Andy and the Backstabbers make their debut to the Country

You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LYzZRwK5C0g This week’s journey in the rocket of right thinking opens with co-pilots Liam Halligan and Allison Pearson reflecting on Andy Burnham becoming Prime Minister. Liam warns that uncosted bungs and 10-year gilt yields staying above 5% threaten a fiscal crisis and discusses his upcoming appointment as Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, pitching the concept of conditional tax cuts to restore economic credibility. Allison dismantles Burnham's 5% VAT cut on energy bills that saves households a mere 86p a week, and shares her experience reporting on England’s World Cup run, praising players like Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham while condemning the BBC’s self-promotional halftime advert. Joining your co-pilots after her appearance at last week’s CPAC is Laila Cunningham, who discusses her backstory, Reform UK’s political platform, and the distress felt following the murder of Ann Widdecombe. Highlights Planet Normal: Andy and the Backstabbers make their debut to the Country Allison dismantles Andy Burnham's energy bill relief as an unhelpful 86p-a-week gesture Liam discusses his upcoming appointment as Director of the Centre for Policy Studies Laila Cunningham at CPAC discusses Reform UK and political security Allison reflects on England's World Cup run. 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 ‘Struggling voters deserve better than Burnham’s con tricks‘: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2026/07/21/struggling-voters-deserve-better-than-burnhams-con-tricks/ | Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ | Read Liam ‘Burnham’s ‘unashamedly Labour’ push spells economic ruin’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/07/19/burnhams-unashamedly-labour-push-spells-economic-ruin/ | 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.