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Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Sunak's Net Zero U-turn, Liz Truss's speech, HS2 and the Horizon scheme

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Sunak's Net Zero U-turn, Liz Truss's speech, HS2 and the Horizon scheme
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses Rishi Sunak's U-turn on Net Zero, feeling it might be a sensible idea for the long-term but clearly done for political short-term reasons, using Net Zero as an issue to drive a wedge between Conservatives and Labour. Liz Truss's recent speech is an indication that the party is in trouble. He feels that, although the government should stick to its guns on HS2, there is plenty to be done elsewhere on infrastructure. He ends with the good news of the UK rejoining the Horizon Scheme, which he considers should be of benefit to the country.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Spinning GDP numbers, Is a US trade deal on again & what Liz Truss got right

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Spinning GDP numbers, Is a US trade deal on again & what Liz Truss got right
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University tells Simon Rose of his concern that GDP data is being spun and politicised and thus becoming less reliable and useful. After a raft of trade deals with an Indo-Pacific tilt, is a UK-US trade deal back on the table and, if so, can it be done in time? And, a year on from Liz Truss's ill-fated premiership, Tim looks at the things she got right, particularly that growing our economy should be at the heart of policymaking and understanding that the high-tax approach could be creating a doom loop.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Rita Lobo

The Bigger Picture: The History of Booms, Busts and Bubbles — The Renaissance

Rita Lobo
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: The History of Booms, Busts and Bubbles — The Renaissance
Renaissance, Florence was not only the cultural capital of the world, but also the banking capital. In an episode of The History of Booms, Busts and Bubbles originally broadcast on 3rd May 2015, Rita Lobo is joined by David Chilosi, Fellow of Economic History at LSE, to discuss Florence's part in the economics of the Renaissance.
Guest:

David Chilosi


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: BRICS & de-dollarisation, road pricing & is the NHS recruitment plan affordable?

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: BRICS & de-dollarisation, road pricing & is the NHS recruitment plan affordable?
Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at the recent BRICS meeting and the implications for the club's drive for new members and the desire for de-dollarisation for the world economy. Looking at ULEZ and other schemes in the UK, he points out that we are going back to the future, given that the Georgians had 30,000 miles of turnpike trusts. He believes that the future of driving in the UK will be road pricing. And he looks at a report which says that the NHS's plan to hire a million more staff could see the Treasury needing to find an extra £50bn by 2036, which may not be affordable. Tim feels that we are heading for a mixed economy system in health and social care.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Nadine Dorries, Labour's caution and the Republican debate

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Nadine Dorries, Labour's caution and the Republican debate
With Nadine Dorries still an MP two months after saying she was quitting, political commentator Mike Indian discusses the difficulties of removing inadequate politicians, pointing out the serious democratic deficiency. As Labour waters down its pledges on workers' rights, he laments the party's cautiousness and asks where is the distinctive offering. He looks at The first Republican Party presidential debate, worrying that it shows that politics is becoming even dirtier and uglier. And with Rishi Sunak tacitly admitting he won't meet his small boats pledge, Mike argues for a fundamental reform of our migration system.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Ireland's resurgent economy, an essential documentary on money & the campaign against cash

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Ireland's resurgent economy, an essential documentary on money & the campaign against cash
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at the resurgence of Ireland's economy, driven by tax cuts rather than tax rises. He discusses the documentary Ex Nihilo: The Truth About Money (https://tinyurl.com/2sntvvxd), explaining how many of the West's problems are due to excess money, interest rates and debt and the resulting distortions and bubbles. Too much in the film, he says, isn't understood properly by politicians or even many economists. And he concludes by looking at some of the sinister overtones behind the campaign against cash.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: NHS waiting lists, inflation, asylum seekers & net zero

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: NHS waiting lists, inflation, asylum seekers & net zero
With NHS waiting lists reaching a record high of 7.6m, political commentator Mike Indian looks at the PM's pledges on that and on inflation, still stubbornly high. He discusses the migrant issue as the first asylum seekers arrive on the Bibby Stockholm, wondering why asylum seekers couldn't be put to work in the interim and wishing that on this, and many other issues, we could have some bigger thinking. He also looks at Net Zero and why it has become the political football of the summer.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: The US at its most divided since Civil War, rejoining the EU & the demographic time bomb

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: The US at its most divided since Civil War, rejoining the EU & the demographic time bomb
With both probable Presidential candidates facing legal challenges, Professor Tim Evans says that America is at its most divided since the Civil War, a terrifying prospect for those who believe in democracy and the rule of law. He wonders if we might be at an inflexion point where the old order is falling apart. Tony Blair claimed that a future generation will take the UK back into the EU but is the EU what it was and will it continue to be appealing to those who opposed Brexit? And he looks at Japan's falling birth rate and ageing population and points out how similar problems are facing many other countries, with massive implications for the sustainability of the welfare state.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Alison Rose & Natwest, lessons from the by-elections & Labour dropping trans pledge

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Alison Rose & Natwest, lessons from the by-elections & Labour dropping trans pledge
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the ramifications of Dame Alison Rose resigning as head of Natwest. Did she have to go and should the government have intervened? What are the ramifications of banks debanking customers whose views they don't like? Mike looks at the three by-election results, which show rather more than simply an all-score draw for the three main parties. He also reflects on Labour dropping its pledge on trans self-ID and considers briefly the effect that social media is having on effective politics.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Mickey Mouse degrees, the necessity for nuclear power & the latest banking scandal

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Mickey Mouse degrees, the necessity for nuclear power & the latest banking scandal
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University thinks the PM and other politicians should avoid playing the central planner and let the increasingly dynamic education market decide which degrees are worthwhile. He feels it obvious that Britain must adopt Small Modular Reactors but wonders if politicians have the guts in the face of vocal opposition. And he is gravely concerned about the threat to free speech if banks are allowed to cancel the accounts of those whose views they disagree with.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


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