# Politics, Posts & Power: Social Media Wars, Grooming Gangs & De-Extinction

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/afternoon-empire-with-ian-collins-1131640/politics-posts-power-social-media-wars-grooming-gangs-de-extinction
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/afternoon-empire-with-ian-collins-1131640/politics-posts-power-social-media-wars-grooming-gangs-de-extinction.md
Podcast: [Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins](https://stenobird.com/podcast/afternoon-empire-with-ian-collins-1131640)
Published: 2026-05-20T16:38:04+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/georgegallowaytalkshow/episodes/politics-posts-power-social-media-wars-grooming-gangs-de-ext
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/georgegallowaytalkshow/e/6a0dcae9d7997e788cf064af/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/afternoon-empire-with-ian-collins-1131640/episodes/politics-posts-power-social-media-wars-grooming-gangs-de-extinction
Duration seconds: 1966

## Resource

Is social media now deciding British politics? With online campaigns dominating the headlines and parties fighting for viral moments, we examine how X, TikTok and digital activism are reshaping elections, political narratives and public opinion. Gawain Towler from Reform UK and Adam Cherry from Guido Fawkes react to the growing influence of online politics, including the latest twists in the Makerfield by-election battle, after candidate Michael Kenyon’s X account was suspended amid mounting scrutiny around the contest. Meanwhile, Isabel Oakeshott discusses the newly announced grooming gangs inquiry, after ministers confirmed the investigation “will not ignore ethnicity”, reigniting debate around policing, political correctness and institutional failures. Plus, science writer Helen Pilcher joins to discuss the extraordinary breakthrough from Colossal Biosciences, which claims to have hatched chicks from artificial eggs as part of its de-extinction research programme. Could extinct species one day walk the Earth again? Social media politics, Makerfield chaos, grooming gangs inquiry, de-extinction science, artificial eggs breakthrough. Is Britain entering a completely new political and technological age? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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