Blair: “Modern Life is Rubbish”

Blair: “Modern Life is Rubbish”

From Oh God, What Now? by Podmasters

May 29, 2026 · 56 min · Season 2 · Episode 554

About this episode

The episode discusses Tony Blair's advice to the Labour party, youth unemployment issues, and the political implications of social media behavior.

• Podmasters is 10 years old! Get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing. What else does a beleaguered PM like Keir Starmer need but… unsolicited advice from Tony Blair? In a new essay published by his think tank, the former PM calls on Labour to cosy up to Donald Trump and axe Ed Miliband’s net zero agenda or risk relegation from the “Premier League of nations”. Is Blair offering a genuine diagnosis or is he just dusting off the 1990s playbook? Plus, jobs tsar Alan Milburn’s bombshell report on youth unemployment warns that young people are being “rewired” by their smartphones and trapped in a doom loop that’s keeping them out of work. Can they escape it? And Reform's candidate for the Makerfield by-election Robert Kenyon is facing a firestorm for a string of resurfaced sexist social media posts. In the age of the political lout, why do the rules always seem different for the right? And in the Extra Bit: our panel reveals how they find their Zen in the age of doom-scrolling. • Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk. ESCAPE ROUTES • Hannah went to see Francois Ozon’s new movie adaptation of Camus' existentialist classic The…

People in this episode

Hosts: Hannah, Ros, Jonn, Seth

Topics covered

  • politics
  • youth unemployment
  • Labour party
  • Tony Blair
  • social media
  • doom-scrolling

Keywords

  • Keir Starmer
  • Tony Blair
  • youth unemployment
  • Labour party
  • social media
  • politics
  • doom-scrolling

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Being Liberal: The Liberal Disposition in Contemporary British Politics, The Stranger, Project Hail Mary

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