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Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Latin America's problems, the Vortex of Doom in South Africa & the UK's nannying state

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Latin America's problems, the Vortex of Doom in South Africa & the UK's nannying state
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University gives a fascinating analysis of Latin America's problems, with political instability and a growing macro-economic crisis. He also looks at the under-reported Vortex of Doom in South Africa, where there's a huge energy crisis and law and order is breaking down. Lastly, he turns to the UK, which now appears to be one of Europe's most nannying states when it comes to food, drink and health; is it a case of NHS demand management, he wonders?
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Immigration soars, Boris Johnson's WhatsApps, Suella Braverman & Ron DeSantis

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Immigration soars, Boris Johnson's WhatsApps, Suella Braverman & Ron DeSantis
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the news that net immigration hit 606,000 last year and explains why the UK is proving such a magnet for incomers. He looks at the call from the Covid inquiry for Boris Johnson to hand over his WhatsApp messages and the controversy over Suella Braverman and her speeding offence. And he looks across the Atlantic at the malfunctioning Twitter interview with Ron DeSantis and considers how unlikely it is that he can unseat Donald Trump as the Republican Presidential candidate.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Labour & Housing, Immigration & the Battle for the Future of Money

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Labour & Housing, Immigration & the Battle for the Future of Money
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University says that Labour's ideas are becoming clearer, with Starmer's promise to boost housebuilding outmanoeuvring the Conservatives and setting the cat among the pigeons. He discusses whether immigration is out of control in a world where people are moving more than ever and explains why he thinks Labour will take exactly the opposite stance to the Tories. And he picks up on a largely unreported comment by Donald Trump, that America will eventually default on its debt, to highlight the battle that is looming over the future of money and the banking system.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Local elections, the Illegal Immigration Bill, Sue Gray & Penny Mordaunt

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Local elections, the Illegal Immigration Bill, Sue Gray & Penny Mordaunt
Political commentator Mike Indian takes Simon Rose through the recent local election results, with huge gains for Labour, the LibDems and Greens and massive losses for the Conseratives. He also discusses the Archbishop of Canterbury's attack in the House of Lords on the Illegal Immigration Bill, the rumblings over Sue Gray becoming Labour's Chief of Staff, with Mike wondering if she will ever take up her role. And he ends with admiration – like many – for the part Penny Mordaunt played in the Coronation. As a result, he reckons she must be the favourite to be the next Tory leader.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Private Armies, Is Voter ID Fair or a Scandal & Labour and Tuition Fees

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Private Armies, Is Voter ID Fair or a Scandal & Labour and Tuition Fees
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University discusses the rise of private armies and militaries such as The Wagner Group and asks what they mean for democratic accountability. Are the new rules on voter ID helping to ensure fair elections or are they a democratic scandal and a way to game democracy? And what's behind Labour's reversal of its plans to abolish tuition fees in England?
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Ministerial/Civil Service relations, Joe Biden running & Sinn Fein attending the Coronation

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Ministerial/Civil Service relations, Joe Biden running & Sinn Fein attending the Coronation
In the wake of Dominic Raab's resignation and bullying allegations against the Health Secretary, political commentator Mike Indian looks at why antagonism has grown between the Government and the Civil Service? Do we even have the right sort of Civil Service for a modern Britain? He considers whether we should be worried that it's looking ever more likely that the next American Presidential Election will, again, be between Biden and Trump. And he finds it a source of optimism that Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill has said that she will attend King Charles's coronation.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Has the NHS reached a tipping point, greedflation & is politics set to get more interesting?

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Has the NHS reached a tipping point, greedflation & is politics set to get more interesting?
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at research showing that 2 in 5 people have either used private health care or are considering doing so. He wonders if this means that the NHS has reached a tipping point and that the old model will soon be declared moribund. He considers the rise, role and dangers of "greedflation" and asks whether consumers are being taken for a ride. And, with Labour doing more poorly in the polls, he ponders whether the next General Election is a foregone conclusion and whether politics may be about to get interesting again.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Joe Biden in N.I, Labour's attack ads & the SNP's troubles

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Joe Biden in N.I, Labour's attack ads & the SNP's troubles
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses Joe Biden's visit to Northern Ireland and why the UK needs to build other alliances rather than rely on "The Special Relationship". He laments political attack adverts and the use of racist rhetoric. And he looks at the end of Humza Yousaf's honeymoon period as the SNP's troubles continue and deepen.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: The UK joining the CPTPP, Finland's geopolitics & Lord Nigel Lawson

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: The UK joining the CPTPP, Finland's geopolitics & Lord Nigel Lawson
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University believes that the UK joining the Trans Pacific Partnership could be a massive boost for the country in the coming years. With Sanna Marin losing her role as Finnish PM, he considers the country's geopolitics and why the country is so impressive militarily. And he looks at the achievements of Lord Nigel Lawson following his death and the extraordinary impact he had on British politics and the economy.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Johnson & Partygate, Sunak's good fortnight & the SNP's new leader

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Johnson & Partygate, Sunak's good fortnight & the SNP's new leader
Political commentator Mike Indian considers Boris Johnson's Partygate evidence and wonders if will be the end of the ex-PM's political career. He explains why he feels Rishi Sunak has had a good fortnight with his more pragmatic approach to the country's problems. And, while he believes the SNP leadership result will benefit Labour, he wonders if it will be enough.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published: