Spring Statement Special

Spring Statement Special

Author: The Telegraph March 27, 2025 Duration: 1:02:12

As Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her first ‘Spring Statement’ your co-pilots are joined on the rocket by not one but TWO very special incumbents. Calculators and spreadsheets at the ready…


Co-pilot Pearson is less than impressed with what she calls the ‘nothing to do with me guv', Budget.


Stowaway economist Roger Bootle was both ‘depressed’ and 'amazed’ by the Statement but reveals an overwhelming feeling that the Labour Party aren’t actually doing anything all that bad…


And after watching the Budget co-pilot Halligan is concerned the Labour front bench is lacking in business and economic knowledge. 


Also on the podcast, Mike Calvey straps in for a very special interview to discuss his new book ‘Odyssey Moscow’ which details his harrowing ordeal as a prisoner of the Russian State.


And co-pilot Pearson has won an award…


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

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

Read more from Roger: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/r/rk-ro/roger-bootle/ |

Read Allison: ‘If Rachel Reeves were Conservative she’d have been turfed out long ago’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/25/if-reeves-were-conservative-shed-have-been-turfed-out/ |

Buy Mike’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Odyssey-Moscow-Westerners-Encounter-Russian/dp/1803997303 |

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 |


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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: 100

Planet Normal
Podcast Episodes
Starmer's ‘ming vase’ strategy smashed by policy pirouettes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:25
As Labour performs another head spinning u turn, your co-pilots are here to cut through the madness, so you don’t have to.Allison thinks this government has been a series of ‘car crashes’ culminating in another major hum…
Labour’s spending review has no credibility [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:12
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has outlined her spending review and your co-pilots are here to wade through the madness with Telegraph Columnist Gerard Lyons. Allison thinks Rachel Reeves is going on a ‘spending frenzy’ and ra…
The economy is a laffer minute [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:18
The rocket welcomes stowaway Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mel Stride aboard.As Rachel Reeves announces a clunky U-turn on winter fuel payments, your co-pilots clear a way through the confusion so you can keep up t…
Is this the end of the woke as we know it? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:35
As tensions simmer among the Labour benches ahead of their spending review, your co-pilots wade through the noise so you don’t have to.Allison is pleased to see Reform focusing on families again, by pledging to increase…
Starmer sells off our sovereignty [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:53
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Starmer’s reverse ferret to the Right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:35
Following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ‘strangers in our own land’ speech this week, your co-pilots give their take on his apparent change of heart on migration.Allison isn't convinced by the PM’s reverse ferret and thi…
Are you ready for Reform? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:52
The votes were counted, and then re-counted in last week’s by-election, netting Reform their fifth MP. Similar shockwaves were felt through the local elections and your co-pilots are here to dissect the results with Depu…
Net zero nets ‘nul point’ after power outages in Europe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:10
Following nationwide power outages in Spain and Portugal on Monday this week, co-pilots Pearson and Halligan don their spacesuits to take a deeper dive into net zero pledges and realities.And as migrant numbers on channe…