Labour drags us further to the '70s and Burnham stokes the psychodrama

Labour drags us further to the '70s and Burnham stokes the psychodrama

Author: The Telegraph May 21, 2026 Duration: 1:03:35

You can watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wQSgb9En2k0


This week on Planet Normal, your co-pilots of sanity, Liam Halligan and Alison Pearson, take us back to the 1970s as they look at the retro economic policies dragging the country in reverse. With financial markets reacting to the Labour infighting with horror, sending the UK government's borrowing costs to a staggering 30-year high, the duo warns that the British economy is on a knife edge. 


Liam focuses on the unfolding fiscal emergency, explaining how sovereign bond markets are reeling from a protracted Labour leadership battle, where all the major contenders are looking to increase borrowing and spending even further. 


Meanwhile Allison shares her deep frustrations with the current state of the nation, highlighting the desperate struggles of local community hubs and family pubs fighting to survive under the weight of punishing economic changes. 


This week’s stowaway on the rocket is royal historian and biographer Andrew Lownie, who discusses the ongoing fallout surrounding the royal family and his investigations into institutional secrecy.

Highlights

  • Labour drags us further to the '70s and Burnham stokes the psychodrama
  • Sir Keir Starmer's leadership is under intense pressure amidst a protracted Labour leadership battle.
  • Sovereign bond markets react to high spending as government borrowing costs spike to a 30-year high.
  • Royal biographer Andrew Lownie exposes new allegations and the culture of institutional secrecy.


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 ‘‘Don’t drink them all at once’: Regulars enjoy free pints on National Pub Day’:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/16/allison-pearson-national-pub-day/ |

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

Read Liam ‘As Labour lurches further Left, the markets are calling time’: 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/05/17/as-labour-lurches-further-left-the-markets-are-calling-time/ |

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
Tick tock, Sir Keir’s against the clock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:46
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/LFlJivPsT9AFollowing a scorching column by their…
The Mandelson quagmire and murky dealing of Chagos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:00
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/wh42OqWtzDAAs the Prime Minister vows to release…
Starmer’s Shameful Soldier Witch Hunt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:08
You can watch this episode of Planet Normal on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4f7eZbkA91QIt's been a week of defections, rejections and tantrums in the world of politics, and your co pilots are here to wade through the madnes…
Robert Jenrick's Reform defection and the Greenland rift [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:57
You can watch this episode of Planet Normal on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mwWiWA21r1UThe rocket of right thinking is back with a blast and a very special defector is aboard.Robert Jenrick is strapped in to tell our intrep…
Best Voyages from the Rocket 2025 Episode 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:12
The winter break continues on Planet Normal! In this, the third and final part of the three part best of the rocket series, our co-pilots take a look back at some of their most explosive voyages on the rocket of right th…
Best Voyages from the Rocket 2025 Episode 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 thin…
Best Voyages from the Rocket 2025 Episode 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:42
In this, the first of the Best of the Rocket 2025, co-pilots Pearson and Halligan dig into the data files for some of their most explosive voyages on the rocket of right thinking from this year.There’s been no shortage o…
Rocket around the Christmas Tree! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:49
It’s a Merry Christmas from the Rocket of right thinking at Planet Normal to everyone stuck on Planet EarthYour intrepid co-pilots reflect on a year of political thrills and economic spills, honouring the "citizens of Pl…
Reform and Farage smears only make the Party stronger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:11
Co-Pilots Pearson and Halligan tackle a week of political and economic madness. Starmer is dismissed as a "caretaker Prime Minister" with a weak mandate, having been supported by only 20% of the electorate.Your hosts dis…