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Planet Normal

Planet Normal

By: The Telegraph
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The podcast that speaks your language. News and views from beyond the bubble with Telegraph columnists, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, every Thursday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

© Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.
Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Boat-load of trouble: Channel fury, Israel sanctions & broke Britain
    Sep 9 2026

    You can watch this episode in full on Youtube: https://youtu.be/iZkeL-6UtSQ


    This week on Planet Normal, your co-pilots of sanity, Halligan and Pearson, strap into the rocket of right thinking to tackle a tumultuous news agenda.


    Allison argues following migrant protests in Portsmouth and Dover, that while black masks are wrong, millions of Brits share the anger over cross-channel immigration. She also takes aim at falling school standards in Wales and Scotland, and sounds the alarm over Ed Miliband’s foreign policy moves against Israel.


    Meanwhile, Liam analyses the electoral earthquake in Saxony-Anhalt, where Germany's AfD swept 44% of the vote. And Fresh from the Reform UK conference in Birmingham, the duo dissects the appearance of France's Jordan Bardella alongside the fallout from Channel 4’s undercover sting.


    Stowing away on the rocket this week is author Ross Clark, who joins to discuss his new book, Britain Is Bust: The Coming Sovereign Debt Crisis and What It Means for You. Ross breaks down the nation's ballooning debt and rising bond yields


    Highlights


    • Planet Normal: Boat-load of trouble: Channel fury, Israel sanctions & broke Britain
    • Unpacking the migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth.
    • Warning over Ed Miliband’s stance on Israel.
    • Ross Clark joins to discuss why Britain is bust and a sovereign debt crisis looms.


    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/fromtheeditor |

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |

    Read Allison ‘The ‘poison’ on Britain’s streets is a failure by the political class’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/08/poison-streets-failure-political-class/ |

    Read Allison ‘The Church of England has abandoned its mission in the UK‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/06/the-church-of-england-has-lost-its-way/ |

    Read Liam ‘Only spending cuts can rescue Britain’s economy‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/09/06/only-spending-cuts-can-rescue-britains-economy/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Read Liam’s Substack: https://liamhalligan.substack.com/ |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here:

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Planet Normal: ‘Fair-weather’ Burnham faces a growing economic storm
    Sep 2 2026

    You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Djl86k1PyYw


    Co-pilots Halligan and Pearson strap back into the rocket of right thinking after their summer break to tackle Prime Minister Andy Burnham's PMQs debut.


    Allison slams Burnham’s ‘vibes-based’ leadership, warning that starry-eyed optimism won't fix record-high energy bills or a million unemployed youth. Meanwhile, Liam sounds the alarm on spiralling bond yields and a debt interest time bomb that’s set to blow up the upcoming October budget.


    Also on the radar: the duo rate Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet reshuffle, debate the right-wing battle for welfare cuts, plus, nostalgic listener mailbags and a sobering reality check from a 26-year-old geophysics grad facing redundancy thanks to Britain's brutal North Sea tax policy.


    Joining your co-pilots is Reform UK’s Richard Tice to talk Net Zero, tax cuts, and why pre-election pacts are completely off the table.


    Highlights


    • Planet Normal: ‘Fair-weather’ Burnham faces a growing economic storm
    • Allison dismantles Andy Burnham's leadership
    • Liam issues a dire warning about the bond markets
    • Richard Tice joins to discuss Reform UK's economic strategy, energy policy, and election approach


    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/fromtheeditor |

    Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |

    Read Allison ‘Burnham is terrified Badenoch will expose him as a third-rate court jester’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/09/01/allison-pearson-burnham-scared-badenoch-will-expose-him/ |

    Read Allison ‘My top 10 tips to avoid paying Burnham’s spiteful mansion tax‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/30/tips-to-avoid-paying-burnhams-spiteful-mansion-tax/ |

    Read Liam ‘La belle France could edge the bond market’s ugly contest‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/08/30/la-belle-france-could-edge-the-bond-markets-ugly-contest/ |

    Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

    Read Liam’s Substack: https://liamhalligan.substack.com/ |

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here:

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |

    Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |

    For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Planet Normal: Best Voyages from the Rocket 2026 P4
    Aug 26 2026

    You can watch this episode on YouTube


    Summer is coming to an end on Planet Normal! So, for the final instalment of our “best of the rocket” series, our co-pilots head back into the archives for two more memorable voyages aboard the rocket of right thinking.


    In April, stowing away on the rocket was former 22 SAS commander Colonel Richard Williams who discussed how “lawfare” and the prosecution of veterans are undermining British military recruitment and national security.


    Then, in May, return stowaway William Clouston joined the co-pilots to dissect the local election results, as well as where the Social Democratic Party stands on welfare and why he believes Labour’s approach is bankrupting the country.


    Read Allison 'Britain is no longer safe for women and children'

    Read more from Allison here

    Read Liam 'Labour needs to wake up to Britain’s ballooning welfare bill'

    Read more from Liam here

    Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here

    Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
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What’s not to love about a podcast that speaks the thoughts of most people freely. Planet Normal is simply and plainly speaking generally centrist type thoughts. The type of thoughts that are, worryingly, being increasingly touted as bigoted and far right, or, overblown as dangerous by numerous Legacy Media outlets who’s presenter’s/editors/journalists/backers now seem to live in an ideological bubble that no one normal can identify with, and instantly cancel or target as bigots anyone who has a thought that does not strictly align with their chosen rhetoric. So, shame, shame, shame on main stream & legacy media, and WELL DONE Rocket Pilots who got me through lockdown with some sanity left. THANK YOU. Never give up, never surrender.

Love love love… freedom of speech and polite debate

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PN used to be great but it's refusal
to acknowledge the possibility of vaccine harm is infuriating. This week Andrew Bridgen spoke very powerfully about this to an empty Parliament...yet this bombshell was completely ignored!. But because PN supported the vaccine they cannot possibly do an about face as the facts change.!.
Also Haligan's refusal to discuss immigration without banging on about his Irish ancestory growing up in London..tolerance bla bla bla yada yada every time is becoming boring and patronising. He's too cosy with his chums in power to be the voice of reason we need.

Still good but..

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A fantastic insight into the statistics and human stories behind the pandemic. A must-listen every week.

Required listening to stay sane!

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I really enjoy this podcast. Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan have great chemistry and are fearless in their opinions. Interesting guests and relevant topics

I look forward to it every week

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wonderful to hear common sense in this crazy world. definitely my therapy for the week.

common sense

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