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Genre: Politics X
Topic: UK X
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Thought for the Week: No Country for Young People

Gavin Oldham

Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week

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Italy is not alone in experiencing a massive fall in its birth rate over recent years: so has the United Kingdom. Lowering the voting age to 16 is all very well, but it needs to be accompanied by a raft of co-ordinated policies to help young adults towards family formation and independent living. Rural villages, where house prices are so often well out of reach for young people, provide a clear litmus test of whether these policies are working. Do you remember mortgage interest rate tax relief, or when university life didn't end in heavyweight student debt? We need a coordinated policy framework to improve conditions for young adults. Background music: 'Folk Tap Harp' by Unicorn Heads


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Thought for the Week: Individual Freedom & Ownership for All

Gavin Oldham

Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week

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A comment article in The Times last Friday was headed, 'Starmer and Reeves must change to survive' — but which way? The backbench Labour MP uprising called for even more State spending, but the bond market and the July 22nd ‘Cost of Government Day’ say no — the public sector is already much too big. Of more concern is their preference to go for the 'stick' of welfare reduction rather than the 'carrot' of empowerment through individual ownership and freedom for all, drawing a sharp contrast between this Labour Government and that of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown two decades ago. Background music: 'Hopeful Freedom' by Asher Fulero Image: happier days, from Wikimedia


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The Bigger Picture: How did we get here? A history of the UK’s political parties — The Labour Party

Simon Rose

Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture

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Simon Rose is joined by political commentator and author of The Groucho Tendency blog, Mike Indian, to discuss how UK politics has got to where it is. In this episode recorded in October 2019, Simon and Mike discuss the history of the Labour Party. As the party strains to maintain its unity notwithstanding its huge majority from the 2024 election, it's interesting to reflect on its journey over past decades.

Guests: Mike Indian


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Thought for the Week: Has the rush for economic stimulation obscured joined-up thinking?

Gavin Oldham

Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week

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The Chancellor was like a person sitting on the cliff-edge of colossal public debt last week, convinced that her massive 'investment' commitments can overlook the void below. It appears that economic stimulation is the only game in town for the British economy, and even that seems to avoid joined-up thinking in some key areas. Background music: 'Ether Oar' by The Whole Other


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The Bigger Picture: The UK Chancellor’s Spending Review

Gavin Oldham

Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture

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The unabridged recording of Rachel Reeves’ speech in the House of Commons on 11th June 2025.


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Thought for the Week: Change requires delivery, not just policies

Gavin Oldham

Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week

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Nigel Farage's stunning electoral success last Thursday exposed the chronic failure of state-centred socialism and the policy vacuum at the heart of the discredited Conservative party, following a decade of errors of judgement. Thomas Jefferson set out his 'self-evident truths' in 1776, that all are equal in deserving life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness: these, combined with constitutional acceptance of the need for inter-generational rebalancing, provide the real alternative to the narrow populism of the far right. Background music: 'The New Order' by Aaron Kenny


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Thought for the Week: Why ‘Non-Experimental Evaluation’ Matters

Gavin Oldham

Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week

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Outcome assessment is vital for all new initiatives, particularly political, but traditional academic research, which is sequential in character, is not good at responding to the speed of change in our modern world. This is particularly the case in tackling Child Poverty, for which a UK-Government Task Force is due to report later this Spring. If we are to break the cycle of deprivation with inter-generational rebalancing, we need a new sense of dynamism and responsiveness. Background music: 'Peony Morning' by TrackTribe


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The Bigger Picture: Spring Statement 2025

Gavin Oldham

Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture

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Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivers her March '25 Spring Statement — this is an unabridged audio record of her speech to the House of Commons


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Thought for the Week: Monopolies provide no answers

Gavin Oldham

Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week

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Abolition of NHS England reverses the de-politicisation of the health service, but it leaves intact all the inefficiencies of being a monopoly: thereby rendering people complacent and satisfied with mediocrity, unless they're moved by the Florence Nightingale mindset. Competition enables progress, efficient delivery and innovation, but most of all it respects individuals as customers, not simply treating them as account numbers. No wonder that the Competition & Markets Authority encourages government to use competition effectively on behalf of consumers. Background music: 'Hopeful Freedom' by Asher Fulero


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Modern Mindset: Chris Roe on National Day of Reflection

Adam Cox

Original Broadcast: Modern Mindset

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Adam Cox is joined by Chris Roe, former Chaplain of Crystal Palace Football Club and current Chief Development Officer at Rowland Brothers Foundation. They discuss the impact of knife crime and National Day of Reflection on 9th of March. http://www.rowlandbrothers.com/

Guests: Chris Roe


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