Boris Johnson finally looks vulnerable, but should we really want him to go on the eve of the Omicron Wave? Is Partygate plus COVID fatigue a recipe for non-compliance? Did Plan B happen so fast to save Johnson’s skin – and should Lib Dems, Greens and the Left really make common cause with libertarian Tories over vaccine passports and mandatory vaccinations?
Plus, the Afghanistan Withdrawal was among the most shameful episodes of 2021. We ask Kim Ghattas – Middle East expert and author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Rivalry that Unravelled the Middle East – if the West will ever have positive influence in the region again.


“This is a hugely weakened Johnson… Nobody could have predicted he’d collapse so badly, so soon.” – Naomi Smith



“We are in a very scary place now with the virus. Soon we’ll run out of testing capacity – and we will have no idea how many people have COVID.” – Ros Taylor



“I look at Partygate and think maybe we should be kinder to our own politicians in Lebanon. Maybe they’re not so bad.” – Kim Ghattas



“If there’s one thing worse than going into this stage of the pandemic with the Tories in charge, it’s going in with nobody in charge.” – Ros Taylor



“The Taliban have realised they can’t operate like they did in the 90s… They have to let technocrats who are women to go back to work, because they know how to run a country.” – Kim Ghattas



Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Thanks to Stephen and Mandy for the graphic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.
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