EP 90 – Defence Difficulties

This week’s episode opens with the resignations of Healy and the relatively unknown Al Carns — described by Don as ‘very square-jawed’ — over the government’s defence budget decisions. Don takes a nuanced position, arguing that despite Labour’s wider struggles, Rachel Reeves’ approach to public finances makes sense given the scale of spending already committed under previous administrations.

The conversation turns to the far-right’s difficult week, with organised demonstrations across the UK drawing far larger counter-protests from local communities. Sal and Don discuss what this says about the actual appetite for far-right politics among the British public — and note the arrests of Ryan Bridge and Ryan Ferguson, two prominent figures in that movement.

Stateside, the pair cover the uncertainty hanging over Donald Trump’s birthday UFC fight night, threatened by adverse weather, before wrapping up with the news that Elon Musk has officially crossed the trillion-dollar threshold — making him the world’s first trillionaire.