New Economics Podcast

Almost three million people in the UK are unemployed and unable to work because they are ill or disabled. According to the right-wing media, these people aren’t nearly as unwell as they claim. Meanwhile a UN committee warned that disabled people in the UK are subjected to a “traumatising” benefits system. We have a social[...]

Britain’s favourite broadcaster David Attenborough once said: “Anyone who thinks you can have infinite growth in a finite environment is either a madman - or an economist.” But our political leaders don’t seem to agree. Both our major political parties have made growing the economy a key metric for their success in government. So what[...]

We’re waiting longer than ever for hospital appointments, our kids’ schools are literally crumbling, and homelessness has sky-rocketed in the past year. This week’s spring budget was a vital chance for chancellor Jeremy Hunt to respond to the huge problems our country is facing. But instead of trying to fix any of our problems, the[...]

Worried about your carbon emissions? Don’t stress! You can pump out as much as you want - as long as you buy some offsets to balance it out. Scared of the collapse of wildlife? No problem! We can figure out how much money our ecosystems are worth, and let the market do the rest! Welcome[...]

It’s 2024 and in Westminster an election is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Step back a little further and across the UK millions of us are more concerned with how we’ll afford to pay their sky-high rent or energy bills. Zoom out further again and we see a world where billions of people are[...]

The Metropolitan Police’s diversity and inclusion strategy claims it is determined to “eliminate racism and discrimination”. But the force was branded ‘institutionally racist’, and not for the first time, in an official report this spring. Recently, a Met firearms officer has been referred to prosecutors on a potential murder charge for shooting dead Black Londoner[...]

This spring, swimmers in Kent were told to avoid ten beaches in the county due to sewage leaks. Public outrage at sewage pouring into our rivers and beaches has so far focused on water companies. But is someone else to blame? The pipes that carry sewage in Kent are not owned by Southern Water, or[...]

The friend who has to cancel plans to look after their elderly mum. The colleague who leaves their phone on loud so they don’t miss a call about their disabled child. The neighbour you’ve barely seen since their partner’s diagnosis. We’re surrounded by people who are dealing with the challenges of caregiving, but they often[...]

As the chancellor stood up in Parliament to present his spring budget in March, half a million people went on strike to demand better from their bosses. Teachers, junior doctors, Tube drivers, civil servants and more all walked out of work, in the biggest day of strike action in over a decade. As the strikes[...]

Nurses struggling without PPE, the frantic search for hospital ventilators, even the dreaded ping from NHS test-and-trace. To most of us, these memories represent some of the worst of the Covid pandemic. But for a select few companies, they were an opportunity to make millions. Consultancy firms won over seven hundred million pounds worth of[...]

You can’t paint your walls, you can’t have a pet, you can’t guarantee you’ll have somewhere to live in six months time. Millions of us are paying sky-high rents but struggling to make a home in a housing system where safety and security takes second place to landlords’ profits. Some private tenants face mould and[...]

On a sunny day in January, a ghostly figure covered in green ribbons appeared on a moor in south-west England. It was a person dressed as Old Crockern, the guardian spirit of Dartmoor. He was greeted by 3000 people who had gathered to protest a court ruling that took away the right to wild camp[...]

Last year the UK had three different prime ministers, four different chancellors and five different housing ministers. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister for close to a decade, recently announced her resignation - and it’s not clear who will replace her. British politics now seems to be permanently tumultuous. And with a general election peeking over[...]

Note to listeners: this episode was prerecorded in September 2022. Over the last five episodes we’ve looked at how the UK is being torn apart. Our economy is built on huge inequalities: between working people and big business, between families and fossil fuel giants, between tenants and landlords, and between marginalised groups and law enforcement.[...]

Note to listeners: this episode was prerecorded in September 2022. This summer, on a small road in south-east London, a crowd of people prevented immigration officers from detaining a local man. Protestors sat on the ground in front of the van he was held in for hours, shouting “Let him go!”. From Pollokshields to Peckham,[...]

Note to listeners: this episode was prerecorded in September 2022. The cost of living scandal could force 1.7 million households into homelessness this winter, according to the charity Crisis. In the UK, we can no longer rely on social housing to protect people from sleeping rough or sofa-surfing. If you were alive in 1979, you[...]

Note to listeners: this episode was prerecorded in August 2022. 2022: a year of extremes. During the 40 degree summer heat, roads melted and railway lines buckled. The London Fire Brigade had its busiest day since the Blitz as record temperatures led to hundreds of fires across the city. When it finally rained a month[...]

Note to listeners: this episode was prerecorded in August 2022.  As the first week of rail strikes came to an end in June, Google searches for the phrase “join union” had increased by 184%. News channels and politicians didn’t seem to know what to make of the broad public support for the striking rail[...]

In this mini-series of the New Economics Podcast, we’ll discover how our economy has been run over the past few years - and look at the key battlegrounds for those fighting to change the rules. Over the last few years, neoliberalism – the economic model that has dominated since Margaret Thatcher was PM – has[...]

Outside of the frenzied headlines about woke warriors cancelling Jane Austen and stately homes, we’re living in a period of renewed consideration of Britain’s colonial history. The British Empire began before the English Civil War, and shaped our country for 400 years. At its height, it covered almost a quarter of the entire world’s population.[...]

What do you get the guy who has everything? A 44 billion dollar social media platform apparently. Elon Musk has already been accused of union busting, shot a car into space, and become the world’s richest man. So what’s next on his to-do list? Buying Twitter of course! From Mark Zuckerberg to Elon Musk, should[...]

In the early months of the pandemic, the government shut down whole sectors of the economy and started paying the wages of a huge proportion of Brits. Some worked from home, juggling homeschooling their kids and figuring out how to use Zoom. Others risked their health to travel to work. Meanwhile Big Tech and outsourcing[...]

A few weeks ago the chancellor presided over a spring budget which ushered in the fastest drop in living standards on record, as he told us that we “can’t protect everyone”. But this week it was revealed that his wife has avoided paying around £20 million in tax, due to her non-dom status. Accused of[...]

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, over 4 million people have fled the country. Earlier this month Priti Patel announced a visa application centre had been established en route to Calais for Ukrainians trying to come to the UK. But the centre never existed. Days later, the Home Office said it was actually[...]

At the time of recording, hundreds, and possibly thousands, of civilians have been killed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and more than 2.5m Ukranians have fled the country. The Russian army has been accused of war crimes after bombing a maternity hospital in the south. Allies of the Ukrainian president say that Russia will only[...]

2022 has been dubbed the ‘year of the squeeze’ by the Resolution Foundation. In April, soaring energy bills will collide with tax increases for working people. Last month grocery prices rose at their fastest rate in eight years, and inflation is at its highest level in almost three decades. When the media talk about the[...]

Families are bracing for less and less money to get by as energy bills rise this spring. In the fifth richest country in the world, pensioners are skipping meals so they can afford their heating bills, and parents are only switching the heating on when their children are at home. At the same time, fossil[...]

Coronavirus cases are once again rising in Europe and across the world. The World Health Organisation has said that countries shouldn’t be giving out booster jabs for the rest of the year, but in the UK we’re offering third shots to people as young as 40. Meanwhile, only 3% of people in low-income countries have[...]

A record number of employees have quit their jobs in recent months, in what’s been dubbed the Great Resignation. Newspapers report that it’s part of post-Covid demand for flexible working and better work life balance. After last year, where up to a quarter of the UK workforce was paid not to work through the furlough[...]

In August this year Jake Davison, a 22-year-old from Plymouth, went on a shooting rampage that left six dead, including his mother and himself. In the aftermath it emerged that Davison had been a member of ‘incel’ forums online. He’s not the first mass shooter to have links to online groups espousing extreme hatred of[...]

If you read mainstream media coverage of the issues facing transgender people in the UK, you’ll see a lot of fevered discussion of pronouns, bathroom access, and confusing legislation like the Gender Recognition Act. The media tells one story - but the other side of the coin is that half of trans people in the[...]

At the height of the pandemic, politicians promised to do whatever it took to keep the economy going, and introduced emergency support like the furlough scheme. But now those measures have been cut and the conversation has turned to “fixing the public finances”, ending “reckless borrowing'' and preventing “soaring debt”. The word austerity hasn’t featured[...]

In a few weeks’ time, 25,000 people will descend on Glasgow. They are coming for the UN climate summit, also known as Cop26. The delegates might not have the pleasure of sampling the city’s mac-and-cheese pies or a dram of whiskey. Instead they will meet with others from around the world to try and agree[...]

The UK has the draughtiest and oldest housing in Western Europe. And our gas boilers pump out twice as much carbon dioxide as all of the country’s power stations. Do we need to upgrade the UK’s homes? Why is our housing powering the climate crisis? And how can we make sure everyone’s home is warm,[...]

Over 11m people have been furloughed in the last 16 months, and almost 6m are currently on universal credit. But over the next week, the government’s main emergency policies to help people through the pandemic will end. People on furlough will find out if their jobs are still waiting for them, and people on universal[...]

This week a controversial deportation flight took off for Jamaica. Legal challenges meant that only a tenth of the 90 people due to be deported were on the plane. The planned deportation included people whose lawyers said they had a right to stay in the UK under the Windrush rules, or who had arrived in[...]

With the COP26 global climate conference coming up later this year, we’re spending five episodes this series looking at pressing climate issues. In this episode we’re talking about taking the fossil fuel industry to court. Last week, a government spokesperson said that we should freeze leftover bread and stop rinsing dishes before we put them[...]

With the COP26 global climate conference coming up later this year, we’re spending five episodes this series looking at pressing climate issues. In this episode we’re talking fast fashion. Summer is here and Love Island is all over the telly. The show’s sexy singles are competing for big prize money, and the inevitable sponsorship deals[...]

With the COP26 global climate conference coming up later this year, we’re spending five episodes this series looking at some of the biggest climate issues. In this episode we’re talking about a just transition. Last week, the prime minister travelled to Coventry to set out his post-pandemic vision for the country. It was anticipated as[...]

With the COP26 global climate conference coming up later this year, we’re going to spend five episodes this series looking at some of the biggest climate issues. We kicked things off last week with Alice Bell explaining everything you need to know about greenwashing. This week the conversation is about the climate movement with activists[...]

With the COP26 global climate conference coming up later this year, we’re going to spend the next five episodes of the podcast looking at some of the biggest climate issues – starting this week with greenwashing. Last month 20 young people and scientists attempted to occupy London’s Science Museum. They were protesting the fact that[...]

Throughout the spring, hundreds of thousands of people across the country marched, signed petitions, and spoke out against the catchily-titled Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. Critics say the Bill would curb our freedom of speech and assembly by giving the police new powers to crack down on protest. The Bill was successfully delayed -[...]

This week, the front page of the Daily Mail screamed “Outrage as Oxford students plan to axe queen”. In reality, a group of postgrads voted to take down a portrait of the queen in a single common room, in a single Oxford college, because of the portrait’s association with the UK’s colonial history. Whether it’s[...]

There’s a new president in the Oval Office and he’s ready to make some changes. Joe Biden wants the start of his presidency to be defined by rejoining the Paris climate agreement, vaccinating the country against Covid-19, and pulling the American economy out of a crisis. But will this be enough to tackle the problems[...]

There are just eight months left until the UK hosts the UN Climate Conference. And despite Boris Johnson’s insistence that we will have a green recovery from the pandemic, in the last month there have been a number of climate related controversies, including around the construction of a new coal mine in Cumbria, the Leeds[...]

Last week a video circulated of 800 people queuing for a food bank in Wembley. Volunteers at the London Community Kitchen said that the number was not uncommon. In Rishi Sunak’s recent budget, he announced that the furlough scheme and the temporary £20 increase to universal credit would continue until the autumn. But even with[...]

From the A-level algorithm scandal, to parents taking on YouTube, to making Facebook and Google pay for news, people are fighting back against the way big tech companies and governments use our data. So what are companies like Google and Facebook actually doing with our personal data? Is the pandemic being used to surrender our[...]

We were supposed to have cast off the shackles of EU rules around farming and fishing. Brexit was sold as a ‘sea of opportunity’. And yet, tonnes of British meat have been left rotting at European ports, while Scottish fishers have had to make a 72-hour round trip to land their catch in Denmark. The[...]

By the middle of January, 49 wealthy countries had administered 39 million doses of the Covid vaccine. But the world’s poorest countries had only done 25 jabs, all of them in just one country: Guinea. Not 25 million, not 25,000 - just 25. Why can’t some countries get hold of the vaccine? Why are rich[...]

Meagre food packages for kids on free school meals. A £22bn track and trace system that isn’t fit for purpose. And people asked to travel hundreds of miles for a Covid test. What do all of these things have in common? They’ve all been outsourced to the private sector. But why are these vital services[...]

From Sports Direct warehouses to nail bars, awareness-raising campaigns warn that modern slavery is happening all around us. Over Christmas, fashion brand Boohoo cut ties with 64 garment suppliers in Leicester after it came out that factories were paying their workers as little as £3.50 an hour. And this month the foreign secretary said he[...]

Joe Biden has defeated Donald Trump to win the US election. Test results from around the world suggest that a coronavirus vaccine is on the horizon. Over the past month there have been more bright spots than usual in a difficult, painful year. At the same time, with the number of coronavirus deaths at their[...]

Setting up a desk area in the kitchen, Zoom call-induced headaches, or getting furloughed and paid to not do any work - this year has shaken up the world of work like never before. The pandemic has made us reimagine how work fits into our economy and our lives. So, with 79% of business leaders[...]

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said that Britain faces new tax rises in the wake of the pandemic. But over the summer Labour’s shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds warned against increasing taxes during an economic crisis. Meanwhile, new research has found that increasing numbers of Tory voters are in favour of higher taxes. So, what do Labour[...]

The US presidential election is less than a fortnight away - and Donald Trump and Joe Biden are pulling out all the stops to get the votes. But after a chaotic debate forced moderators to cut the candidates’ mics to stop them interrupting each other, it’s hard to get a grip on what messages they’re[...]

Brexit - remember it? Way back in the distant past of 2019 it felt like it was all the newspapers could talk about. It might feel like it’s done and dusted, but the process is still rumbling on. We’ve got an Internal Market Bill that the government itself admits will break international law. MPs just[...]

“We want to build back greener as we recover from Covid-19” - that was the message this week at the Prime Minister’s Conservative Party Conference speech. But in all the talk of wind turbines and technology, the place of care in our economic recovery didn’t really get a look in. Why is care often so[...]

Our track-and-trace system will be “world-beating”. The development of the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine is “months ahead” of its competitors around the world. This is how politicians and the media have been talking about our lines of defence against the coronavirus pandemic. But when facing up to a global problem that connects us all, why is[...]

Amid the coronavirus crisis, the number of people becoming members of a union has skyrocketed. Unison reported 65,000 new members since the start of the year, and in the last six months, 50,000 people have joined the National Education Union. The TUC worked with the chancellor to create the furlough scheme, and teaching unions were[...]

It’s a cliche by now to say that Covid-19 has upended our economy. Industries have ground to a halt, and are only just beginning to start up again. Just this week the UK plunged into recession, with the worst drop in GDP of any G7 nation. But what about outside the G7? How have the[...]

We’re facing two global crises. We have scientific evidence for how to deal with both of them, but governments aren’t acting quickly enough. They both show how we are all more connected than we previously thought. And to tackle them will require massive changes in how we run our economy. The first problem is Covid-19.[...]

For most of the last decade, the Conservative government has said they want to cut government spending to balance the books as they rolled out austerity nationwide. But since the start of lockdown, something seems to have changed. The chancellor keeps saying “this is not the time for ideology” as he announces new, expensive schemes[...]

It feels like every day there are new dire predictions of the state of the UK economy and jobs. Last week we discovered that the number of paid employees in Britain has plunged by 650,000 since the start of the pandemic. As the furlough scheme winds down, the Office for Budget Responsibility says 1.4 million[...]

At the end of June Keir Starmer said of Black Lives Matter protesters in an interview: “Nobody should be saying anything about defunding the police.” At the same time, the UK government announced four new prisons. Olympic athlete Bianca Williams has said she felt like “being black is a crime” after she was stopped and[...]

The end of June marked the anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush Generation in the UK, and sparked renewed conversations about the Hostile Environment. It’s been reported that UK immigration policies have stopped migrants from getting healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite a government exemption from immigration checks and fees. Just this week, MPs[...]

The death of George Floyd three weeks ago at the hands of Minneapolis police officers sparked a fresh wave of Black Lives Matter protests across the world. In the US, calls to defund the police have won victories and across Europe leaders are taking down statues of slave traders and reviewing national school curricula. Here[...]

10,000 care home residents have died from Covid-19, more than a third of all Covid-19 deaths. On Wednesday it was reported that the death toll is likely to be double the official figure. The death rate amongst social care staff is double that of the general working age population. So the big question is; what’s[...]

Between the lack of PPE for key workers, growing numbers forced onto universal credit, and worries about worker safety both now and after lockdown, there’s plenty to be angry about. So has Covid-19 led to a new wave of organising? What does organising look like under lockdown? How does the boom in mutual aid networks[...]

In the last few months we’ve seen the government promise billions in support for people and businesses impacted by coronavirus. Supporters of austerity claim the last decade of cuts is what enabled the government to put money into these schemes now. But is this true? Some of our public services were barely able to cope,[...]

The lockdown period has been extended for at least another three weeks. Schools and nurseries remain closed, except to a few children. Many parents are at home trying to balance work with looking after their kids. But some are still being asked to pay for childcare they aren’t using. And some childcare staff are still[...]

During lockdown, the message everywhere is to stay home. But what should you do, when you don’t have a secure place to live? At the end of last month, the government gave councils 48 hours to house all rough sleepers in their areas. There was also a temporary ban on evictions put in place and[...]

As nationwide lockdown continues and parts of the economy grind to a halt, the chancellor has announced a package of measures to support people struggling with the economic fallout of coronavirus. But is it enough? Or have 10 years of cuts broken our social security system beyond repair? The Weekly Economics Podcast is back, to[...]

Last week, the big red briefcase was handed over to new Chancellor, Rishi Sunak. But many of Sunak’s Budget promises were overshadowed by new measures to deal with the coronavirus. With the stock market hitting a four-year low, the outbreak is pushing us towards recession. So what do we know about the government’s economic plans?[...]

The election is just around the corner and the outcome will determine the future of the country, and the shape of the economy. So what are the parties planning to do if they win power? How radical are their policies? And what are the differences in their economic agenda? For our last episode of 2019[...]

The childcare system in England is broken. Our nurseries are among the most expensive in the world, but our childcare professionals are some of the lowest paid workers in society. For a long time, government policy on childcare has been badly thought out and severely underfunded. More recently, big international chains have moved into the[...]

Our public services are in dire need of investment. The question of how much investment has loomed large over the first weeks of the election campaign. But in the middle of a debate over competing spending plans, isn’t it also time to ask what we want our public services to actually do for us? That’s[...]

How did the word immigrant become such a loaded term? How did the public conversation about immigration become so toxic? And is there another way forward – an alternative to the hostile environment? This week we're at SOAS, part of the University of London, with a live audience and Maya Goodfellow, author of the new[...]

We're away this week recording our exciting live event with Maya Goodfellow for the podcast next week. In the meantime we're listening back to a live episode we recorded in April. Safiya Umoja Noble is an associate professor at UCLA and author of Algorithms of Oppression: How Algorithms Reinforce Racism. She joined Kirsty Styles for[...]

Some common lines you’ll hear about the economy: we all put money in, or take it out. Some people pay their fair share, but others don’t. We can’t overspend – putting public spending on the national credit card would be irresponsible. But not all of those lines are strictly true and the way we talk[...]

It’s one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. But unlike the phone, the car, computers and indoor plumbing, the weekend is still stuck in the 1930s. As productivity increased, the promise of shorter working hours always seemed just out of reach. But now, there’s a campaign to make the 4-day week a[...]

More and more of us are renting for longer – not by choice, but by necessity. In cities especially, more people are renting into their thirties, forties and beyond, sometimes raising children in rented flats with no long-term security. But what if we could do something about it? Could rent controls be the answer? With[...]

It’s the story we’re all told when we’re growing up. Work hard at school so you can get into a good university. Work hard at university so you can get a good job. Get a masters degree – taking on more student debt – if you really want to mark yourself out. Work hard at[...]

This week the UK got a new prime minister, and the Conservative party got a new leader. After nine years in government, will this be a pivotal moment in history, or a last gasp? Apart from a more hard-line stance on Brexit and a few Winston Churchill statuettes, what will the new PM be bringing[...]

If you’ve been listening to the Weekly Economics Podcast for a while, you’ll know that we think there’s much more to economics than GDP. But it still dominates the way politicians and much of the press talk about the economy. Now though, there are lots of new proposals for measuring what counts. So what should[...]

The polls show that while previous generations became more conservative with age, millennials are staying left wing for longer. And age and education now seem to be the big dividing line in our politics, replacing class as the key division. So what’s going on? And what are the political implications of Generation Left? That’s our[...]

It’s been a busy year for the climate movement since last summer’s scorching heatwave. Extinction Rebellion shut down the streets, the school strikes saw thousands of young people take a stand, and the Green New Deal has shot to the top of the political agenda – for now, at least. Last month Parliament passed a[...]

Last month, the owner of a chain of British hi-fi shops did something unusual. Julian Richer, the founder of Richer Sounds, gave away control of the company to the employees, and even gave them each a £1,000 cash bonus for every year they’ve worked there. It’s a rare move for company owners to give up[...]

Algorithms have a huge influence on the way that we see the world. We increasingly understand news through social media — as libraries shut down more of our knowledge is found with the click of a search engine rather than in books or classrooms. But the algorithms that underpin our every interaction with the digital world are[...]

It’s been 4 years since Kirsty Styles and James Meadway told the story of neoliberalism, from Hayek to Thatcher to the end of history. But now, the band is back together, alongside NEF chief executive Miatta Fahnbulleh. It’s 2019, the world is on fire, and it’s time to change the rules. Music by Christian Bjoerklund,[...]

Kirsty Styles and James Meadway talk about the alternatives to neoliberalism. This episode was recorded back in August 2015, which feels like a million years ago. We still think it's worth listening to, but a lot has changed since then. The good news is, James and Kirsty will be back for a brand new update[...]

James Meadway and Kirsty Styles discuss how neoliberalism lives on today. This episode was recorded back in August 2015 and a lot has changed since then. The good news is James and Kirsty will be back for a brand new episode in a couple of weeks’ time, telling the story of the backlash against neoliberalism[...]

James Meadway and Kirsty Styles explain how neoliberalism took hold in the UK in the 1980s. Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF! Music by Chris Zabriskie (www.chriszabriskie.com), sanmi (www.freemusicarchive.org/music/sanmi) and Christian Bjoerklund (www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Christ…n_Bjoerklund) used under Creative Commons Licence. The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics[...]

James Meadway and Kirsty Styles explain how neoliberalism came to dominate economies around the globe. Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF! Music by Chris Zabriskie (www.chriszabriskie.com), sanmi (freemusicarchive.org/music/sanmi/) and Christian Bjoerklund (freemusicarchive.org/music/Christian_Bjoerklund/) used under Creative Commons Licence. The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation[...]

Economist James Meadway and journalist Kirsty Styles continue their 6-part miniseries about neoliberalism. In part 2, they tell the story of how the once obscure ideas of theorist Friedrich Hayek moved from the fringe to the mainstream, ushering in the age of neoliberalism. Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF! Music by[...]

For the next 6 weeks, we’re doing something a bit different. We’re telling the story of neoliberalism, from the beginning. We call it A Beginner’s Guide to Neoliberalism. We first ran the series back in 2015, but it’s as relevant as ever. It’s presented by the journalist Kirsty Styles alongside James Meadway, who at the[...]

Knife crime is at a nine-year high. Everyone agrees: something must be done. Some politicians want more police on the streets, or tougher sentences. Others want cuts to mental health services to be reversed. One MP has suggested every knife in Britain should have a built-in GPS tracker – good luck with that. But knife[...]

It’s hard to listen to the news at the moment without hearing some kind of warning about economy. Nearly all of those warnings focus on one thing – Brexit. It’s true that lots of people think Brexit is risky – but in the clamour to define what Brexit means, could we be blindsided by something[...]

We’re away this week, but in the meantime thought we’d listen back to one of our favourite episodes from last year. If house prices are too high for people to be able to buy houses, how can we bring them down? And can we do it without upsetting homeowners and crashing the economy? Beth Stratford[...]

The Green New Deal has rocketed to the top of the agenda in the US. It's an ambitious plan, spearheaded by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to decarbonise the US economy and eliminate economic insecurity at the same time. But in fact the Green New Deal has some of its origins here at the New Economics Foundation. So[...]

Public ownership is back on the agenda. Opinion polls show high levels of support for taking all kinds of things back into public hands, from the railways to water to energy, and the Labour party is committed to a vast expansion of public ownership. But if privatisation has failed, what kind of public ownership should[...]

The Windrush scandal outraged the nation last year. But last week the Home Office reinstated deportation flights to Jamaica for criminal offenders who they say are foreign nationals. Meanwhile, parliament passed a new immigration bill last month, promising to control the “number and type” of people coming to the UK. The home secretary came under[...]

This Thursday is Time To Talk Day, a day meant to encourage people to talk about mental health. But what are the wider social and economic factors that are causing poor mental health in the first place? Is the economy itself damaging our mental health? Is modern life making us sick? Ayeisha Thomas-Smith talks to[...]

Last week saw a record number of the world's elite flying their private jets to Davos for the World Economic Forum. Oxfam reported that in the 10 years since the financial crisis, the number of billionaires around the world has nearly doubled. It’s fair to say, the economy isn’t working for everyone. Every week on[...]

Two years ago, nurses and doctors warned that the annual NHS winter crisis was now 'the new normal'. In the cold weather, hospitals were overwhelmed by patients that they did not have the space to treat. But we've had a milder winter this year. Is the same true for the health service? Two weeks ago,[...]

Grace Blakeley argues the case for 'Lexit' (a left-wing exit from the European Union) while Laurie Macfarlane thinks 'Remain and Reform' is our best option. With a vote on the Prime Minister's deal imminent, what are the options? Paul Mason recently described Lexit – the leftwing case for Brexit – as a political fantasy, but[...]

Can populism be progressive, and what role did it play in the US mid-terms this year? We’ll be back with a brand new series in the new year, but in the meantime we wanted to bring you something a bit different: the best bits from a live event hosted by the New Economy Organisers Network[...]

We’ve just had a few days of respite from the craziest temperatures, but this summer’s heatwave has felt unusual. Parks turning to dust and reservoirs running out. Record temperatures and sweeping fires. It feels as though, this summer, we’ve had a glimpse at what our ‘new normal’ might look like. It’s a disaster on a[...]

Last week the Bank of England moved interest rates to their highest level in almost a decade. If you’ve got a mortgage, it might get more expensive. If you’ve got savings, you might get a bit more interest on your money. Does this tell us anything about what the Bank of England thinks is going[...]

Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump; Erdogan in Turkey and the Five Star Movement in Italy; Podemos in Spain and Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines. All of them have been described as populists. But what does ‘populism’ actually mean? How can it include people with wildly different ideologies under the same umbrella? Is it possible to[...]

There are troubling signs that the new data-driven economy is inheriting all the same problems as the old one: power imbalances, monopolies and a lack of accountability. How gloomy should we be? Will technology inevitably lead us to a digital dystopia? Or could there be a whole range of potential futures, some of them shiny[...]

In between the resignations and the reshuffles, what have we learned about about where Brexit will go next? Much of the focus has been on the response to the deal the prime minister reached with her cabinet at Chequers, but what was in the deal itself? How practical is the government’s position on Brexit? And[...]

Is British shopping in crisis? Major names are struggling or closing down, nearly 22,000 jobs are at risk, and the UK now has an estimated 1,800 fewer high street shops than it had a year ago. Are we all just moving online and shopping from our sofas, or is this a sign that our economy[...]

One of the most fashionable economic ideas of the past decade has been ‘nudge’ theory – the idea that a little prod from government can encourage us to change our behaviour and be better citizens, maybe without even realising it. Meanwhile, good old-fashioned regulation seems to have been decidedly out of favour with recent governments[...]

Happy birthday, NHS! That was the message from the prime minister last week, as she announced an extra £20bn of funding for the NHS in England by 2023. But is that enough? And where will the money come from? There’s been talk of a ‘Brexit dividend’ – does that mean the infamous battle bus promise[...]

The fire at Grenfell Tower a year ago last week was, above all, a tragedy for its residents, their friends, and their families. It’s also come to symbolise a deeper crisis in British society – at least in the eyes of many people. On this week's podcast, we’re giving you an update on what we’ve[...]

Papers destroyed by the Home Office. Forced out of work. Denied cancer treatment. Held in detention. Deported. Those are just a few of the terrible stories we’ve heard about the treatment of the Windrush generation over the past few months. We’ve had a change of Home Secretary, but will there be a change in policy?[...]

Universal basic income – an idea that almost no one had heard of just a few years ago – is now one of the most fashionable concepts in progressive politics. With automation increasing and wages stagnating, the theory is that giving everyone a set amount of money each year will liberate them to do what[...]

A nerve agent attack on an ex-Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury has led to a retaliation by the UK government – expelling diplomats and ramping up a war of words. With Putin winning another huge election victory last week, some people are worried that we’re entering a new Cold War. Meanwhile, UK gas[...]

It’s one of the biggest contradictions in British politics. Across the country, baby boomers who own a house cheer as the value of their property rises. Meanwhile their millennial children watch on in horror, as owning their own home increasingly falls out of their reach. Politicians talk about building more homes but very few of[...]

Universities up and down the country have been shutting down as lecturers have walked out, arguing that the changes to their pension schemes could leave them thousands of pounds a year worse off in retirement. If you don’t know the difference between your defined benefits and your defined contributions, getting your head round the issues[...]

As the Guardian's US correspondent, Gary Younge documented America’s social and economic challenges, the role of race in the country’s politics, and the deadly consequences of US gun laws. Now the Guardian’s editor-at-large, Gary took an unusual approach to covering the 2016 presidential election, reporting from one small town in Indiana, called Muncie, nicknamed ‘Middletown,[...]

Technology is transforming the world of money. Or at least that’s what the Bitcoin junkies would have you believe. They say digital currencies have arrived and are about to revolutionise the way we buy things. But recent downturns in their prices have led some to wonder whether digital currencies have fuelled a dangerous speculative bubble[...]

There's been a panic in the stock markets in recent weeks after the Dow Jones plunged more than 1000 points on a single Monday in the first week of February. When the stock market plunges should we all be worried? Or does it only affect those wealthy enough to be trading? This week, Ayeisha Thomas-Smith[...]

Brexit dominates the news agenda. But with all the talk of the single market, impact assessments and trade deals, it sometimes feels as if this debate is only happening in the comment pages of newspapers, or the corridors of Westminster. What happened to the people? The Weekly Economics Podcast is back with a special episode:[...]

Chancellor Philip Hammond got out his red box out again last week, to let us know how the country's finances are – or aren't – holding up, and what the Government's going to be doing with its money this year. The headlines were mixed, so what should our take-away be? Will the Chancellor's proposals be[...]

Pro-Brexit campaigners have argued leaving the EU means Britain can "take control" of its fisheries. But what does Brexit really mean for fishing communities, and for the future of our fish stocks? This week, Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Fernanda Balata, Senior Programme Lead for Coastal Economies at the New Economics Foundation, Griffin Carpenter, NEF[...]

The single market. The customs union. Making a deal with the EU or leaving on WTO terms. There’s a lot of jargon to contend with when we’re discussing the economics of Brexit. Sometimes it feels like we get so caught up in pretending we know what it all means that we forget to talk about[...]

Politicians and economists have increasingly been talking about the risks of a future where robots make all of our jobs obsolete. But is that future already upon us? And in the meantime, are big companies using technology to create 21st century workhouses with bad conditions and even worse pay? In this episode from the archives,[...]

Last month, Transport for London announced it was withdrawing ride-hailing firm Uber's license to operate in the capital. Despite complaints over passenger safety and poor treatment of drivers, many Londoners came to Uber's defence, valuing its convenience. But what if we could build something better than Uber – something that is just as convenient and[...]

A characteristic feature of British society in 2017 is division. Leavers are pitched against Remainers, young against old, graduates against non-graduates. But perhaps the starkest way of understanding social division in the UK is to consider the places where people live. A new report by the New Economics Foundation and Professor Will Jennings shows how[...]

After its recent ban in Scotland, fracking is firmly back on the media and political agendas. But is fracking a necessary economics boost for the country, or an environmental disaster we should avoid at all costs? This week host Ayeisha Thomas-Smith welcomes back NEF’s Environment Lead, David Powell alongside Weekly Economics Podcast newbie Hanna Wheatley,[...]

We’re in the midst of political party conference season and we've already had more headlines and drama than most years... But apart from politicos and journalists gossiping about party splits, are the party conferences actually offering any answers to the problems this country faces? Lots of the headlines have been about internal disagreements in Labour[...]

This week we're bringing you something a bit different - the first episode of a new podcast miniseries from our friends at the Centre for Labour and Social Studies (or CLASS for short). It's called CLASS on Class, and made by the same production team behind the Weekly Economics Podcast. Dr Faiza Shaheen presents an[...]

As large swathes of the Caribbean have been left devastated by Hurricane Irma, the issue of climate change is once again back on the global news agenda. It’s easy to feel defeated when the environmental crises we face are so immediate and huge. But action is urgently needed. In this special edition of the Weekly[...]

The housing crisis is a hot topic at the moment. We often talk about who can buy, sell and rent houses - and how much they cost - but we rarely talk about the land beneath them. Lots of land in the UK is owned by the government and local authorities - public land. But[...]

For years ‘industrial strategy’ wasn’t talked about at all. But the phrase has recently made a comeback. The government thinks there are some ‘long term challenges’ for the economy in this country, and they need to get involved to do something about them. Host Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by NEF's Senior Economist Sara Mahmoud and[...]

Personal debt is at record levels with one in six of us at risk of a debt crisis. Credit cards, overdrafts and payday loans are propping up households across the country as wages continue to fall in real terms. And many people are struggling under the pressure of paying back what they owe. But what[...]

Big data. It’s one of those terms that’s far more widely used than it is understood. What is it? And just as importantly – who benefits from it? To get the full picture on big data, we are joined this week by a special guest – Will Davies, Director of the Political Economy Research Centre[...]

The latest episode of the Weekly Economics Podcast asks whether The Great Repeal Bill will mean we 'take back control' of our laws. Stepping in for our host Ayeisha Thomas-Smith this week is producer Huw Jordan, who will be trying to make sense of the 'Great' Repeal Bill and the legal tangle of Britain leaving[...]

What more does the environment have to do to become an election issue? Joining our host Ayeisha Thomas-Smith this week are Dave Powell, Subject Lead on Environment at the New Economics Foundation, Fernanda Balata, who leads NEF's work on coastal economies and Andrew Pendleton, Principal Director of Policy and Advocacy at NEF to discuss the[...]

6 out of 10 of us now think the NHS is one of the biggest issues facing Britain - the highest level of concern for 15 years. This week we're joined by Allyson Pollock, Director of the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University, Sarah Lyall, Social Policy Lead at the New Economics Foundation[...]

Elections are supposed to be won and lost on economics. But in the recent general election here in the UK, interrupted by terrorist attacks in Manchester and London and coming a year after the EU referendum, some people have said that the economy had dropped down the agenda. But is that true? What role did[...]

Politicians and economists have increasingly been talking about the risks of a future where robots make all of our jobs obsolete. But is that future already upon us? And in the meantime, are big companies using technology to create 21st century workhouses with bad conditions and even worse pay? Joining Ayeisha this week are Stefan[...]

The triggering of Article 50 has dominated the news this week, and NEF Chief Executive Marc Stears makes a special guest appearance to give his take on what is in store as the process unfolds. Also on the agenda is devolution. Rachel Laurence and Annie Quick join Laurie Macfarlane to discuss inequality, democracy and the[...]

Britain is in the grips of a full blown housing crisis. Even if you're not struggling to meet your mortgage payments or at the mercy of a dodgy landlord, the UK's debt-fuelled property boom isn't good news for any of us. But guess what? There's a solution! Alice Martin, our resident housing expert, is back[...]

Breaking: Article 50 will be triggered on Wednesday 29 March, kick-starting the formal, two-year process of Britain's departure from the EU. That's what we're talking about this week. How will the negotiations play out? Can we expect big ructions in global financial markets? What will the biggest issues be and how will they be resolved?[...]

Last week was the Spring Budget, and as ever, we had experts from NEF on hand to cast a critical eye over the Chancellor’s announcements. Is the UK’s economic forecast as sunny as Philip Hammond would have us believe? On top of our usual features and analysis, tune in to hear whether our guests are[...]

We're back and kicking off our new series with President Trump - the end of economics as we know it, or Republican business as usual? Our new presenter, Ayeisha Thomas-Smith, is joined by New Economics Foundation regulars Alice Martin, Laurie Macfarlane and Stephen Devlin. As well as Trump, we talk news from the last week[...]

A message from Huw and James at the Weekly Economics Podcast - we need your help! Over the last two years the podcast has gone from strength to strength, and we want to come back bigger and better than ever in 2017. Help us do that by filling out a short, 5 minute survey. Link's[...]

The final episode of the year and Kirsty's last show as she moves on to a new job in Manchester! Programme editor Huw Jordan chats to Kirsty about the highlights and lowlights during her two years hosting the Weekly Economics Podcast, with a little help from her niece Emily. Featuring contributions from Olivier Vardakoulias, Caroline[...]

How do we combat hate and racism in British society and really take control of the agenda around migration in 2017? Marc Stears, Chief Executive at the New Economics Foundation, is joined by Nazek Ramadan of Migrant Voice and John Page from Hope Not Hate. This is the final episode of a special six-part series[...]

Britain's coastal communities registered some of the strongest votes for Brexit back in June. How can we really give them control of their lives, economies and natural resources? This week Kirsty is joined by NEF's Fernanda Balata, Blue New Deal project lead, and Andrew Binnie of COAST (Community of Arran Seabed Trust). Part of a[...]

Have we lost control of housing in the UK and how do we really take control of the places we live? With Seb Klier and Alice Martin. Part of a special six-part series asking how we can create a new economy where people can really take control of their lives. The New Economics Foundation on[...]

How can we really take control of work and our working lives? With Elly Baker and Duncan McCann. Part of a special six-part series asking how we can create a new economy where people can really take control of their lives. The New Economics Foundation on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NEF Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Duncan McCann[...]

How can we really take control of our environment in a post-Brexit world? With Ruth Davis and David Powell. Part of a special six-part series asking how we can create a new economy where people can really take control of their lives. The New Economics Foundation on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NEF Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Dave[...]

'Take back control' has been the slogan of the year. But what does it mean? Who's got control now? And how can we create a new economy where people can really take control of their lives? Christine Berry, Principal Director for Policy and Government at the New Economics Foundation, joins Kirsty to discuss the Foundation's[...]

'Take back control' has been the slogan of the year. But what does it mean? Who's got control now? And how can we create a new economy where people can really take control of their lives? Tune in next Monday for the start of this special six-part series.

People all over the UK have lost belief in our democracy as a way of solving their problems. But why have so many people lost faith? And how do we go about rebuilding it? Marc Stears, Chief Executive of NEF, joins Kirsty for our last episode of the series. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics[...]

The latest State of Nature report, released last week, revealed UK species are becoming increasingly endangered. But what's to blame? NEF's David Powell joins Kirsty to explain. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 David Powell on Twitter: twitter.com/powellds Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF:[...]

With Sports Direct last week announcing plans to ban notorious zero-hour contracts and improve workers' representation, is big business about to change its ways? Dr Faiza Shaheen, Director of think tank Class, joins Kirsty this week. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Faiza Shaheen on Twitter:[...]

Last week Apple was ordered to pay up to £11bn in fines over a sweetheart tax deal with Ireland. But did they actually break the law? Who was at fault? And why should it matter to the rest of us? Natasha Adams, Tax Campaign Manager at ActionAid, joins Kirsty to explain. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef[...]

The latest GDP figures were out last week, but how would they be different if we starting measuring unpaid work? Polly Trenow joins Kirsty to discuss. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Polly Trenow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pollytrenow Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw[...]

What does the Deliveroo drivers' strike mean for the future of the sharing economy - and the future of work? Alice Martin, economy and finance researcher at NEF, is interviewed by guest host Ellie Mae O'Hagan. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Ellie Mae O'Hagan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/misselliemae Produced by James[...]

Is it all over for the UK's first new nuclear power station in two decades? This week's special guest is NEF's David Powell. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Music this week by Zreen Toyz, Podington[...]

The Bank of England have cut interest rates and announced more quantitative easing to avoid a post-Brexit economic slowdown. Will it be enough? Kirsty is joined this week by Fran Boait, Director of Positive Money. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Fran Boait on Twitter: www.twitter.com/franboait[...]

Does Brexit really mean the end of free movement of people between the UK and the rest of the EU? And what are the possible consequences for the UK economy? NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Olivier Vardakoulias on Twitter: www.twitter.com/o_vardakoulias Produced by James Shield. Programme[...]

New Prime Minister, new cabinet, new economic strategy? Laurie Macfarlane, Economist at the New Economics Foundation, joins Kirsty to predict what Theresa May and Philip Hammond have planned for the UK economy. Recorded on Thursday 21 July, 2016. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Laurie MacFarlane[...]

Recorded on the Monday after the Brexit vote, NEF economist Olivier Vardakoulias joins Kirsty to talk about what happens next. Help the show by leaving a review: www.getpodcast.reviews/id/970353148 Recorded on Monday 27 June, 2016. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Olivier Vardakoulias on Twitter: www.twitter.com/o_vardakoulias Produced[...]

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas and John Hilary, Executive Director of War On Want, join Kirsty for our first debate, on the EU Referendum, taking place this Thursday 23rd June. Recorded on Monday 13 June, 2016. Transcript available at: www.jshield.co.uk/post/146268134305 Help the show by leaving a review: www.getpodcast.reviews/id/970353148 NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast[...]

Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams, authors of Inventing the Future, join Kirsty to discuss the possibility of a future without work. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Nick Srnicek on Twitter: www.twitter.com/n_srnck Alex Williams on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lemonbloodycola Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw[...]

Novara Media's Aaron Bastani joins Kirsty to discuss his ideas about technology, the future of work and Fully Automated Luxury Communism. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Aaron Bastani on Twitter: www.twitter.com/aaronbastani Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Help the show by[...]

NEF economist Olivier Vardakoulias chats to Alice Martin about the government's options for the UK steel industry. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Olivier Vardakoulias on Twitter: www.twitter.com/o_vardakoulias Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Help the show by leaving a review: www.getpodcast.reviews/id/970353148 Brought to you by the[...]

Sakina Sheikh, from Students Against TTIP, joins Kirsty to shed light on the secretive new trade deal. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Sakina Sheikh on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sakinazs Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Programme editor for NEF: Alex Jones. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a[...]

Kirsty chats to the Fair Tax Mark's Emily Kenway about last week's anti-corruption summit and tackling tax avoidance, following the Panama Papers leak. Help the show by leaving a review: www.getpodcast.reviews/id/970353148 Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Emily Kenway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/emilykenway Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF:[...]

Kirsty chats to Laurie MacFarlane, Economist at NEF, about the economic consequences of last week's elections across the UK. Help the show by leaving a review: www.getpodcast.reviews/id/970353148 Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Laurie MacFarlane on Twitter: www.twitter.com/L__Macfarlane Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to[...]

We're back with a special report from Ecuador - the little country that's doing things differently. It's the first of our Weekly Economics Podcast Stories, taking a deeper look at an idea that's caught our eye. Please see the following links for ways you can help earthquake relief efforts in Ecuador: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/sos-ecuador www.oxfam.org.uk/ecuador www.unicef.org.uk/Ecuador-Donation https://donate.unhcr.org/gb-en/ecuador-earthquake[...]

We revisit an old episode with special guest Polly Trenow from the Women's Budget Group, who chats to Kirsty about feminist economics. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Polly Trenow on Twitter: twitter.com/polly_trenow Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Women's Budget Group: www.wbg.org.uk Produced by James Shield & Huw Jordan Music by Podington Bear, used under[...]

We're taking a break for the next three weeks to recharge our batteries and work on something a little bit special. It's the first of our Weekly Economics Podcast Stories - taking a deeper look at an idea that's caught our eye. Tune in on 18th April for a special report from Ecuador - the[...]

Kirsty chats to Josh Ryan-Collins, Associate Director of Economy & Finance at NEF, about George Osborne's latest Budget. Help the show by leaving a review: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/970353148 Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Josh Ryan-Collins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jryancollins Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Alex Jones. Brought to you[...]

What's wrong with the UK's current energy system? How could we make it more democratic? Mika Minio-Paluello from Platform talks about the Switched on London campaign. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation[...]

Can our economies keep growing? If not, what next? This week Kirsty speaks with Olivier Vardakoulias, economist at NEF. Help the show by leaving a review: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/970353148 Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics[...]

Last week was results week for the UK's big banks. Has anything changed since we bailed them out? Christine Berry, Senior Researcher at NEF, joins Kirsty to discuss. Help the show by leaving a review: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/970353148 Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF:[...]

This week Kirsty is joined by tax expert Richard Murphy to discuss the UK's tax system and how companies like Google are able to avoid paying into it. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New[...]

This week Kirsty is joined by Lord Adair Turner, former Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, to talk about the UK's low interest rates and problems with household debt. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the[...]

This week Kirsty is joined by junior doctor Ben Bouquet to talk about the strikes planned for this week, and the challenges faced by the NHS. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation[...]

GDP grew by 0.5% in the last quarter of 2015 - but what does that mean, and is it even the right thing to measure? Kirsty chats to Juliet Michaelson, associate director of the wellbeing team at the New Economics Foundation. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James[...]

The world's richest 62 people now own as much wealth as the poorest 50%, according to a new report released by Oxfam. But what are we measuring when we talk about wealth and inequality? Why does it matter? And what can we do about it? Kirsty chats to Dr Faiza Shaheen. Weekly Economics Podcast on[...]

Back for a new series, Kirsty Styles asks economist Olivier Vardakoulias from the New Economics Foundation whether the rumours of another economic crash in 2016 are true. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Olivier Vardakoulias Twitter: www.twitter.com/o_vardakoulias Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you[...]

In the final episode of the year, the tables are turned as Jessie Barnard interviews Kirsty about the economic highlights and lowlights of 2015. A surprise guest makes a special appearance. Featuring contributions from James Meadway, Christine Berry, Olivier Vardakoulias, Ewa Karwowski, Yuan Yang, and the Sustainababble team. (And thanks to the Observer's Miranda Sawyer[...]

To support the show and help us come back for another series in the New Year, please give £5 or whatever you can afford at www.neweconomics.org/podcast. Chancellor George Osborne set out his long term economic plan for the third time this year in last week's Comprehensive Spending Review. Kirsty runs through the numbers with economist[...]

To support the show and help us come back for another series in the New Year, please give £5 or whatever you can afford at www.neweconomics.org/podcast. This week, Leo Murray from the campaign 'A Free Ride' joins Kirsty Styles to talk about airport expansion in the UK, and its link to the economy. Weekly Economics[...]

In a special double-length episode, guests Dave Powell and Oli Hayes from comedy podcast Sustainababble join Kirsty to talk about the government's environmental policy — both nationally and internationally — and how it's intrinsically linked with economics. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Sustainababble on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thebabblewagon Sustainababble on the web: www.sustainababble.fish Kirsty Styles on[...]

To support the show and help us come back for another series in the New Year, please give £5 or whatever you can afford at www.neweconomics.org/podcast. This week, Josh Ryan-Collins from NEF's Economy & Finance team joins Kirsty Styles to explain the Bank of England and its role in the UK economy. Also, Batman. Weekly[...]

This week Kirsty's joined by Fran Boait, Director of Positive Money, to talk about people's quantitative easing. Why is it different to other QE? Isn't it just printing money? Would it help or hinder our economy? Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Fran Boait on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franboait Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James[...]

To support the show and help us come back for another series in the New Year, please give £5 or whatever you can afford at www.neweconomics.org/podcast. In this week's episode, regular contributor and chief economist at the New Economics Foundation, James Meadway, returns to chat to Kirsty about last week's state visit from China and[...]

Kirsty chats to special guest Ewa Karwowski, lecturer in economics at Kingston University, about government debt, and the Charter for Budget Responsibility, approved by MPs in parliament last week. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Ewa Karwowski on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ewakarwowski Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan.[...]

In the second of a two-part interview Kirsty chats to special guest Professor Steve Keen, Head of Economics, History and Politics at Kingston University, about the likelihood of another economic crash and how we can stop that from happening. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Steve Keen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/profstevekeen Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1[...]

Back from our break, in the first of a two-part interview Kirsty chats to super special guest Professor Steve Keen, Head of Economics, History and Politics at Kingston University, about how he predicted the 2008 economic crash and whether we’re on the road to another one. Part two with Steve Keen on stopping the next[...]

Kirsty chats to special guest Alice Martin, researcher at the New Economics Foundation, about trade unions. Kirsty and James are back on 5th October with more special guests. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New[...]

In the final episode of a special six-part series for the Weekly Economics Podcast, Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Chief Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about alternatives to neoliberalism. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod James Meadway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/meadwaj Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF:[...]

Kirsty and James are away for the bank holiday, but the show must go on. Guest host Polly Trenow is joined by Sarah Lyall, NEF social policy researcher, to talk about how shorter, more flexible hours of work could be transformative for our economy and society. Next week, Kirsty and James return with the final[...]

In the penultimate episode of a special six-part series for the Weekly Economics Podcast, Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Chief Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about how neoliberalism lives on today. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod James Meadway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/meadwaj Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor[...]

In the fourth of a special series for the Weekly Economics Podcast, Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Chief Economist at the New Economics Foundation about how neoliberalism took hold in the UK in the 1980s. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 James Meadway on Twitter:www.twitter.com/meadwaj Produced by James Shield.[...]

What's at fault with our energy system? Kirsty Styles is joined by Stephen Devlin, Natural Resource Economist at the New Economics Foundation to find out. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Music credits this week are Podington Bear as usual and Candlegravity, used under Creative Commons Licence (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Candlegravity/). Photo credit: Simon Grubb (https://www.flickr.com/people/mrgrubb/)

Financial system resilience - what is it, and why does it matter? Should we be worried about another crash? Kirsty Styles chats to Josh Ryan-Collins, Associate Director of Economy & Finance at NEF, to find out. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Josh Ryan-Collins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jryancollins Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James[...]

Kirsty Styles is joined by economist Mary Robertson to chat about the origins of the accelerating UK housing crisis and how we can tackle it. Kirsty also discovers why building societies are called "building societies" and makes some ornithological observations. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield.[...]

In the third of a special series for the Weekly Economics Podcast, Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Chief Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about our economic system, the difference between capitalism and neoliberalism and how neoliberalism came to dominate modern day economics. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1[...]

Who are the winners and losers from George Osborne's latest Budget? Ross Haig talks to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, to find out. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Ross Haig. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think[...]

In the second of a special series for the Weekly Economics Podcast, Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation about how the once obscure ideas of theorist Friedrich Hayek moved from the fringe to the mainstream, ushering in the age of neoliberalism. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod James[...]

As the Greece crisis deepens, Kirsty Styles chats to economist Olivier Vardakoulias about how we got here and what happens next. We revisit Greece this week following our 2 March 2015 episode, 'Does Greece need a plan B?'. You can catch up or listen again here: https://soundcloud.com/weeklyeconomicspodcast/ep-3-does-greece-need-a-plan-b Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles[...]

Kirsty chats to special guest Yuan Yang, co-founder of Rethinking Economics, an international network of students campaigning for better economics education. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Yuan Yang on Twitter: www.twitter.com/YuanfenYang Rethinking Economics on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RethinkEcon Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. A special Weekly[...]

In the first of a special series for the Weekly Economics Podcast Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about our economic system, the difference between capitalism and neoliberalism and how neoliberalism came to dominate modern day economics. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1[...]

Kirsty chats to special guest Christine Berry, a researcher in the economy and finance team at the New Economics Foundation, about the chancellor's plans to sell the taxpayer's stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw[...]

Kirsty and James delve into the Queen's Speech to take a look at the government's plans on tax. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod James Meadway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/meadwaj Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent[...]

Following the first fall into deflation in the UK since the 1960s, Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about good inflation, bad inflation, negative inflation and deflation, and what it all means. Also, some (pre-Eurovision) chat about Eurovision. Recorded Friday 22nd May Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod[...]

Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about the building of the 'Northern powerhouse'. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod James Meadway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/meadwaj Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation –[...]

Guest host Huw Jordan chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about the results of last week's general election and the implications for economic policy over the next five years. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod James Meadway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/meadwaj Huw Jordan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/huwjordan Produced by James Shield &[...]

With the election looming, Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about the deals each of the political parties might conceivably do on economic policy. (Recorded Friday 1st May) Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod James Meadway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/meadwaj Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield[...]

Special guest Stephen Devlin, an environmental economist at the New Economics Foundation, joins Kirsty to chat about the carbon bubble and the growing momentum behind the divestment movement. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Stephen Devlin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/_stephendevlin Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield & Huw Jordan Music by Podington Bear,[...]

Last week the political parties launched their manifestos ahead of the election. Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about the differences between the parties' economic policies. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod James Meadway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/meadwaj Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield & Huw[...]

Special Guest Polly Trenow from the Women's Budget Group chats to Kirsty about feminist economics and the gender impact of measures announced in the 2015 Budget. Behind-the-scenes podcast team selfie: https://twitter.com/kirstystyles1/status/586589212268482560 Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Polly Trenow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/polly_trenow Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Women's Budget Group: http://wbg.org.uk WBG briefing: http://wbg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/WBG-Budget-2015-Briefing.pdf Produced[...]

Europe, the EU, the ECB, quantitative easing… this week we take on subjects that are usually seen as complicated, boring or even frightening. Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, to break down the jargon. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 James Meadway on[...]

Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about last week's Budget and what should have been in it. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 James Meadway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/meadwaj Produced by James Shield & Huw Jordan Music by Podington Bear, used under Creative Commons[...]

In a special pre-budget episode, Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, about what will (and won't) be in the budget. Plus, we imagine what Chancellor Meadway would do differently. Jargon of the week: trade deficit and current account deficit Links: Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles[...]

Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation (NEF), about the Institute for Fiscal Studies' report on living standards. — Jargon of the week: Debt and deficit Listener question of the week: Robin Hood tax — Links and reading list: Cribb, J., Hood, A., Joyce, J. (March 2015), “Living Standards[...]

A month on from the Greek election, Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation (NEF), about the Syriza-led government's deal with the Eurogroup and whether it needs a Plan B. Jargon of the week: Troika Links and reading list: Letter from Yanis Varoufakis to Eurogroup, leaked 24 February 2015:[...]

Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation (NEF), about the Bank of England's inflation report and what it means for the UK economy and real wages in 2015. Jargon of the week: Inflation and deflation Listener question of the week: What are hedge funds? Links: Matthew Whittaker, “Boom time[...]

Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation (NEF), about the rising level of global debt and whether that might spark another economic crash. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: http://twitter.com/kirstystyles1 James Meadway on Twitter: http://twitter.com/meadwaj Produced by James Shield & Huw Jordan Links: McKinsey Global[...]

Kirsty Styles chats to James Meadway, Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation (NEF), about the reality behind the falls in inflation and unemployment and rises in real wages and growth. Music: Featuring Going Forward Looking Back by Podington Bear (00:17 — 01:07) under CC BY-NC licence. Podington Bear: http://soundofpicture.com/ CC BY-NC: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Produced by[...]