Farage furor and the media blindspot to the OBR warnings

Farage furor and the media blindspot to the OBR warnings

Author: The Telegraph July 9, 2026 Duration: 56:05

You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YItlh0gx6cA


A never ending tsunami of news sees Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stand down, triggering a “People vs the Establishment" election… but was this a political mis-step?


Liam thinks it was a mistake by the Reform leader, but is aghast that the news is giving more coverage to ‘unserious candidates’ such as count Binface, instead of the looming financial issues as the OBR announces the Government has ‘unsustainable UK debt’.


Allison agrees but also thinks this is yet another avenue of stitch up by the political establishment that cannot understand why Reform remains so popular with voters, and why they see through the attempts to delegitimise Nigel Farage.


Clambering aboard is return passenger and journalist extraordinaire, Anne-Elisabeth Moutet who tells your co-pilots why Marine Le Pen of France’s National Rally Party may be campaigning with an electronic ankle monitor…


Highlights


  • Planet Normal: Farage furor and the media blindspot to the OBR warnings
  • Farage triggers by election - Count Binface so far only candidate to challenge him
  • OBR issues stark warning for UK debt and GDP
  • Reform remains popular despite political parlour games


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 Allison ‘It’s time to remove Harry from the line of succession‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/07/remove-harry-line-succession/ |

Read Allison ‘With beer, pyjamas and raucous chants, we rallied round England’s heroes‘: 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/07/06/england-mexico-allison-pearson-in-saffron-walden/ | 

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

Read Liam ‘Britain is doomed if Burnham lurches Left’: 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/07/05/britain-is-doomed-if-burnham-lurches-left/ |

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…