New Economics Podcast

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, Stefan Baskerville, NEF’s Principal Director for Unions and Business,...

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 competitive on price, but treats its passenge...

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 electoral divisions have opened up between t...

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, Researcher at NEF. — Enjoying the show? T...

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 and the Conservative party, but what have th...

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 attempt to move past the superficial discussion of class politics we’ve had in Brit...

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 Economics Podcast (recorded before Irma took place), we explore some of the possible s...

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 a load of it is being sold off, from old hospitals to sites owned by the Ministry of Defence. The government says that we should se...

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 Will Brett, NEF's Director of News and Media, to discuss exactly...

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 is the effect on the wider economy? And what should we do about it? Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is back wit...

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 and a Senior Lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London. Our regular host Ayeisha Thomas-Smith returns next...

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 the EU. He'll be joined by Dave Powell, who leads on NEF's environment work, and special...

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 environment, the election and the prospects for saving our...

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 and James Shield, who (when he's not producing the Weekly Economics Podcast) is Senior Policy A...

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 the economy really play in the election and what are the economic consequences of the result...

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 Baskerville, NEF's Principal Director for Unions and Business, and...

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 North/South divide. Tune in for all of this, plus our guests' predictions for...

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 with us this week. Tune in for an amazing campaign win on Britain's Land Registry, why now p...

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? Tune in for all our regular features and analysis, including...

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 as sartorially clairvoyant as they are economically clued up… — Enjoying the show? Tweet us your com...

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 and get some expert predictions on the upcoming Budget. Tune in to find out...

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 below, and we'll love you forever if you fill it out! Thanks so much for all your support, and we'll be back soon. www.n...

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 Lucas MP, John Hilary, James Meadway, Steve Keen, Faiza Shaheen,...

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 asking how we can create a new economy where people can really take control of their live...

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 special six-part series asking how we can create a new economy where...