When Cakes Attack

01/28/22 • 69 min

3 Listeners

Is the party nearly over for Boris Johnson, or can he continue to have his cake and eat it? With a police investigation launched into Downing Street’s lockdown shenanigans, and the publication of Sue Gray’s report apparently imminent, we assess the Prime Minister’s seemingly ever-precarious position. Beyond that we look at Rishi Sunak’s manoeuvres and motivations, as he’s touted as a successor to Johnson. What are the Chancellor’s chances?

“The Government has lied so many times, over and over, that it’s genuinely impossible to tell whether they’re telling the truth at all.” – Naomi Smith
“The people of Ukraine are not a press office for you to fire off press releases when things aren’t going well for you in the Commons.” – Ian Dunt
“What sort of crazy world is it where Johnson welcomes an actual criminal investigation by the police, where he could be prosecuted, as some sort of relief, just because it extends his time in power.” – Naomi Smith
“How can the Met investigate these breaches when they happened under their noses.” – Ros Taylor

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“The Government has lied so many times, over and over, that it’s genuinely impossible to tell whether they’re telling the truth at all.” – Naomi Smith
“The people of Ukraine are not a press office for you to fire off press releases when things aren’t going well for you in the Commons.” – Ian Dunt
“What sort of crazy world is it where Johnson welcomes an actual criminal investigation by the police, where he could be prosecuted, as some sort of relief, just because it extends his time in power.” – Naomi Smith
“How can the Met investigate these breaches when they happened under their noses.” – Ros Taylor

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Previous Episode

Red Meat is a Dog’s Dinner

The Sue Gray report is imminent, Tory backbenchers are sending in their letters to the 1922 committee, and Bury North MP Christian Wakeford has defected to Labour. Is Boris Johnson a dead man walking, or can he really ride this out? Plus, we discuss the Government’s latest attack on the BBC, and how to fund the national broadcaster in the age of streaming. The Financial Times’ Chief Features Writer Henry Mance is our special guest this week.

“Johnson must have thought he was home free, then on the last question David Davis called for his resignation in the strongest terms.” - Alex Andreou
“Christian Wakeford having a majority of only 402 in a red wall seat is probably a motivating factor in him having switched.” - Minnie Rahman
“Older MPs rebelled against Cameron and May, yet they now think they’re in a position to tell newer MPs ‘you shouldn’t rebel’.” - Henry Mance
“Attacks on the BBC are incoherent, the Government want it to be a patriotic national broadcaster, yet they also want it to be like Netflix.” - Henry Mance

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Next Episode

Blame and Shame

Boris Johnson remains consistent in at least one regard – he continues to disappoint yet fails to surprise with his actions. With the PM’s bluster having backfired of late, journalist and author of Just Boris: A Tale of Blond Ambition Sonia Purnell joins us to discuss his position. Meanwhile, questions have been raised over “dirty money” from Russia “flowing into” London. How does this tie in with our politics – and place on the world stage?

“Boris was driven by the agenda of his own career. He had to be number 1 and of course the most powerful person in the country is the Prime Minister.” - Sonia Purnell
“It’s getting hard to defend the system.” - Ian Dunt
“Tory MPs have essentially desensitised themselves, and there are no boundaries to what they will defend.” - Ros Taylor
“Johnson is not a nice, cuddly teddy bear. There is a loss of control when he’s under threat.” - Sonia Purnell
“For the Tory party to change, you have to hurt it at the ballot box.” - Ros Taylor

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices