The Burgeoning Benefits Bill

The Burgeoning Benefits Bill

Author: The Telegraph March 20, 2025 Duration: 1:13:40

As Prime Minister Keir Starmer strays further Right in his policy decisions on defence spending and benefit cuts, your co-pilots strap into the rocket once more to journey into the madness orbiting Planet Earth. Are Labour finally talking sense when it comes to reforming the welfare system?


After breaking down the figures Liam thinks the cuts from Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall won’t even touch the sides, whilst Allison reveals some shocking truths about so-called ‘benefit influencers’...


Cashing in on a return fare to the rocket is economist Julian Jessop, who gives his predictions ahead of the upcoming Spring Statement, and just how ‘nasty’ things could be…


And co-pilot Pearson isn’t short of words for the Shakespeare birthplace trust after their recent decision to ‘decolonise’ the playwright's birthplace.


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 Allison: ‘Radical welfare reform is the bitter medicine Britain needs’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/18/radical-welfare-reform-bitter-medicine-britain-needs/ |

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Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |

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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
Following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement of an EU ‘reset’ your co-pilots invited regular flier Lord David Frost to the rocket, former chief negotiator for exiting the EU, to give his assessment of the propose…
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…