The world looks to Beijing, Putin vs. Africa, and Rory's sliding Brexit doors

[@shakthidhasan4544]

Rory and Alastair are honorary people and are role models in my household.

[@stephenconway2468]

These are fantastic podcasts. They are interesting, clever and informative. Rory should be leader of the Tory party.

[@blueodum]

Seems to me the EU is happy with the current deal. If UK wants a better deal, what can they offer the EU?

[@simondavies6270]

I really enjoyed listening to this week's podcast. I found it particularly enlightening when you guys expanded your conversation to include the wider global world beyond our shores that I think will be much more consequential to us all in the decades to come that of the US and China emerging cold war. And of the countries and players that may play there part on that stage. The world is truly changing and those of us living are at its vanguard.

[@peromalmstrom7668]

This BREXIT discussion, is a classic example of the disconnect in our society between different classes in the UK that are tone deaf to the ground truth of the silent majority

[@Harry-qu7vg]

As a night-shift lorry driver this podcast releases at the perfect time every time. Best thing to listen to while driving down the motorway late at night.

[@annishilcock4587]

What was the age of the Remain voters polled. ? I imagine younger pollsters would be in favour of closer integration that included freedom of movement.

[@sbwords]

The line about the French Revolution and the Chinese foreign minister is a misunderstanding caused by a dodgy translation. The translator used the dates 1968, instead of 1789, and Zhao assumed the question was about the recent student uprisings in Paris.

[@stephenconway2468]

Pity...because it was a brilliant line even if just said by accident.

[@patriciamariani9417]

Talking about Africa. Has the media murdered the affair in Niger?

[@stevena488]

Brexit reminds me of two episodes of the Simpsons (bear with me on this): The first is the Monorail episode where the entire town is conned into building a monorail by a con artist when they don't NEED a monorail and it turns out to be shoddily built and utter crap while the con man runs off with the cash (thankfully getting beaten up while trying to flee in North Haverbrook, a previous spot that he conned and they get revenge). They hype up the monorail being this amazing and cool thing even though it's a death trap. The second is when Homer gets into a dispute with the bin men (they won't pick up his rubbish because he called them "Trash eating stink bags"), Homer gets it sorted by apologising but eventually wants revenge against the Sanitation Commissioner of Springfield, runs against him using pure populist tripe like "CAN'T SOMEONE ELSE DO IT?!" (while getting his head kicked in by U2s security guards during a live rendition of "In the Name of Love"), and wins.... and then turns out to be dangerously unqualified for the job, burns through his budget in less than a month and has to resort to criminal and illegal enterprises just to keep the department afloat... Unfortunately, it means taking rubbish from other towns and dumping it in an abandoned mine which overflows and turns the city into a dump. They propose to have Homer forcibly removed, and the original Sanitation Commissioner restored who basically goes "You're screwed. Goodbye." Leaving the town no choice but to just up sticks and move Springfield five miles down the road. .... I'm now waiting for the Government to move the UK five miles down the road and pretend this didn't happen.... because this is now so damned ridiculous that the Simpsons, an animated cartoon, seems LOGICAL in comparison.

[@jstelzner]

Alastair is brilliant on Question Time I especially liked the way he shut up that idiot from The Spectator last time! 😅

[@adrianaspalinky1986]

I look for music link, but i see no music link

[@SteveBrown-er5xn]

Omds I love his podcast but the amount ads is ridiculous. It just messes up the flow. Such a shame.

[@markendicott6874]

Bozo Johnson.......popular in chunks. If only.

[@Jay-xw9ll]

Why does Rory think he should be rewarded on top of his wages? Went to the right school maybe?

[@alexcoghlan1940]

Build Back Boris

[@QuantumWalnut]

Listening to Rory shit on Johnson without restraint is a bit like listening to your - usually very proper - parent berate someone on the phone and feeling a bit giddy that you are not the one in trouble.

[@joesoy9185]

On conservativehome, at one point, Johnson's popularity among Tory Party members was -35/100. Says it all really.

[@jezlawrence720]

Upswell of feeling for Rejoin is not a reason for a party to state you're going to go that way: realistically the EU won't have us back until we look stable and certain, and then we'll need to go through the same lengthy process as anyone else. So standing for it now would just lead to failure cos you'll need about three terms just to make it happen even if you do have lots of support. "Make it work" is the only, rather toothless, thing any party can promise and not totally fail. And lord help anyone who even goes with "make it work well", cos they'll fail to achieve too. Remember: from the EU perspective it's not just that we had some crazy politicans, it's that the citizenry fell for it. Then we spent five years baying for it, endorsing ever more extreme and near-fascist domestic policies and demonstrated and still are demonstrating rather extreme xenophobia. We're *all* suspect until we prove we can sustain an eu-friendly point of view.

[@bryanwalsh1107]

Speaking as a European/Irishman, I (agreeably!) disagree; the UK is a huge trading partner of the EU, and was a central counterweight for any tensions between Germany and France. Moreover, as the Ukraine War trundles ever onward, security concerns - and the UK's ability to contribute heavily to a joint European defense - cannot be overstated. The EU is undoubtedly stronger with the UK in rather than out - it just seems to be senseless tragedy that such an act of political self harm was allowed to happen, and indeed seemingly permitted to continue. I can see the next generation reversing this to some degree, but the time and economic potential wasted is staggering.

[@MarcoCraveiro]

Winner: "To be honest, she [Boris Johnson's hair dresser] was about as successful in cutting Johnson's hair as I was in Iraq".

[@bryanwalsh1107]

I nearly crashed the car I was laughing so hard!

[@stephenconway2468]

Self effacing.... something that Boris could never do.

[@NSBarnett]

I thought it was Chou En Lai, the Chinese prime minister, and he did say it, but was not referring to the events in Paris of the 1790s, but those of 1968.

[@qeitkas594]

The story of Rory to save the customs union reminded me of D-Day when the Germans could not bring in their tank reserves without the permission of Hitler himself who said the night before that he could not be woken up before 8 in the morning because of a headache. A clumsy sequence of events with big consequences.

[@jezlawrence720]

I'm glad Alistair didn't argue too hard on labours record for honours. Because Rory is right. And I certainly remember various cash for honours scandals and more form labours time. The only difference between labour and conservatives for me is that I never felt like labour hated the electorate or held us in contempt. Even mr brown with his "horrible woman" gaffe.

[@DP-wo7rz]

*Bigoted woman

[@jezlawrence720]

@@DP-wo7rz ah yes that was it. Ty

[@wba6787]

I think Labour would just benefit from a more definitive position on Brexit and their path forward which is couched in concrete policy rather than rhetoric. There's certainly a wide range of opinions among Remainers and Leavers alike - to the extent those two camps are still particularly distinct - but I feel like what people are looking for more than anything after these years of chaos is stability, a feeling of making clear progress, and knowing what they can actually expect from Labour in power. Obviously Keir doesn't feel like he needs to project that to win, and that a more ambiguous position on this and other issues is more tactful given his perceived path to victory, but I don't think it stands him in good stead in the long run. And it's why so many people are so apathetic toward Starmer and why he's so vulnerable to unforeseen political movement. Nobody's really sure what he stands for or his convictions and that will struggle to rally mass turnout.

[@user-sq7nk9us6f]

Deluged by adverts. What a shame. Excellent podcasts but need to move to patreon.

[@ibablo]

Another fantastic episode!!

[@QuantumWalnut]

Is Philip Schofield supposed to be extremely unpopular? I know the sex scandal but it sounds like there's more I don't know if he is on the same rank as Xi Jinping.

[@nosuchthingasshould4175]

The media has found in Shoefield an excuse to bring back gay bashing and our beloved populace are gobbling it up like they always do when you dangle before them the permission to hate. After all this was the real reason Brexit won, all else being just excuses.

[@bryanwalsh1107]

Accusations of grooming as I understand it - have not been following it super closely.

[@stivoarscott5831]

Clapline..."got done by brexit"

[@ianjames3078]

And Biden calls Xi a dictator

[@QuantumWalnut]

Note: "Qin Gang" is pronounced "CHIN Gang"

[@joesoy9185]

then there´s the correct intonation to be observed...

[@QuantumWalnut]

​@@joesoy9185​No need, in my opinion. We know what English speakers meant even if the tones are not quite right.

[@budluo]

Would "Gung" be closer than "Gang?"

[@QuantumWalnut]

@@budluo "Gang" is closer to original pronounciation. It's read like "G-ON" rather than "G-UN"

[@aevlaistner4296]

Please correct your comment regarding the Propaganda Due P2 loge from last week in the Silvio Berlusconi eulogy section. The quip sounded good, but was really bad. Alistair, with your knowledge on various European political developments over the past 50 years, kindly review what you said, and why it actually was inapropriate through thoughtlessness in the moment. Best Regards Dr Axel Laistner

[@TrevorBarre]

Alastair didn't really cut through tonight on QT. What a dispiriting bunch, both in the audience and on the panel. Weak Labour spokeswoman and that old rogue John Redwood.

[@MartinGreen932]

Campbell rants angrily about the honours system and Johnson handing them out to dubious characters. Rory quietly points out Campbell/Blair/Labour have consistently done the same thing - and Campbell chuckles. There really is something appalling about a hypocrite. Boris would nod and a wink like a dodgy Uncle about honours. Campbell would lecture, preach and claim virtue whilst actually doing the same thing.

[@thomasmoore1499]

But he pointed out clearly that Labour had far fewer Labour peers because over the years the Tories had stuffed the Lords with their own people, and the inbalance had to be addressed

[@MartinGreen932]

@@thomasmoore1499 Ok. I apologise. You are not a hypocrite if you say something and do the opposite if sone other people also do that.

[@stephenconway2468]

In motor racing the season starts when the rule book is printed. I have a friend who drives at a very amateur level. He fought against a change which would have allowed for a much more expensive fuel system. He lost. He was also the first one on the grid with the new system. You play the rules even if the rules are an ass.