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Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University examines how Europe will cope as it tries to reduce its energy dependence upon Russia. He looks at an article on what those at the top of the Conservative Party profess to believe against their actions and whether Conservatism is ideological or pragmatic. And in the light of America's resurfacing divide on the subject of abortion, he considers why there is so little debate on the subject in the UK.

James Cameron-Wilson marvels at Downton Abbey: A New Era, a British film with the second widest opening of all time in the UK. To his surprise, after the disappointment of the first film, he found it beautifully-crafted, funny, moving and even occasionally exciting and had the best time he can recall in the cinema for ages. However, it only managed £3m at the weekend, presumably as its target "grey pound" audience is fighting shy. He also recommends an amazing documentary currently on BBC iPlayer called Navalny about the Russian opposition leader which includes extraordinary insights into Putin and those who tried to assassinate Navalny. He finishes by giving us the top 5 inflation-adjusted movies in the UK of all time.

Russ Mould of A J Bell looks at the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee decision to raise interest rates to 1% with a statement dampening some expectations for future sharp rises. He asks if the MPC (and the Fed) have painted themselves into a corner and wonders whether more debt should have been the answer to a debt crisis. Indeed, can 9 people in a room, however smart and well-intentioned, really set the price of money? As always, he offers advice for investors about what lies ahead.

Share Radio's technology editor Steve Caplin tells Simon Rose about how Space X is using helicopters to catch its booster rockets - and then drop them! Also the e-buses catching fire in Paris, faster charging for lithium batteries, how to map the moon, a robot that can jump 100 feet, street lights powered by passing cars, AR glasses for the deaf, making better chocolate and how to avoid leaving your baby in the car.

When the process of losing weight is hard work, small lapses can lead to an unsuccessful outcome: the short-term gratification that one gets from those lapses can often lead to losing the main purpose. This episode aims to make the process of losing weight a joy rather than doing something you hate, in a way that you hate. In other words, don't so much lose weight to be happy, but be happy losing weight.

Busy week for investors as the April jobs report came two days after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates a half-percent. Ron Gross and Jason Moser discuss pitfalls and potential for stock investors, rocky times for e-commerce companies Etsy, Shopify, and Wayfair, Booking Holdings and Marriott leading the travel industry, AMD defying expectations, Under Armour hitting an 11-year low, and the latest from Zillow, Block, and Starbucks. Plus, at 19 minutes in, Malcolm Ethridge, CFP and host of “The Tech Money Podcast”, weighs in on the Nasdaq selloff and the potential for commercial real estate. He also offers a sneak preview of his upcoming book! Finally, Jason and Ron discuss a new breakfast innovation and share two stocks on their radar: Outset Medical and Domino’s Pizza.

The Nasdaq fell 5%, continuing a rough year for investors. Andy Cross discusses the short-term pain being felt by all investors, including us; Shopify's 1st-quarter results looking similar to Amazon's; Deliverr, the logistics company Shopify just bought for $2.1 billion; and EPAM Systems, the IT services provider that surprised investors with a strong 1st quarter. Plus, Jim Gillies talks with Ricky Mulvey about MTY Food Group, a Canadian food franchisor small cap with potential.

More than 40 years after Margaret Thatcher introduced Right to Buy, the current Prime Minister is considering plans to revamp the scheme. Could it unleash a home buying revolution and help give a much needed boost to the Government, or is it a bad idea rehashing an old scheme? This week, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss the plans, how it could work and why it may be unleashed in the near future. Would it be unfair to private renters? With ever increasing property prices, would people be able to purchase them? And what are the current Right to Buy rules? It's safe to say that green bonds, launched by National Savings and Investments last year, have been a damp squib. Rates on them are low, and a three-year fix is a relatively niche product. Just how far have they missed the mark and could the rate head higher again to make them more attractive? On the other hand, Premium Bonds continue to be an incredibly popular way to save. The two jackpot winners this month had huge sums held in them – is that the only chance you have of winning a £1million, maxing out the holdings? There are calls to claim your pension credit – nearly one million people are missing out on extra cash and 'the door to more,' by not taking advantage. Could you, or someone you know, benefit? The Bank of England celebrates 25 years of independence – we ask whether New Labour's gamble of making it independent has paid off, just as it hikes base rate to a 13-year high of 1%. Meanwhile, Lee reveals details of a new This is Money columnist signing – businessman Dave Fishwick is ready to take your business and careers questions – find out how you can contact him.

Is there any point trying to save when inflation is so high? Interest rates are rising and savers can now get a far better return than a year ago, but compare those rates to inflation and they are losing even more money. So why bother? That's the question that Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert tackle in this podcast. From what the best rates are and where you can get them, to why you should avoid what Simon calls your bank or building society's 'insult account' – with a special mention for Nationwide - and how to turn a savings habit into an investing one that should hopefully get you a better return, the podcast team talk all things saving. Also on the agenda: where are the best places to start investing a small amount, and why that has got so much easier in recent years? Simon shares a bit of behind the scenes knowledge on investing platforms and why they are pushing so hard for new investors – and gives some tips on getting started the easy way. But not everyone will be feeling like they have money to stash away right now: the cost of living crisis is seeing people cut back, the ONS, revealed this week – and that's before most bills spiked. Where are they cutting back and is there anything we can do to help them? (Bonkers two-year MOT ideas excluded). And finally - just when you thought printing at home couldn't get any worse, printer firms came up with a way to make it better… and then made it worse.

The Theos Think Tank has demonstrated that the ‘angry hostility towards religion engineered by the new atheist movement is over' in their report ‘Science and Religion: moving away from the shallow end’. This shows how young people are increasingly open to exploring the meaning of life, and prepared to explore the bridge between science and faith. This commentary brings out some of the key points emerging from their work and provides insights from economics and the book of Ecclesiastes in order to argue that the best way to tackle these dilemmas is through the application of logic. The background music is the track 'Resolution' by Wayne Jones. There are a wide range of links from the webpage version of the commentary, which can be accessed at https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2022-05-03/