Blair is talking sense on this Lefty Labour Party, and Starmer should listen to save them

Blair is talking sense on this Lefty Labour Party, and Starmer should listen to save them

Author: The Telegraph May 28, 2026 Duration: 1:01:36

You can watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uXkk5GHpPE4


This week on Planet Normal, your co-pilots of sanity, Liam Halligan and Allison Pearson, dive into a political landscape dominated by explosive leadership interventions and growing institutional scandal. Following a dramatic local election period, the duo analyzes a scathing 5,000-word essay by former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has openly lacerated his own party for what he calls an “infinite capacity for self-delusion”.


Liam details the escalating fiscal warning signs rattling the British establishment. He warns that despite a temporary dip in the UK inflation rate to 2.8%, it is on track to hit 5% later this year. With long-term government borrowing costs flirting with 30-year highs, Liam argues that cosmetic fixes like supermarket price controls and rollercoaster VAT cuts will do nothing to soothe terrified sovereign bond markets.

Meanwhile Allison shares her assessment of the Scottish National Party following the sensational embezzlement guilty plea of its former chief executive. 


This week’s stowaway on the rocket is serial entrepreneur and hospitality titan Luke Johnson, who shares a powerful breakdown of how Britain is currently navigating life under what he defines as a “highly damaging socialist government”.


Highlights

  • Blair is talking sense on this Lefty Labour Party, and Starmer should listen to save them
  • Sir Keir Starmer faces mounting threats to his leadership as ideological factions fracture the Labour Party.
  • Looming fiscal disaster deepens as the UK inflation rate is projected to climb back toward 5%.
  • The SNP establishment faces total mockery following the sensational embezzlement fallout of its leadership.


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 |

Book your tickets to 'How to make Brexit a success’ on 29th June in London: telegraph.co.uk/brexit-big-debate |

Read Allison ‘Did you really not know about your husband, Nicola?’:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/26/allison-pearson-nicola-sturgeon-husband/ |

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

Read Liam ‘The approaching inflation crisis is a disaster for Labour’: 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/05/24/the-approaching-inflation-crisis-is-a-disaster-for-labour/ |

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.


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
The Mandelson mess, stagflation returns, and the battle for Wales [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:31
This week on the rocket, co-pilots Halligan and Pearson dive into the political firestorm engulfing Westminster as Sir Keir Starmer faces intense scrutiny over the botched appointment of Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to…
Trump strikes ceasefire with Iran as Starmer grandstands in the Gulf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:26
You can watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/B0VweeU7QlAThis week on Planet Normal, your co-pilots navigate their way from the high-stakes geopolitics of the Strait of Hormuz to the local battlegrounds of the…
The Liberal consensus gave us mass migration and broken boarders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:09
In this week’s dispatch from the sanctuary of sweet reason, co-pilots Pearson and Halligan examine a growing sense of national insecurity as Britain faces a big economic hit from the US-Iran war and the systemic economic…
Anti-semitism is clearly out of control in the UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:31
You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/z53vu3azxZsIn this week’s dispatch from the sanctuary of sweet reason, your co-pilots of sanity Liam Halligan and Allison Pearson, address the rise of antis…
UK Meningitis outbreak and Starmer’s abortion policy shame [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:04
You can watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QVXFsa07RpoIn this week’s dispatch from the sanctuary of sweet reason, co-pilots Pearson and Halligan examine a growing sense of national insecurity as Britain face…
The Iran war lays bare the betrayal of Britain’s energy security [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:27
You can watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uRceQCyRYIUIt’s markets this, oil prices that, and what will happen next, so your co-pilots are blasting in to make sense of the tsunami of news flooding across the…
Iran, Trump and running scared Starmer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:40
You can watch this episode on youtube: https://youtu.be/KQ1dUe4FxZ0As conflict with Iran hots up across the Middle East, your co-pilot blast in to make sense of the madness.Strapping into the rocket is Dr Alan Mendoza, C…
Planet Normal: Live, with Lionel Shriver and Suella Braverman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:00
You can watch this recording on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lFRwaTYK-mMYour co-pilots have braved the atmosphere of planet Earth as the rocket touches down at the Emmanuel Centre in London for a live recording of Planet No…
Reform launch their top team, as Starmer U-turns - again! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:57
Book your tickets for Planet Normal: LIVE on the 24th February: telegraph.co.uk/planetnormallive |You can watch this episode of Planet Normal on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_jt6Hy7NYvUOn this week’s flight through the sanc…