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Is austerity really coming to an end? And are the rich getting richer thanks to the Government? In the This is Money podcast this week, editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost analyse the 2018 Budget. Money for the NHS, little extras for schools, cash for roads, help for the High Street and the baby rabbit in the hat - pulling the rise in the basic and higher rate tax thresholds to £12,500 and £50,000, respectively, a year earlier than promised. We also talk about what a no Brexit deal means for interest rates? We heard from the Bank of England this week about the likely impact such a scenario could have on interest rates and how quickly they will go up – or not. Despite sticking this week to 0.75%, the decision came with a few notes of warning – largely that it was based on a 'smooth transition' for Brexit. And finally, we report on the latest in our 'stop the private parking sharks' campaign - how the good people of Essex town Basildon have taken to the streets to protest about one firm running a car park and dishing out charges.

“The era of austerity is finally coming to an end”, announced Philip Hammond in his Budget Day speech. Well it certainly seemed like it, judging by the Chancellor’s policy announcements, which included a slew of new spending commitments – all with very little detail on how any of it was to be funded. There were pledges of more than £20bn in additional annual funding for the NHS by 2023, an extra £779m for social care, £1bn for the armed forces and £675m for a ‘Future High Streets’ fund, to name but a few. But with UK debt still approaching 88%, the highest level since 1966, is it fair or just to turn on the spending taps and ask the next generation to carry the burden and eventually foot the bill. So, was this an almost-Halloween Budget full of taxation tricks and unfunded treats? Joining us to give their take on yesterday’s Budget, policy changes and spending commitments is Mark Littlewood, Director General at the IEA and Kate Andrews, Associate Director at the IEA.

Listen here Philip Hammond's Budget speech.

This week on Live from Lord North Street, the IEA’s Digital Manager Darren Grimes sat down with the Director of FREER, Rebecca Lowe and the IEA's Editorial Manager Madeline Grant. Are millennials giving top marks to Marx - or could they be more libertarian than we think? Rebecca and Madeline put the stereotype of the millennial Marxist under the spotlight and examine where things might not be so clear cut. Finally, they look at ways free markets can craft a positive case for capitalism.

As stock market turmoil spreads across the globe, the advice is to keep calm and carry on, folks. In the latest This is Money podcast, editor Simon Lambert and host Georgie Frost discuss what's causing it, how long will it go on for and how concerned we should be. Because we're a positive bunch, we also reveal the shares that have rocketed over the last five years, some by more than 1,000 per cent. Also, we answer a reader query about state pensions - can couples inherit it from each other and how much might they get? Elsewhere, we take a look at the best way to clear your buy-to-let loan and discover how to bag a property bargain.

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, is reportedly obsessed with the issue of productivity; whilst most of the electorate remain baffled. We talk to Vicky Pryce, Chief Economic Adviser and board member at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), who draws on her experience of being ‘responsible’ for productivity targets under the last Labour Government. Numerous explanations have been put forward for the UK’s poor productivity performance since 2008. Recent research suggests we have a particularly long tail of poorly performing companies in the UK, who fail to adopt innovations of the leading 1%. We consider this diagnosis next to many others, and speculate on what a newly formulated Industrial Strategy might do to help.

Adam talks to Asesh Sarkar, CEO of Salary Finance a fin-tech company that helps employees access tools to improve their financial health. They discuss research that shows that money doesn’t mean happiness as more people earning over £100k were more stressed than those earning less. They explore ways to improve financial and mental well-being that don’t necessarily mean simply earning more.

The technology sector has had a serious wobble in the last fortnight. Ed Bowsher asks what’s next for this part of the market and whether now is a good time to invest. He speaks to Howie Li of Legal & General Investment Management and Hector McNeill of HAN ETF.

How can we solve the housing crisis? Why is there such a massive supply-side problem? What is the greenbelt, and how come it's not all as green as you might think? FREER Director Rebecca Lowe and FREER Co-Chairs Lee Rowley MP and Luke Graham MP are joined by Simon Clarke MP to discuss Simon's recent FREER paper, 'Housing Addressed', which includes innovative proposals that could free up land for 1.5 million new homes across England, while also ensuring better protections for the environment.

With this year’s Budget moved to Monday, 29 October, we bring you a pre-Budget special. This is Money editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost debate the key areas that might feature in Chancellor Philip 'Spreadsheet' Hammond’s tax and spending review. This includes housing, inheritance tax, pensions and a whole host more, as he tries to find £20 billion down the back of the Treasury sofa for the promised NHS boost. But this Budget has some extra spice, with both Brexit and a Labour party whose main policy idea seems to be to force another General Election, which it thinks it can win. We discuss what the Government needs to focus on to stamp out the Labour challenge and just how the economy is looking ahead of Brexit. One time Labour donor Lord Sugar is threatening to leave the country if Jeremy Corbyn comes into power, thanks – in large part – to its threat of a barrage of tax rises. How big is the threat from Corbyn and co - and what can you do to protect your family from a potential overhaul of pensions, Isas, capital gains and even transferring wealth to a spouse?