Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
The collapse in electoral support for both Labour and the Conservatives shows the extent to which central governments have become a black hole for people's economic wellbeing by freezing tax thresholds, clinging on to universal (as opposed to targeted) welfare, and failing to address the gulf of opportunity which is holding back so many young people. It's time for politicians of all colours to reflect the need for all to see the opportunity for individual ownership and empowerment. Background music: 'Something Is Wrong' by Sir Cubworth
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University is alarmed by the fact that 16% of Britain's 16-24 year olds are unemployed. This is worse than Spain and Greece, who used to be the outliers. Cost pressures, AI, bad health and a skills mismatch are all creating a perfect storm which will have a long-term detrimental effect for many. Tony Blair's thinktank is urging Labour to scrap the "unaffordable" state pension Triple Lock. This is among the most radical policy thinking for almost 100 years. Effectively Blair is saying that the welfare state is heading towards bankruptcy. And while we are most affected by local government, rather than national, there are few bodies focussing on it. Yet council overreach on fines, roads, bins, bollards and the like are creating a collapse in trust between people and those who have most effect on their lives.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson finds #3 The Sheep Detectives a bit of a curate's egg. An anthropomorphic fantasy, families will take the astonishingly animated sheep to their hearts in a plot worth of Agatha Christie but the acting is annoyingly hammy. Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard & Soft is a concert film directed by James Cameron. Often hard to hear the lyrics, it is perhaps one for her fans. Out on Blu-Ray is Lynne Ramsay's Die My Love. Robert Pattinson is sidelined by Jennifer Lawrence's impressive performance as a depressive mother becoming increasingly irrational. An important film which juggles realism with the nightmarish, it is almost a character-based horror film.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell says that the UK 10-year gilt, yielding over 5%, is the highest since 2008. Although that was normal in the Blair years, things are different after 15 years of financial repression with inflation consistently above target and debt levels everywhere far higher. If Starmer and Reeves are replaced, we'd have the 7th PM and 9th Chancellor in 10 years. In the G20 only emerging markets have to pay more to borrow than the UK, while our interest bill is more than we spend on defence. Investors can get a theoretically risk-free and tax-free 5% nominal yield with gilts. It's a potential alternative to equities but inflation is the enemy: while the UK market yields 3.6%, with buybacks, bids and so on factored in, it's more like 6.3%.
Guests: Russ Mould
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian summarises the UK's local election results which were a good night for Reform and the Greens but a rout for Labour, particularly in England and Wales. They don't tell us a lot, though, about where UK politics is going, except that voters are moving in different directions. It has caused panic in Labour ranks, with a steady drip of those calling for Starmer to give a timetable for his resignation. He is bloody-minded and may survive for longer, reshuffling his cabinet. Where, though, are the intellectuals and big thinkers of earlier years? Mike hopes that Ed Miliband moves to the Treasury, where his talents could make a big difference. Ultimately, popularity is less important than ideas; people want their lives to be materially better and easier and that is more important than who is in Number Ten.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin wonders how exciting the NBC show based around Wordle will be. There's a beer station with surge pricing in China and satirical video games machines have appeared in Washington. Audible have opened a bookshop in New York with no books, just audiobooks. You can now buy the Adidas shoes that broke the two-hour Marathon record. There is uproar at the Chelsea Flower Show because a gardener has launched an AI garden design app. Universities in Rome and Belgium have come up with a performance exoskeleton to train violinists. There's a crowdfunded egg-shaped mouse. Car rental companies lost all their records because of a destructive AI bot. And Colossal Biosciences have decided, after trying to resurrect woolly mammoths and direwolves, to bring back the bluebuck antelope.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
With millions of seats being cut from flights worldwide, it's safe to say many Britons may be worried about future travel plans — or are being put off booking holidays altogether.The Middle East conflict has pushed up the price of jet fuel and airlines are having to plan ahead to try and ensure as little disruption as possible. But what can you do if you end up getting swept up in cancellations or delays? Helen Crane, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss. Also, Helen steps in to help a man finally get a £1,100 refund after his flight was cancelled in the pandemic ... SIX years ago.The high street is in crisis, with TG Jones the next retailer to axe shops and staff. What's gone wrong? And, it's no secret banks have closed branches at rapid pace: with banking hubs celebrating their fifth birthday, are they filling the gap well? More homeowners are selling off chunks of their garden. But what are the dangers and is it a good idea? And finally, six watches to invest in that experts say will become classics.
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
Elon Musk’s EV and rocket empire may be expanding into chips if recent plans to spend up to $119 billion in new chip fab facilities become reality. We discuss the implications for the industry and Musk’s companies, plus update on SaaS (Software as a Service) stocks, and what technologies have staying power for the next decade. Travis Hoium, Dan Caplinger, and Tim Beyers discuss Musk’s chip dreams, SaaS recovery, which technologies will survive the next decade, and stocks on our radar. Companies discussed: Tesla (TSLA), DataDog (DDOG), Sportsradar (SRAD), MercadoLibre (MELI), DigitalOcean (DOCN), Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), Intel (INTC), AMD (AMD), NVIDIA (NVDA). Host — Travis Hoium; Guests — Dan Caplinger, Tim Beyers.
Guests: Dan Caplinger,Tim Beyers
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
Uber has been in the middle of the autonomy debate and recently added hotels to the mix, so we’re wondering if they can be the “everything” app built around transportation? First quarter results indicated they have the momentum to do it. We also look at results from Disney and Novo Nordisk, which had investors cheering today. Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Rachel Warren discuss Uber’s Q1 2026 results, whether Uber can make an “everything” app, Disney’s momentum and challenges, and Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 conundrum. Companies discussed: Uber (UBER), Expedia (EXPE), Disney (DIS), Novo Nordisk (NOVO). Host — Travis Hoium; Guests — Lou Whiteman, Rachel Warren.
Guests: Lou Whiteman,Rachel Warren
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Original Broadcast: Modern Mindset
Nearly six in every ten Britons say they’re worried about their financial future, and one in four have no savings at all. At the same time, new research suggests the public is looking back at past economic decisions with fresh scrutiny — with two-thirds now saying Gordon Brown made a mistake in selling off a large portion of the UK’s gold reserves. With gold prices now at record highs and economic uncertainty continuing, the question of how the UK manages its wealth and whether it got it wrong in the past is back in focus. Joining Rory McGowan to discuss this is Head of Research at GoldCore, Jan Skoyles.
Guests: Jan Skoyles
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A new survey of those aged 55+ who have organised a funeral in the last 5 years has revealed that families across the country still want meaningful, personalised ceremonies for their loved ones — despite a continued rise in unattended direct cremations. As we mark Dying Matters Awareness Week, experts are suggesting that a lack of planning and openness about death in the UK is causing a barrier. Joining Rory McGowan to discuss this further is Hugh Longland, Managing Director of the Westerleigh Group.
Guests: Hugh Longland
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Wholly unexpected accidents can create a real emotional ambush in comparison with situations such as long illnesses which allow people to prepare for the worst. Adam Cox seeks to help cope with such sudden inner turmoil, in order to try to make sense of such disasters and find a new sense of purpose and inspiration.
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