Best Voyages from the Rocket 2025 Episode 2

Best Voyages from the Rocket 2025 Episode 2

Author: The Telegraph January 8, 2026 Duration: 1:05:58

In our second episode of the Best of the Rocket 2025, co-pilots Pearson and Halligan dive deep into the past year’s archives and bring you some of their most intriguing and provocative voyages on the rocket of right thinking, from this past year.


This week the Rocket has made a stop at Westminster with Conservative MP Helen Whately, coming on board to discuss her having one of the toughest briefs in politics - identifying welfare savings. 


Helen's former party colleague and high-profile defector to Reform UK Danny Kruger, is asked by Allison if he felt a bit guilty jumping ship at a time when his defection would do serious damage to a struggling Tory party.


And Tory Grandee Lord Peter Lilley, gives his thoughts on why Britain should leave the European Convention on Human Rights


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Every Thursday, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan step outside the daily noise to offer a different perspective on the week’s events. Planet Normal, from The Telegraph, is a conversation that often challenges the prevailing narratives found in mainstream media and political circles. This podcast digs into the stories shaping society, culture, and the news, focusing on the viewpoints and concerns that feel increasingly sidelined. Pearson and Halligan, both seasoned columnists, bring a blend of sharp analysis and relatable frustration to topics ranging from family life and economic pressures to broader cultural shifts. Their discussions feel like a break from a scripted debate, offering listeners a space where common sense and direct commentary take precedence. Tuning in provides a weekly reset-a chance to hear arguments grounded in everyday experience rather than abstract theory. It’s for anyone who feels the conventional discourse doesn’t quite reflect the reality they see. You’ll find the tone is more like a candid chat between two well-informed friends than a formal news broadcast, making complex issues accessible and engaging. This is the appeal of the Planet Normal podcast: a consistent, thoughtful alternative that speaks plainly about the forces shaping our world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Planet Normal
Podcast Episodes
Farage furor and the media blindspot to the OBR warnings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:05
You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YItlh0gx6cAA never ending tsunami of news sees Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stand down, triggering a “People vs the Establishment" election… but was this a…
Labour’s new migration policies will create a 'Burnham bump’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:51
You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bW3b5qKQP6ICo-pilot Pearson returns from her break in Sicily to find political chaos in full swing following Keir Starmer's resignation announcement last we…
Burnham is the wrong answer to the UK’s economic problem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:19
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Social Media Ban: Starmer finally gets something right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:06
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10 years on from the Referendum, have we even had Brexit yet? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:47
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Is Starmer’s Labour drama as fleeting as Streeting’s bid for PM? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:38
You can watch this episode on YoutTube: https://youtu.be/5Zb71ekLVBEThis week on Planet Normal, your co-pilots of sanity, Liam Halligan and Allison Pearson, sift through the debris of a historic set of local elections th…