What is the best way to measure poverty? Intuitively, this question might not seem necessary – surely, we know poverty when we see it. But while we can probably agree that the inhabitants of Victorian slums were in poverty, in many cases today things aren’t so clear cut. Our Chief Economist Julian Jessop examines this question in light of recent research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, warning of rises in child and pensioner poverty.
Guests: Julian Jessop
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Original Broadcast: New Economics Foundation
Personal debt is at record levels with one in six of us at risk of a debt crisis. Credit cards, overdrafts and payday loans are propping up households across the country as wages continue to fall in real terms. And many people are struggling under the pressure of paying back what they owe. But what is the effect on the wider economy? And what should we do about it? Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is back with us this week and is joined by Sarah Lyall, NEF’s Social Policy Lead and special guest Dr Jo Michell, Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of the West of England.
Guests: Sarah Lyall,Dr Jo Michell
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Adam interviews two identical twin sisters, Raissa and Joyce de Haas, who founded the drinks company Double Dutch. In just a few years they have won awards, used innovative approaches into investment and have created surprising new flavours of drinks. They discuss the emotional power of flavours and the benefits of working with someone with identical genetics.
Guests: Joyce de Haas,Raissa de Haas
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Could you train your brain to get richer? Behavioural economics tells us that we regularly behave irrationally – and nudge theory has been used by governments and organisations around the world to try to make us better people. But could you take matters into your own hands, tackle your own temptations and make yourself wealthier, or just happier? On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost look at some tricks you can deploy – and whether you can actually turn that old chestnut about not spending money on coffee into hard cash in your bank account, pension or ISA. Also on this week’s show, we discuss why Britain is bottom of the world pension league and whether that is actually as bad as it seems.
Guests: Simon Lambert,Lee Boyc
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Original Broadcast: New Economics Foundation
The housing crisis is a hot topic at the moment. We often talk about who can buy, sell and rent houses – and how much they cost – but we rarely talk about the land beneath them. Lots of land in the UK is owned by the government and local authorities – public land. But a load of it is being sold off, from old hospitals to sites owned by the Ministry of Defence. The government says that we should sell it to developers to build houses on to deal with the housing shortage. But is that really happening? Is selling off our public land really helping to solve the housing crisis? This week host Ayeisha Thomas-Smith welcomes back NEF’s Subject Lead on Housing, Alice Martin, to talk us through these thorny questions. She’s joined by NEF researcher Duncan McCann and journalist and author Dawn Foster, both experts on the issues of housing and land.
Guests: Alice Martin,Duncan McCann,Dawn Foster
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Original Broadcast: Money Makers
In the latest Money Makers episode, Jonathan Davis talks to Dr Paul Jourdan, the CEO of Amati Global Investors, who run two small cap funds and an AIM portfolio service from their headquarters in Edinburgh. Since last speaking to Paul a year ago, his small cap fund has risen more than 35% and collected a number of new awards for its performance. Jonathan finds out how.
Guests: Dr Paul Jourdan
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Britain’s car industry is crying foul, as not a single new diesel car avoids the Budget tax hike because the test they have to pass hasn’t come in yet. Car makers claim that new diesels are fine, but can we believe them? Meanwhile, campaigners want extra taxes and a serious crackdown on diesel drivers, but it’s ended up with councils leading the way with a piece-meal approach. Who should we believe, has the drive to get rid of diesel gone too far, and is it employing bad science? This week, Simon Lambert, Tanya Jefferies and Georgie Frost drive into the murky world of diesel cars.
Guests: Simon Lambert,Tanya Jefferies
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Chancellor Philip Hammond got out his red box again to let us know how the country’s finances are – or aren’t – holding up, and what the Government’s going to be doing with its money this year. Will the Chancellor’s proposals be enough to make our economy “fit for the future”? And with Brexit looming, is the Government doing enough to deal with the country’s economic problems? This week, NEF’s David Powell steps in for regular host Ayeisha Thomas-Smith. Dave is joined by Kate Bell, Head of Economic and Social Affairs at the Trades Union Congress, and Miatta Fahnbulleh, the new CEO of the New Economics Foundation.
Guests: David Powell,Kate Bell,Miatta Fahnbulleh
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This week, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost pick apart the Budget to try to find out who the winners and losers will be. Philip Hammond pulled a George Osborne-sized rabbit from the hat at the end with the abolition of stamp duty for first-time buyers, but was that enough to make us to forget the gloomy economic news and the gags? On the plus side, the Budget brought an income tax cut for most, the promise of more homes being built, and no more stamp duty for most first-time buyers. On the negative side, economists say we are due another lost decade, Philip Hammond’s own financial watchdog said he would drive up house prices, and cough sweet jokes might be catching on.
Guests: Simon Lambert,Rachel Rickard-Straus
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What impact will Brexit have on British aviation and our ability to travel? That’s a question that’s been on many peoples’ lips recently, following warnings from the boss of Ryanair and other key industry figures, that flights between the UK and the EU could be grounded for months unless replacements for EU airline agreements are struck before Britain leaves the bloc. The IEA’s Chief Economist and head of the Brexit Unit, Julian Jessop, will weigh up the evidence, along with Digital Officer Madeline Grant, and decide whether these warnings stack up to reality.
Guests: Julian Jessop,Madeline Grant
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