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# A $75M Ad | Dumb idea?
- URL: https://www.craftpolitics.fm/episodes/a-75m-ad-dumb-idea/
- Published: 2025-10-28T18:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-09T01:30:57.000Z
- Author: Joseph Lavoie
- Tags: Holly Mumby-Croft, #episode, #scan, #ai-5

From the UK’s disastrous week under Labour to a major trade gaffe in Canada, and Doug Ford’s surprising turn as global spokesman for tariffs and Reaganomics — we unpack a week of political faceplants, media spin, and near-perfect lipstick jobs.

###   **1\. A Week in the Life of a Labour PM**

One tweet said it all.

Six political scandals. One week. And a mounting sense that **Keir Starmer’s government is spiraling**:

- Botched handling of the Maccabi fan ban
- Immigration failures (again)
- Rape gang inquiry collapses
- Labour loses *its own* seat in Wales
- Starmer caught in a China fib
- An Epping sex offender goes AWOL

We ask: Is this just governing as usual? Or has Labour **lost the plot** just one year into its mandate?

> “This feels like third-term fatigue… but it’s only year one.”

### **2\. Labour Gets Wrecked in Wales**

A shock by-election in Caerphilly saw Labour collapse to 11%.

Plaid Cymru won, Reform surged to second — and Farage is claiming “main challenger” status.

We break down:

- What the Welsh result tells us about progressive alliances
- Whether Reform has a hard ceiling
- And why Labour MPs are already talking like they’ve lost

> “They’ve only got the cards they’ve got — and we’ve seen what’s in that deck.”

### **3\. Ontario’s World Series Ad Bombs Trade Talks**

Premier Doug Ford ran a $75M ad campaign during the World Series — using Ronald Reagan’s words to shame Trump’s tariffs.

Trump responded by escalating tariffs. Negotiations collapsed. The Reagan Foundation called it misinformation.

We debate:

- Was this political genius… or tactical self-sabotage?
- Who was the ad really for — Trump or Ontarians?
- And did Mark Carney know it was coming?

> “It smells like genius… but I’m not smart enough to understand why.”

### **Lipstick on a Gerbil: Doug Ford Defends the Ad**

In our favourite comms segment, we rate Ford’s CNN appearance defending the ad.

Was he playing 4D chess, or just trying to out-Trump Trump?

**Our verdict:**

🧴🧴🧴 **Three coats** — Warm, confident, and weirdly likeable.

  
00:00 Welcome and Grokipedia chaos — Andrew Percy's disaster  
04:29 A week in the life of a Labour PM — Starmer's miserable seven days  
05:51 Can Labour catch a break? — One disaster after another  
08:49 Why governments fail — Bad ministers, bad policy, and aggressive journalism  
10:50 Labour's terrible start — Winter fuel, farmers, and fiscal failure  
12:52 The Carney contrast — Why Canada's Liberals aren't facing the same backlash yet  
14:39 Third term vibes in year one — When the electorate stops listening  
16:35 Kerfili by-election — Plaid Cymru wins, Labour collapses to 11 percent  
19:17 Reform's ceiling and the progressive alliance — Can they break through?  
28:26 Ontario's 75 million dollar World Series ad — Was it genius or disaster?  
30:23 The Reagan Foundation strikes back — Misinformation accusations fly  
33:11 Did Carney know? — The orchestration question that won't go away  
35:00 Strategic brilliance or dumbass move? — Debating the Ontario ad gamble  
38:46 Trump doesn't respond to insults — The flattery lesson Canada refuses to learn  
43:39 What shiny thing does Carney have for Trump? — The negotiation puzzle  
45:23 Lipstick on a Gerbil — Doug Ford defends the ad on CNN  
47:34 Three coats of lipstick — Why Ford's communication works  
53:45 Wrap and Christmas calendars — Andrew's annual Holly photo gift