With co-pilot Halligan off the train and back in the rocket the team has returned to wade through the madness.

As Donald Trump declares “peace in the Middle East” Liam and Allison take their hats off to him as they credit his deal that led to the release of all the remaining hostages, as co-pilot Pearson reflects on the stark reality of Hamas's true face and Starmer’s attempts to claim credit were slapped down by Trump with disdain.

Back home, the UK political landscape is rocked by astonishing polls, including one showing a massive Reform UK majority! They also dismantle Rachel Reeves' "delusional" economic claims and expose the moral decay at the top of government, from the immigration crisis to the collapsed Chinese spy trial.

Stowing away this week is author and broadcaster Iain Dale to celebrate 100 years since the ‘Iron Lady’ was born. He tells Liam about his latest book in the Prime Minister Series on Margaret Thatcher and why the younger generation barely know of her.

See Planet Normal Live: https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/ |

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Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |

Read Liam ‘Badenoch’s Tories are standing up for fiscal reality – and rightly so’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/10/12/badenochs-tories-standing-fiscal-reality-and-rightly-so/ |

Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

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In a special episode of Planet Normal co-pilot Pearson brings you a long interview with Eli Sharabi, who after the 7th of October spent 491 days as a captive of Hamas under the tunnels of Gaza.

Eli has recently told his story, in his own words, in his book, Hostage. The book tells the harrowing and deeply moving story of his period of captivity, a scarcely credible tale of man's inhumanity to man.

An awful added chapter of his story is that on his release in February this year he learned that both his daughters and his wife had been murdered on October 7th after he was taken hostage.

It feels an appropriate interview to share on the week we marked two years on from the appalling terror events, and also in the wake of the tragic events of the Manchester synagogue attack.

Watch the full interview: https://youtu.be/zDZ8PH8UIkE |

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Read Allison ‘Two years on from Oct 7, Labour would rather appease its Muslim voters than root out anti-Semitism’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/07/two-years-on-labour-would-rather-appease-muslim-voters/ |

Read Allison: ‘‘Break my ribs again, just give me food’: Hamas hostage on his desperate plea to captors’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/03/eli-sharabi-hamas-hostage-interview/ |

Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |

Read Liam ‘Rachel Reeves can’t hide behind Trump as she raises taxes again’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/10/05/rachel-reeves-cant-hide-behind-trump-as-she-raises-taxes-ag/ |

Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

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As Labour Conference draws to a close and Prime Minister Keir Starmer launches an attack on Nigel Farage, your co-pilots are here to make sense of the madness.

Allison brings you a special report from the “Pink Ladies” demonstration outside Downing Street and speaks to women who have raised concerns about migrant hotels and lack of accountability for women’s safety, and catches Conservative London Assembly member Susan Hall ahead of her speech at the event.

Meanwhile Liam keeps you on track with the economy whilst reporting from a plush train in Uzbekistan!

Both agree the Labour conference has been a confusing affair, claiming Nigel Farage ‘hates Britain’, when he has worked as a politician for the UK for decades…

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Watch Allison chat with the Pink Ladies: https://youtu.be/cQRPz1EnhCk

Read Allison ‘Everything you wanted to know about digital ID but were afraid to ask’’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/01/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-digital-id/ |

Read Allison: ‘Toxic Starmer’s dirty tactics won’t fool the people of Britain’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/30/starmers-racism-slurs-are-final-nail-in-labours-coffin/ |

Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |

Read Liam ‘To solve the UK’s productivity puzzle we need to start with the state’’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/09/28/solve-uk-productivity-puzzle-need-start-with-state/ |

Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

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