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Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Autumn Statement, net migration, the Covid inquiry and Labour's strategy for government

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Autumn Statement, net migration, the Covid inquiry and Labour's strategy for government
Political commentator Mike Indian assesses the Autumn Statement now that the dust has settled. It is clear that the public finances are in a dire state, which will give an interesting economic inheritance for any Labour government. He also looks at the issue of net migration, wondering if a cap is the right thing and whether it will lead to public discontent as in other countries. He considers the state of the Covid inquiry, feeling that a more rapid assessment of how to respond to a future pandemic is also needed. And he talks about Labour's strategy for a future government, such as it is.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Is the Autumn Statement a suicide note, Argentina & anarcho-capitalism and could the UK get PR?

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Is the Autumn Statement a suicide note, Argentina & anarcho-capitalism and could the UK get PR?
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University thnks that the Autumn Statement is one of the final suicide notes of this administration. Examining the small print reveals the biggest drop in living standards since records began in the 1950s and the big picture is bleak. He even wonders whether the Conservatives may soon no longer be seen as the natural party of government. He is fascinated by the success of anarcho-capitalist Javier Milei in Argentina and wonders how many of his ideas he will be able to enact. And he looks ahead to the next election, He feels that, if there's a hung parliament, the LibDems may yet get proportional representation which could hugely benefit Nigel Farage.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: David Cameron's return, Starmer's Gaza Rebellion and the Rwandan court verdict

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: David Cameron's return, Starmer's Gaza Rebellion and the Rwandan court verdict
Political commentator Mike Inidan discusses the return of David Cameron to front-line politics, considering it Rishi Sunak's last throw of the dice and an attempt at damage limitation. With a quarter of Labour MPs rebelling against Keir Starmer, Mike feels that the left wing of the party will hold him to ransom and cause havoc in the next Parliament, assuming Labour are victorious. And he looks at the Rwandan court verdict which drags the courts into politics once more and shows the PM to be weak.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Cheap money is no more, Net Zero planning madness & property market jitters

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Cheap money is no more, Net Zero planning madness & property market jitters
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University posits that cheap money is now a thing of the past and that politicians, of whatever stripe, are going to have to find a way to live within harsher financial constraints. He looks at some of the UK's central planning madness when it comes to Net Zero, contrasting it to the more successful and forward-thinking policies of Norway. And he highlights the severe cracks opening up in the UK commercial property market, wondering what the end result will be.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Starmer's Gaza position, the Covid inquiry, the AI summit and a Halloween general election?

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Starmer's Gaza position, the Covid inquiry, the AI summit and a Halloween general election?
Political commentator Mike Indian looks at the way Gaza has exposed divisions in the UK's political parties and examines Keir Starmer's stance. He discusses the "macho culture" in Number Ten exposed by the Covid inquiry and points to lessons we should draw from it so far. He considers Rishi Sunak's AI summit and what it might lead to. And he speculates whether we might have a Halloween general election next year.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: New Zealand farmers' rebellion, distrust of electric cars & private police forces

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: New Zealand farmers' rebellion, distrust of electric cars & private police forces
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University highlights a growing disillusionment around the world with governments and the services they provide. In New Zealand farmers have united to dismantle some of Jacinda Ardern's climate policies, UK polls show that the public overwhelmingly do not trust electric vehicles, which have many more disadvantages than were initially apparent and, again in the UK, major retailers are increasingly turning to private police companies to prosecute the shoplifters because the official police will not do so.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Sunak's visit to Israel, Keir Starmer & the Labour Conference and the by-elections

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Sunak's visit to Israel, Keir Starmer & the Labour Conference and the by-elections
Political commentator Mike Indian reflects upon the Prime Minister's visit to Israel and the UK reaction to the delicate situation, feeling that this is Sunak's first test on the world stage. After attending the Labour Party conference, he feels that, for the first time in a long time, Labour feel like a party expecting to be in government soon. And, on the day of two by-elections, he wonders if the Prime Minister will call the General Election earlier than he has to.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Labour to the right of the Tories, are we facing a financial crisis & the revolt against Net Zero

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Labour to the right of the Tories, are we facing a financial crisis & the revolt against Net Zero
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at Labour's move to the right of the Tories on housing and the NHS and feels it could become the natural party of government in the biggest seismic shift in UK politics since the early 20th century. He considers whether the world is hurtling towards a global financial crisis. And he assesses the growing public revolt around Europe against Net Zero, finding himself puzzled that no government appears to have carried out any costings in advance of such policies being announced.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Why big projects go over budget, BBC licence fee & the UK's EU history

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Why big projects go over budget, BBC licence fee & the UK's EU history
In an episode first broadcast on 13th February 2020, just a couple of weeks before the Covid pandemic started, Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University examined why big construction projects such as Crossrail and HS2 go over budget, what ought to be done about the BBC and its licence fee and he cast a look back over the UK's troubled relationship with the EU during its 47-year membership. In the light of Rishi Sunak's cancellation last week of HS2 north of Birmingham, it's interesting to note the strains in the HS2 project which were already evident three and half years ago. Meanwhile here's the link to our more recent commentary, Public Finance Disasters in Small Print: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2023-08-07/
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: The financial inadequacies hurting the UK, HS2 & climate policy and working longer

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: The financial inadequacies hurting the UK, HS2 & climate policy and working longer
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University laments the profligacy of Government and the failure of the Bank of England to get a grip on inflation. He compares it to the disastrous mid-70s, saying the Bank is failing badly. He looks at the shifting sands of HS2 and climate policy, explaining why the UK is so bad at infrastructure. And he finds a positive in the fact that so many people are choosing to continue to work beyond conventional retirement age.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


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