A $75M Ad

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