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The Trawl
A weekly summary of the most damning and funny goings on in the political Twittersphere.
Latest episode
366. Welcome to Loserville: Musk's Midnight Musings & Trump's Oval Office Nap
42:08||Ep. 366Jemma and Marina take a break from UK political chaos to zoom out and survey the wider world... and it's not pretty.From Trump's increasingly hard-to-deny Oval Office napping to unravelling ceasefire negotiations in the Middle East, the Trawl ladies serve up their trademark mix of righteous fury and sharp humour. Marina's been deep in Italian passport paperwork (backup plan activated should Farage get in), Jemma's fantasising about a one-way ticket to Lisbon with absolutely zero logistics sorted, and somehow Amsterdam enters the chat as a genuine option.There's a detour to Loserville thanks to Musk's midnight musings, a deep dive into Trump's chaotic social media timeline, and a satirical clip of British police officers that is uncannily accurate.On the brighter side: the BAFTAs delivered - from a Gaza documentary winning despite BBC cowardice, to Martin Lewis being rightfully crowned a national treasure (Marina may have developed a crush). The episode wraps with a Lincoln Project ad airing at Trump's own golf tournament, and the small matter of the trawlers' very first ever live show happening that same evening. Eek!Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast
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365. Absolute Scenes in Labour HQ: It's Not Ideal Trawlers
48:00||Ep. 365Marina and Jemma wade through the chaos engulfing Labour after the bruising local election results, cabinet resignations, media pile-ons and growing calls for Starmer to go. Is this sensible political pressure… or another self-destructive Westminster psychodrama?They discuss:whether Labour is repeating the Tories’ revolving-door mistakesAndy Burnham, Wes Streeting and possible leadership contenderswhy Reform’s rise is terrifying so many votersthe role of the press in shaping public opinionwhether Starmer has fundamentally misunderstood his own voter baseand why Brexit continues to haunt literally everythingPlus: Alastair Campbell delivers the speech Starmer probably wishes he’d given, Marina nearly collapses from sniffing, and the pair remain - as ever - gloriously uncertain about absolutely everything.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast364. Reform Gains: Just Take the Bloody Bins Out
52:18||Ep. 364The local election results are in and… bloody hell.In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina dig into Reform UK’s huge gains, Labour’s mounting panic, and the increasingly chaotic state of British politics. Was this a genuine political realignment, a protest vote, or something much darker bubbling away underneath?From viral clips and media narratives to Nigel Farage, culture wars, dodgy campaign tactics, and the terrifying power of algorithms, the pair try to answer the question everyone’s asking right now: how seriously should we take Reform?Plus: why some voters still don’t seem to connect political choices with real-world consequences, why the press scrutiny appears wildly uneven depending on who’s in the firing line, and why some Reform-led councils may become the party’s biggest problem before the next general election.There are also lighter moments involving Sir David Attenborough, pudding-based dystopias, and outrageous clips.It’s a long one. But then, there’s an awful lot to talk about.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast363. Met Gala Hunger Games & Trumpy Bedtime Stories
49:35||Ep. 363Jemma and Marina dive headfirst into the Met Gala circus from impossible outfits and billionaires playing dress-up, to the growing backlash against celebrity excess in a world on fire.They also tackle Trump casually floating a third term, Nigel Farage mysteriously dodging scrutiny over Reform’s mega-money backers, and why parts of the media seem determined to ignore some scandals while amplifying others.Plus: RFK Jr’s toe-curling Trump worship, a Reform candidate’s racist tweets, LinkedIn lunacy, and the eternal question, how exactly do celebrities wee at the Met Gala?As ever, it’s bleak, ridiculous and somehow still funny.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast362. Polanski, Protests & A Very Heated Week
52:48||Ep. 362It’s been one of those weeks where the temperature of public discourse didn’t just rise, it boiled over.Marina and Jemma both appeared on daytime TV in the immediate aftermath of the Golders Green attacks. Emotions were already running high, details were still emerging, and the pressure to say the “right” thing while not saying the “wrong” thing was intense. They talk about the subsequent social media reaction and how the media are reporting things more broadly. Why do the Tories and Labour think it's OK to ban pro Palestine marches whilst still allowing the Tommy Robinson ones to continue? What is being focused on, what isn't and why that might be? Meanwhile, politicians of all flavours are targeting Zack Polanski over an inadvisable retweet and there are fresh calls to shut down pro-Palestine marches. When the facts are still emerging, why does the narrative lock in so fast? Pudding is an exasperated Jonathan Pie ranting appropriately ahead of the council elections - Enjoy!Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast361. Royal Bants in DC & A Gifted Bell
45:22||Ep. 361Jemma and Marina are back in full chaotic form, slightly sleep-deprived, deeply opinionated, and absolutely not holding back.They unpack the horror of a North London stabbing and the questions it raises, before diving headfirst into the surreal spectacle of Donald Trump hosting King Charles III, a meeting that somehow involved Magna Carta shade, a gifted bell, and a lot of very British side-eye.Along the way there's a meltdown over Melania Trump vs Jimmy Kimmel, a rant about media bias (hello Ed Balls), and why Americans calling London a “hellscape” might want to take a long, hard look at their own backyard.Plus hypocrisy klaxons, accidental near-scandals in the Good Morning Britain green room, and one very satisfying doorbell moment.It’s messy, it’s funny, it’s slightly unhinged, it’s The Trawl.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast360. Botox Bollox, Boozy MPs & a Five Million Pound 'Gift'
41:52||Ep. 360In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina take on everything from outdated beauty standards to the increasingly surreal state of UK politics.There’s fury over a jaw-dropping tabloid takedown of Cameron Diaz, a debate about whether Westminster has a drinking problem, and a deep dive into political messaging that raises more questions than it answers.Plus: claims, counterclaims and confusion around campaign tactics, viral clips that feel almost too bizarre to be real, and yet more examples of how modern politics often blurs the line between serious and absurd.Throw in AI-generated oddities, questionable adverts, and some truly baffling public reactions, and you’ve got an episode that’s equal parts funny, frustrating and hard to look away from.As ever, they scroll so you don’t have to.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast