Locals Only or it Burns

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “Race hate crime is a year-long problem.” In this episode, Tony speaks with journalist Luke Butterly of The Detail about recent developments in Northern Ireland, including the Drumcree court cases, cross-community tensions, and the challenges of addressing racial and political issues. They explore the impact of government policies, community responses, and the ongoing crisis of […]

Go to Podcast

The Political-Media Echo Chamber – Shop Mannequins and the Politics of the Out of Touch

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “If we don’t acknowledge that change can be an improvement, change will be forced on us.” In this Tortoise Shack episode, Tony and thegist.ie writer, solicitor and Mr Data Protection, Simon McGarr, explore the troubling phenomenon of politicians listening to faceless bots on social media instead of the genuine voices of the electorate. They look […]

Go to Podcast

A Government that Spends, But Doesn’t Invest in People

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “Politics should be about supporting the people, not gamesmanship” Was Budget 2027 really a “workers’ budget” Rory and Tony unpack the promises, pre-budget kites and political marketing behind it all. They examine the gap between the minimum wage and the living wage, the risks behind the new investment scheme for the so-called squeezed middle, and […]

Go to Podcast

We Don’t Want to Send Our Young People off to fight in foreign Wars

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “Removing the triple lock means Ireland is no longer neutral” In this Tortoise Shack episode, Tony and Senator Tom Clonan delve into Ireland’s military neutrality, ongoing government moves to abolish the triple lock, and the implications for Ireland’s foreign policy and defense. They explore the systemic issues and risks associated with ending Ireland’s historic peacekeeping […]

Go to Podcast

The Real Cost of Disability – Budget 2027 and a Call for Fairness

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “Build accessibility into everything from the ground up.” In this Tortoise Shack episode, Tony is joined by activist, campaigner and Co-Founder of Equality Not Care, Ann Marie Flanagan and Senior Accessibility Lead and Daddy, Brian Dalton, to explore the recent budget’s impact on disabled people, the true costs of disability, and the urgent need for […]

Go to Podcast

I Hate To See Anyone Suffer – A Paediatrician in Gaza

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Dr. Belal Adnan Abuiyada is a physician working in paediatrics in Gaza. Alongside his medical work, he writes on Instagram about life in Gaza, displacement, grief, memory, and the small moments of tenderness that endure. His writing offers a personal view of a place and a people too often described only through headlines. He joins […]

Go to Podcast

Burnham, Polanski, the Collapse of Neoliberalism and How a New Song Might Sound

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “Andy Burnham is a neoliberal to his very core. Let’s be blunt about this.” In this Tortoise Shack episode, listener favourite, Prof Richard Murphy, returns to talk about how he’s packing it all in because Andy Burnham has fixed everything without even putting together a budget. But while he’s here, we might as well discuss […]

Go to Podcast

The Spanish Elections – A Housing or Immigration Referendum?

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Will Pedro Sanchez win, but still lose? “Vox hates brown people” This Tortoise Shack episode jumps into a tumultuous few weeks in Spanish politics. It explores the complex political landscape, focusing on the runners, riders and far right nutters, who are all headed towards an election in less than two months. Is it a housing […]

Go to Podcast