you know, first handand and witness accounts and It was harrowing harrowing about how You know, the abuse, the torture These dogs The response from the pro Israel lot was to basically just tear it down and say it was blood libel Bloodl is the term that's used. and It looks like that they're going to try and sue either the paper, I'm not sure or the journalist itself But that is their response to that Os school Yeah. and I was watching more harrowing clips yesterday of this Palestinian guy quite elderly on his land And these Israeli settlers just shot him And then he had have his leg amputated. And then he was on the ln just saying, I'm not going to give up I'm not going to give up. like the courage of these people They have no one there to save them. there's no one coming to help them. The Western world has proved that. They kind of have no option. It's absolutely desperate. I saw one video. I know it's like in this grand scheme of things with everything we've seen. But I wondered if it would hit different because it was an IDF soldier beating a dog to death, beating the dog of a Palestinian family to death. it was caught on camera And it's a little defenseless page You know, someone made the comment I wonder if this resonate more I wonder if some people Well' got you know, I get the point. They've managed to be so desensitized to Palestinian suffering And yet we're you, we're a nation of animal lovers. Will that be something that makes you know, some people go, oh, hang on a second. Did you see the clip of the little lad being taken away It was about ten Anyway, lookook, it contined Yeah. was he blindfolded? No, they going go on me s No. Oh yes for something else. This is the thing This is happening on a daily basis, so your vision, quite frankly. Sz Kempner said, I have found it pretty easy to boycott your vision of late. I can't believe with all the effort they put in, Israel still can't win a contest now only watched by people who don't care what they get up to I'd say many who actually support profoundly.. They came second by the way. Israel came second. Yeah. And Europe doesn't hate the UK. We came second three years ago because people like the song Yeah. Peter Smith said, Today I discovered the UK gave AbA zero marks in the nineteen seventy four Eurovision contest quite as shameful as the Tommy Robinson March, but Reretty close. God' almighty. And if it passed you by completely Lucky you, but the song was so bad that Frankly, three seconds of it is all anyone should have to be put through, which is handy because they counted in German two, three up to three for some reason that no one's been able to put their finger on quite yet. High interest debt is one of the toughest opponents you'll face. Unless you power up with a so far personal loan So far personal loan could repackage your bad debt into one low fixed rate monthly payment It's even got suuper spepeed. since you could get the funds as soon as the same day you signed Visit Sfi. com slash power to learn more. That's soFi d. com slash PW ER Mans originated by Soi Bank NA, member F theIC terms of conditions supppply NMLS six nine six eight nine one. Right so Trouble at mill drawers, Trouble at mill Here in the UK. What is going on? I have had my head in my hands. I am worried. I don't mind sharing that with you. I am freaking out. A you Marina as much as there. Th we've got a while we've got a while to freak out and it's k you can see the machinery is all kicking in Rform're putting their money into all of their advertising. Some of it, by the way is they're really scoring their own goals. But essentially, we're talking about the Makerfield by election that is staring at us down the tracks and this is going to be Andy Burnham. which is essentially a vote to change the leader of the country to replace stma. and it willll be versus the reform candidate who is a guy called Robert Kenyan. So Robert Kenyan already, just days after he's been announced as the reform candidate. there are question marks. It has been discovered that he was friends on Facebook with some pro fascist group leaderper. And on X, it looks like if it's him, his account has been removed for violating policy. Wow, they're vetting procedures over reform up Absolutely unbelievable. I don't know why, but the image I've got in my head is of sivving gravy through a monkey old string vest I don't know why, Marina, but that's what's come to mind. That's how your braame workks. And look, I want to say here and now like if you've been listening to the Tl for a long time, you will know that as we've gone along, we have criticized Kist Stama for the mistakes that he's made, for the things that we have found really difficult to get on board with, etcetera, etcetera. And we have also, to be fair to us also, we have also talked about the things that they have got right. I am going to put out my position very, very clearly right now I would take storm Overfarraage A million times I mean It is chalk and bloody cheese, chalk and bloody cheese. and I am so frustrated that we are in this position I am going to play a clip that I just spotted this morning and I'm whacking it in. This is a caller and I think that increasingly I am seeing sort of like, you know, again, we try and be a barometer of like lots of different opinion here on the tw. inccreasingly, I am seeing people go, he's fine What are you all doing? He's fine. Havet listened to this caller talking to Tom Swarbrick on LBC. I think he's a man with an ego large on his intelligence I think there are people from the extreme left of politics And the very extreme right, which is also very much influenced on British media trying to take down a very effective government and a prime mininister who has led that government People say Kir Stam was born, while Boris Johnson is class as a character, great personality. Look what that man did to this country. If you look at the UK, we have twenty four months of consistent growth Sext entry sweet cuts UK stock markets outperform in America for the first time in thirteen years Nearly seventy thousand illegal immigrants deported. Over forty percent of the Tory immmigrant hotels closed down four hundred fifty six thousand children taken out of poverty, Rnter's rightight Acts, increased employees actcts, minimum wage ups Two of the largest increases in state pensions And Uy history. Yes etceter, etc under secure Starmor and Rachel reaves its leadership And you have people on the far left like the lady you had on a minute ago, who are basically jealous of Kir Stalmer's success. I think Martin, you have done a better job than any cabinet minister has in the last year of telling us the story of the successes of Kestama's government So do I And I listen to that And I just think, I am so frustrated. I am so frustrated that we had fourteen years of shitty incompetence. and for many of those years, you couldn't point to one one. positive thing that had been achieved. notot one. Youve got a bloody list there and it's true. We're all right Allright and That's where I'm at Fucked off that it's come to this shambolic shit show that might go horribly, horribly, horribly wrong Marina. Oh God, Gemma, when you put it like that But it's But it's weird, becausecause we've been very vocal critics of Starma But what are we supposed to do? What is our position supposed to be? Are we supposed to be like, shut your mouth Don't say a word doing this many good things and just ignoring all of the stuff that he's not doing, where he is failing, where he's being authoritarian, where he's being you know forgetting that he is a lawyer and he's supposed to understand, you know humanitarian law and all the rest of it international law. Like what are we supposed to do Are we supposed to never criticise? No. I agree, by the way. I mean, I agree with you, but this is the problem. Are we supposed to I guess they do this very well on the right? Is I just It's like a cult, isn't it? Yeah, they just they ye just they can see no role. So the issues that we have had that we have said we can't get over are Israel and arresting pensioners, right? Those are the two. The winter fuel allowance, we were like, we can see the nuances. There's more There's more, there's more Gema. Okay there' more Okay, the Enoch Powell speech. There's not just that. It's the failure, it's the failure to tackle inequality. It's the failure to tax the wealthy. You can't do that overnight. You can't It's the it's the student loan. It's the fact that they were going to freeze the threshold for students meaneing that students were going to pay even more. There were lots of little things as well as those big things that made us go, can they do it? Yeah. But within that, right, the criticism, a lot of that criticism is because and this is maybe this is me getting old. She said, I am going to stay within the fiscal rules and everybody was like, in Sagon are offer that. That is why the markets didn't react That is why the markets have got faith. That is why we're seeing growth. because labor always been associated with and borrowing is still off the fr scale. Yes. But come on now, Hold on a second. Yes, I agree with you regarding the end result here. but I'm just saying for all of those people that have gone kissed on like we understand it because Remember, yes, I understand you need to stay within fiscal rules, but you can do that by pulling different levers. He chose to pull the levers that impacted the people least able to defend themselves. Do you remember the most severe austerity cuts for the welfare for PI goinging after the people that can least defend themselves. that's why I'm saying he's made, you know, if you want to stay with know those rules, fine, but pull the levers, that's our labour levers. Okay, well, let's get a fararage government and see what happens to all us. I know, but this is not an equivalent choice, is it? You should be able to criticize your leader in a normal world without opening the door to barage and whatever. And I have I agree and we've always agreed on all of these things. and we've always defended the people that are, you know freaking out because they think crisis government is more right wing than I hoped for. But just to put in another butt A what's been effective in criticizing him is that he ended up getting rid of Morgan Mcsweeny and Morgan Mcsweeney, I think is the mastermind beind all of those bad things, including appointing Mandelsen as American ammbassador. which was the last thing. And I am seeing, I'm starting to see. and listen, Starart is imperfect. fuck me, noobody knows what his bloody vision is. He is a shit communicator because he sounds like he's got adenoids. and that is really unfortunate. I mean, that's not the reason that he's a terrible communicator, but yes, no And is you just say It's unfortunate. I'm sorry, it's true I'm not sitting here going, I agree with everything you've said. So now if I've got people going I meant everything I've always said as I go along. I am so scared of ushering Farjin. And I am so scared about what happens to people then. And I can see that now that he's got rid of Morgan Mooks, We the influence is different, the speech is different, the rhetoric is It's all feeling a little fairer. I still am so off about, you know, king prescribing Palestine action. I mean it's it's ludicrous. But the trouble with the left is we want perf perfection and pure perfection. And you know I watched Owen Jones picking apart Andy Burnham and I really respect Owen Jones. We want to get him on the p one day. He's fascinating, He's so clever. That's right What is this? What is this? Because seeing us we are where we are, of course I want Andy Berham desperately to win. and then if he becomes leader, then I want him to take us into the next election and win. Like I'm up for that. So don't pick him apart. He said this in twenty twenty. He said this, I don't fucking give a shit, so I'm really swearing it's really bad. Caroline Lucas gets up a former Green partarty leader. She actually came out and basically said, Well, they shouldn't be standing anyoneore in for the greater the field. for the greater could. She's like sometimes you need to put country before party and this is one of those instances. And if they did stand someone That'd be a terrible move.. So let's get into it because we've really gone off on a tangent then Please understand me toall this isn't about me sonny going, Oh,e Sam's like the answer to everything. but like he's fine He's fine. And I'm just very, very genuinely, for the first time I'm getting and you know me, I'm miss optimist. I'm always the one that sees the bloody hope I personally think Andy Burnne's got a massive chance of failing in Makerfield. and I' just worried. So basically in a nutshell, because it's been a while since we trarowled last. Angel L Ana was cleared. So that day, you know could have had some really good labor headlines, but no, that was the day That was the day. was the day W streeting decided to throw his hat in the ring and blow everything up. And guess what everybody? Guess who's backing him because I don't think anybody else is. Peter Merson if you want to hinder the man, if you want to damage his campaign, then that's how you do it. Thanks Mandy. Thanks for here. Thanks so much Well done your absolute bell. So yes, were streeting despite having some real success with the NHS and sort of getting it on a good track. Although admittedly, Palantir, obviously terribly frustrated by that, but actually waiting lists in England are decreasing. Overall waiting list has dropped to the lowest level in three and a half years and the NHS has successfully hit its key eighteen week treatment target. So get rid of them, gentlemen, J just get rid of them. So you know we've got competence in some regard. But hang on a second, West Streeting prior to resigning so he could get himself into position. I know. He signed over a shitload of data reportedly. ourur data are NHS data to Palantir which I think again, unbloody forgivable. Yes, absolutely horrific. Normal Island News said, I don't mean to upset you, but Wes Streeting's leadership challenge is likely to end in crushing humiliation because no one apart from Paling. want him We could be witnessing the end of his political career. And again, all his bloody mle egos So that's plty right if it is. Elizabeth Hopkins eight hundred fif eight wrote. I agree. I don't particularly want West Streeting as PM and out of Burnham and Starma, I would pick Starma. Out of Stara, Burnham and Fage, there is no competition. We cannot as a country go down the fascist line, grifter route, No way. I would willingly support Burnham over Fraage God help us all if Farage ever gets to BPM, that cannot happen. Yeah But it's quite funny trawers because basically w streetings ucked in his job and he's gone, yeah, I'm standing. Now in order to kick off a leadership challenge, you need to have support of twenty percent of the MPs, which in this case means he needs eighty one MPs to back him, okay? And then even if he manages that, he's then got to be chosen within the Labour membership. And within the Labour membership, literally about four percent Wood backwed streamings. what is he doing? But also, I have got a feeling that maybe he hasn't quite got the numbers in terms of the MPs either because suddenly he's given it Yeah, I mean, I am going to challenge him, but just not yet. I'm going to wait till after the Andy Bernam result, which is giving massive J from the in betweenetweeners vibes I can bring you the poll now. forty se percent of Labour members say they would back Andy Beran, their first choice candidate. That's higher than anyone else, including K Starmer, thirty one percent of labour memers said they back him, notot back going. I thought actually for Kist Starmer just under a third. Meanwhile, we're streeting trials on just four percent of Labour members saying that they would support him as the first choice counllor in a leadership race M four percent. when Jemma saw that West Streeting had put his resignation. or that someone said, If the headlines tomorrow don't read resignation. they've missed a trip Anyway, she was not happy. Let's put it that way. Let me just find it. So here we go. You'd love to scroll back. There's lot of messages s then. Here we go. So I wasit a of Vo's note telling her what happened. and she just wrote in capapitals for fuck's sake Read the room, you globe faced It's nice, isn't it A, that's lovely. Don't ever donon't ever think that we're not passionate about what we do. And as I say, I really think like Wes streing the vibe is this at the moment. What about your old man, Joe? No he's out Private Poker tonent with Danny Dyer in the craze A the craze's dead? No That's just a cover story because I've done a bunk from prison They're old that we want to meet dad's wearhes Of course. Look, it was shit anyway. The clues in the name? Work experience? Oh, it won't be shit on my dad's furn side, would have a right laugh. When I worked there last summer, I spent every day jumping JCB's over cement mixers. Well, that's a lie. And I got paid a grand at the end of the week. Another lie Yeah,'ve got eight one MPs. sereriously, Yeahah no, I'm just gonna wait I'm gonna wait all right? Yeah. why? D't know. justust to Andy Burnham who would absolutely smash me in any competition. I'm gonna wait until to see. Yeah, yeah, R. R. Oh we'll say something about Burnham, his kickoff campaign video. It's good Yes It's good. Mike, it's got all the feels going on And he is like he grew up there, right? He lived there were're not there, but just nearby at least. Yeah. And his campaign video is all about where his kids went to school and you know it's quite nostalgic and he's quite natural in front of the camera, He's quite likeable. I really like him. Yeah, me too. So Ben was at an event last night and he came back and he said,ave you seen the Andy Burnd stuff? I, No, what do you mean? And apparently, on X so he was getting quite a lot of flack for his pictures of him going out jogging Did you see that?, Yes, yes, yes, yes. So And we all remember when Boris Johnson went out jogging in that like thrown together mess of an outfit Yeah So that was the argument was that it was staged with Boris Johnson and people were saying it was staged. So Andy Burnham's r. Be then he was in his car I'm not sure. But the key thing to take here is that he kept responding to people directly on social to say it wasn't staged, like to try and sort of defend his position. And Ben said that criticism was Burn He wants too much to be liked. God forbid he's actually human. I mean, yeah, exactly. Yeah. like he's not just a sort of impervious any criticism because he's a massive psychopath. There you go when you put it like that. And listen, let me be really clear. My ideal, listen if I could have my dream, let's have some dream music, please Adam Dreamy this is a dream. Andy Burnham wins his seat in make a field. Then he wins the labour, challenge whatever it is contesting. and then he's prrime Minister and then he fights beats Farraage and we all have haily ever arved a Oh do you know what he could do, gentleman to keep you happy? He could put starma in his cabinet as foreign secret Is something like that Yeah because I think as foreign Secretary, that would be quite useful because you have that continuation of his sort of centerist dad relationship with Europe and also he's done very well keeping us out of Iran. And he's sort of good at that. He was good with Zelensky and all that stuff. his stance on The Middle East is still shy. Absolutely heinous. Right. I no, I feel so nervous these days saying what I think. I feel like I'm going to get loads of for saying. fine think. you're absolutely fine. You' probably get some comments from the spotify, but don't worry about it. I think there is a chance if if he wins, it's like the buzzerfly effect this, isn't it? It's like this constituency The people of Makerfield don't know what is coming to them. But there's one thing that could happen it could either go in such a positive direction and Andy Berne could create this little dream team around him. Imagine like all the superstars of the labark People like Clive Lewis Yeah, G him in, get him into your cabinet. Y. Th these people that are absolutely like worth their salt, they're in it for the right reasons That could be very very. get rid of Sabaram andood Very, very interesting. You rid of Vte Cooper. Yeah. Yeah. could be it could be absolutely dreamy, but it is a massive, massive, massive gamble. One of my great friends Haley, her son literally lives in Makerfield, His dad's lived there all his life. She lives not that far. She's in Wigon. She knows this area like the back of her hand. She knew the Greens were going to win in Gordon and Denton because of the demographics there. And she is really concerned that reform are going to clean up in this by election because in the election, they labour won the seat by only five thousand. And since then labour have been in Star unbelievably unpopular. It's also a massive leave area. And of course, and we'll get to it, Wes Streeting has suddenly made it all about Brexit as well just to add insult to injury. So that's why I have major reservations. And what's happened as a result of Wes suddenly bringing up the B word like an absolute dick Be he knows what he's doing. Andy Burnham has suddenly had two, you can see him suddenly going, Oh Christ, oh Christ, because we know because he has spelt it out before, he thinks we should rejoin. He thinks he is a remainer. He cannot say that and risk losing this seat. And again, I can see people on the left well he's not been v clear on Europe might Do you understand anything about how the world works and how politics works As' like another guy was criticizing the other day on Telly for sort of talking about the situation and saying You know, Kive Lewis needs to be Prime Minister. Klive Lewis.'s like he said, you need to search that. And I was this like I've met Clive. he's been on the tour. I agree. He's fantastic, but He's not running. I can only work with what is happening. I mean like a phanticist ' like that old story that was the person that went to God of you know, prayed to God, please let me win the lottery, please ke praying every night. And then one night the clouds parted and God's face appeared and he said For God's sake man, will you buy a ticket I'op be in the race Oh my Godd. And so let's have just a clip from Mandy Beron because it's important we hear from the man. and this is clever as well. I'll tell you why I think he's a brilliant communicator in many ways after you've had a listen. Do you understand why people are voting for a reform hundred percent And I'm not in the business in this byialection of sort why do you think they are of point scoring because My party and other parties have let them down. and it's what I said before You know, we've got to a point where life has become unaffordable and you know the status quo just hasn't delivered for them. What And they're sending a message, aren't they and rightly in my view that you know this just isn't good enough and therefore, you know we're telling you that this isn't good enough. And it's time for politics to respond to that message rather than, you know, I don't know, prromising breakfast clubbs or all this that and the other not. I'm saying to you, Dan We've got to now hear what they're saying. This is more fundamental about who is the economy run for? And what do you make of Ngel Farage? I've only met him a couple of times. He was perfectly you know friendly and so and I don't As a politician. I'm not and clearly effective, but I just don't agree with him. If you lose the by election to reform, it's kind of showing the country that there is no viable alternative to reform. Yeah, there's an element of risk, but you know I've taken the view that the time has come for me to in some ways, you know takeake it on and say here's what I think. Brilliant because he didn't go down the route of insulting Farraage. He didn't sit there and say what b really thinks. He's a disgusting shitbag of a man. He's a horrible grifting toad He was very I can't get state, you can. Eactly. He took a very sort of measured understanding position. He didn't insult people's choices. He didn't he didn't sort of insult them for wanting to vote for him. He got it. I might just confide in you something Trawlers we are so professional here at Trawall HQ. while I was giving you that analysis of my feelings on why Andy Burnham spoke in a very sensible way there. Marina has taken herself off to buy some tickets to a concert. No he's asking? No' ten AM. Is ten AM isone on sale? I I had to go I' to them Yeah. I'vegot them So excellent. Let me know how much I owe. Hagine. C I do a name drop Yeah absolutely. I was like, Okaykay, I'm about to do a massive name drop. Here it goes. W hanging out with James O'Brien last night Actually, I actually was. wentent to see the brilliant Rosie Holt. If you live in London, she's got a play going on until june sixth at the King's Head in Islington. And it's very funny she plays the Chancellor. and it's the Chancellor having absolute meltdown because something's happened, it's gone online and she's having a catastrophe. And the guy that plays Jonathan Py was there, Cody Darla was there and James R Brimaser And I was with my friend Hailey, the one who is from the North and has these ties to Makefield. She's there all the time. So we were talking about that. And he said, don't underestimate the draw of kind of thinking that you could potentially be voting for someone who could one day be Prime Minister kind of sort of celebrity that Andy Burnham has around that area. But I tell you what, guys, he's chosen frigging tough seat, not by I think he went around about twenty seven MPs saying An ch you want to stand down? And funnily enough and understandably, people didn't want to give up their job. So the guy that has stood down has done him a favour in one regard, but it's in a really tough seat and it's going to be very, very squeaky bum. I can't believe we're having these Brexit conversations like it was like it's twenty sixteen all over again because it's opened up that kind of worms. and I'm there I am when Jeremy Vine talking about it And it's the same shit. It's all Brexit hasn't been done properly. Whereas it's just like surely everyone now should be able to agree that Brexit didn't deliver what it was promised. It promised three things takaking back control lower immigration that make us all richer Yan we fucked all of that. How did that all go? We literally went in quite the opposite direction. That should be enough to go. We need to We need to just explore this. I made the analogy of a broken boiler because people say we vot voted for got to preserve democracy. But if you if I bought a boiler in twenty sixteen, it stopped working or it was shit.'t freeze n't freeze'd say I need to go buy myself a new boiler now. What if you work with an old boiler? S you. No. Wh' a sizzling sauce pan. Widdle pan sometimes I don't off to talk a lot of sha julers. The other thing is, again I'm going to try not to just just only have Haly as my source She said, you know what reform are doing though, and this is the problem that is so underhand. They are going around the area saying, and this is the thing, the lack of understanding and joined up thinking, obviously, people aren't voting for a new prime minister in a by election, but they are saying, vote for us and we will raise the income tax threshold to twenty thousand pounds How is that costed doing that? obviously no one's asking because These are people who are feeling very very, very skinn and Instantly they're thinking, that is what I want. That is the change I've been asking for. more money in my pocket. That would literally give me a few grand. And that is life changing and takes my life from Really hard to too manageable. Do you know what I'm going to say here, Gemma? I think we need to stop playing by the rules You can't play by the rules when your opposition doesn't. And we can see that and we'll talk about that on Friday's episode of what's going on in the U.S and the amount of money being poured into politics to get people to hate the opponent I just think now we are in the world West You can play with dignity, you can play with honour, you can play by the rules. It isn't getting us anywhere Honestly, Andy Burnham, if you need to offer a free puppy to everyone in Makerfield, you do what exactly what you need to do That's how the steakess are this. They offer them steaks The stakes are this high. I just if this is what we're up against and you know reform will never do that Well they'll never do it. It's a bit like all their council tax promises They won't do it and it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if they don't do it. You've already got you've already got numumb nuts criticising Berham for now trying to be moderate when he talks about Brexit Igore them, Iignore them. These people cannot see the long game. M even that long game No, few weeks. I am so nervous I might need to start doing some drugs or something to get through. What mushrooms Yeah. Mushrooms, maybe. much maybe It's a lot I don't even know. Why does so no. Anyway, Brexit, Lad of Bllets, telegraph why streeting is wrong to claim Brexit was a catastrophic mistake Fuck off. Ao English said, we have a very right wing media landscape. Everyone knows Brexit shit, but they have turned it into this sort of sacred thing. And any serious politician who stands a hope of leading this country has to bow down before the solid shit statue that is its God. And I wish with all my heart it was not so, but if we're going to rejoin the EU, it's going to have to happen through stealth Let's end this rather long convoluted section that I hope you've enjoyed in some regard with an extract from a brilliant piece that Ian Dunt wrote over on Substack. It's so, so great. Oh, I've read this piece Gemeral. It's actually very good. Ian Dunt is brilliant over on Substack It's actually so good, I think we should set some mood music to it, Adam This remving a motive, you know G get you going. So he's basically saying, know, yeah, Labor, you've got one chance in you are fucking it up. He said Starmer's victory was never going to be like Blair's in ' ninety seven. He was not going to inherit a country on the road to recovery, put there by decent responsible men like John Major and Ken Clark. He inherited a smashed, mangled machine, an engine room that had been set fire by a gaggle of hysterical dimwitted drunks But it was distinct for another reason, which was the price of failure. Blair's failure would have turned the country over to a conservative opposition with a small and large see. Starmer's failure hands it over to the most egregious figures in British political history. And we know that price. We know because they've told us interment camps for immigrants, placed in areas which vote against the party as a kind of community punishment, the introduction of ice thugs on the streets of Britain, a mass deportation programme, a purging of the top levels of the civil service to make it pliable to power, the dismantling of Britain's climate change program, the use of conspiracy theory as a core tool of communication The creation of a British vassal state obsequious in the face of Trump's America and cowardly in the face of Putin's Russia. We aren't fighting over politics. We're fighting for the soul of a country. And this was our last chance to show that our way works, that liberal democracy can provide what populism never can by being rational and evidence based binding voters together rather than pitching them against one another Fucking it up trarawn as we've got no crystal ball here. We haven't got a clue This is this is serious though just have to pray, it goes our way. I'm not a religious person, Gemma, but I will be praying Praying to the gods of Macorfield, prraying to the gods of the Piailelection Please deliver us from this evil. And again, I' sort of my brain is very much in America because I was writing the rununning order for that late last night, veryery late last night And when Trump is out and the Republicans are out, this strand of usting Republicans I can't even imagine how long it's going to take America to recover. And not just that like o I was reading about the deaths caused cutting just of USAID justust of USAID. Do you remember that when Musk Doge went in and just chopped everything The stat, I think it was mentioned on the rest of politics, is that more children have died as a result of those US AID cuts. have been killed in Gaza. Oh yeah, that's horrifying Yeah, not to mention everything else that has happened in America. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. This is it. It'll be a repair job. It'll be another repair job. Look at the reform councils and I know we're going to mention them a bit tomorrow, but like it's just an absolutely bloody shit show. So if I sound a bit manic today I think it's justified Yeah. And that's with all our checks and balances as they currently are. Can you imagine when they do away with them And it just becomes like a fiefdom the people at the top of reform. I feel a bit like You know, when England or about to do penalty shoot out for me, it's that level of this v election. I don't I know it's going to be I don't want to wake up and see I don' wantck check my phone. Do we hang out together? Yeah, I think we should. Let's try and do that. Maybe we try and do a live thing. We've never done one of those. Let's try and do it We I was just thinking that. we could do one of those, you're not an X anymore ' they do those streams. But we could do maybe maybe for our patreons, we could do it a live. We could do a live stream for our Patreons. Yeah. So yeah, I think let's get our thinking caps on and see if we'll do something. Ok dokie. Okie dokey. Right. Let's go a couple of underrated and then we'll leave you with a pudding. So Harriet Richardson, it was just very sweet. She wrote on Instagram. She was like, I'm literally so embarrassed and so mortified So she wrote an email to the lost proroperty section of Eurostar. And she was like, I believe I accidentally left a black Moleskin diary on the fifteen oh four train. It contains important personal writing. so I'd really appreciate any help locating it. And they got back to her And they said, Dear Harriet, we've located a black notebook fitting your description. We just need to check that it is yours with some identifying detail. So our terminal colleague shared with us the following description of some of the things written inside it Personal poetry of despair. Oh goh Can you confirm if this matches your missing not That is sae Yeah, that's mine. Pass A, isn't it? Oh Myight is underrated. It is from Dave Lawrence. So Nil Farage tweeted, We look forward to the Makerfield by election, reform will throw absolutely everything at it and Dave Lawrence wrote Does this mean the reform slogan in Makerfield will be Vote reform get stara. Cver. Very clever clever I just let's give you a couple of seconds to work that one out. Yeah, you got there Yeah. Stala I just feel like the campaign needs to be every left of centre party needs to go to make a field and unite around Burnham and do the work of Adam Brichdo. You know that guy who dresses up in a union jack and he goes and he speaks to would be reformed voters and he says, Oh arere you happy with their policies? you know, privatising the NHS and bringing back fire and rehire and slashing you know women's rights and abortion is prohibited even in the cases of rape Are you happy with all those things? You know, cutting public spending, massive tax cuts for the res for the billionaires? Are you becausecause that's what we need to do That is what they need to do. But the Greens won't by the way, the Greens are gonna dig in because that from their perspective and some of you will agree with this and some of you won't, they are like, if we are trying to prove ourselves as a really, you serious party, why the hell should we make way for them? Which I believe is the wrong thing to do. I believe in just think about the country please There you go. Normal Island news, huge concern in New York that Zorin Mandani is spending one hundred twenty two million dollars on schools and hiring a thousand school teachers when that money could be buying bombs for Israel What are they doing Is own Mum Donnie, Wow. Here is proof. I know, he is turning things around. Here is proof that when a politician actually gives a shit and wants to make positive change and cares about the people of the town or city or whatever They can do good things. They can pull those levers just choose not to. Yeah, it's thriving. it really is. littleittle cuty one and then will give you a great pudding. Kate get social I was like, this is too cutesy, but I'm going to go with it. My son proposed to his girlfriend about three weeks ago. They're happy. We love her and her family. But I've just found out another girl is in love with him and about to propose to him Do I say anything He's six. They're all sick That's so sweet, isn't it? It's sweet, I marry? W you marry me? Yeah, the grabit. Cute Right, Pood in. join us tomorrow for taking the piss out twentyommy ten names and the Gimps on the march episode Yeah, abbsolute Games and Romins as well Protect our women and girls, yeah, from you Right, here's pudding. it's from the exploding heads and the caption they've posted it with is Just one tiny transgression. Colin from Portmouth is on the line, Hello Colin. Are you voting, Anthony? I am voting, Colin, Yes, I am very important to. Of course you are ye. That's typically yoke Well is your man common sense the person you're voting for woman wom on exive privilege. But yes, my man is Yeah he' sort out social behaviour. ing local businesses open. Cmon bloody. Well, that sounds brilliant and it sounds just what you want Yeah a fix sighting on one