UK politics is experiencing a realignment – with the old divides of left and right gradually giving way to new fault lines, based on social values, attitudes to immigration and a sense of national identity. That’s the view of Dr Steve Davies, who believes that the political parties of Britain are, increasingly, at odds with the electorate and their own core voters. This situation, he argues, has been exposed and exacerbated by the results of the EU referendum in 2016. A realignment in British politics is now inevitable. Today, the IEA’s News Editor sat down with Steve to discuss his theory, what it means for UK politics, and how the two major parties will navigate these momentous changes over the next few years.
Guests: Dr Steve Davies
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It’s not long before the door slams shut on your chance to use this year’s Isa allowance. It’s always best not to leave Isa saving or investing until the last month of the tax year, but many of us will do so. So, here is our special Isa podcast – with a comfortable three weeks to spare before the 5 April tax year end. In it, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost dive into everything you need to know about Isas, from cash, to stocks and shares, and Innovative to Lifetime. It also looks at why investing is the best way to get inflation-beating returns over the long term, how savers can eke some precious extra interest from accounts, and why an Isa is worth having.
Guests: Simon Lambert,Rachel Rickard-Straus
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In the latest instalment of our podcast series, Live From Lord North Street, News Editor Kate Andrews discusses trade arrangements and customs unions post-Brexit with Shanker Singham, who is joining the IEA as the director of our new International Trade and Competition unit. The pair examine Theresa May’s recent speech – one of six in a series dubbed the ‘Road to Brexit’ – in which the PM set out five key tests with which to judge an eventual deal with the EU. They also examine the future of regulation outside of the European Union, and potential alternatives to full regulatory alignment.
Guests: Shanker Singham
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Original Broadcast: New Economics Foundation
Universities up and down the country have been shutting down as lecturers have walked out, arguing that the changes to their pension schemes could leave them thousands of pounds a year worse off in retirement. So this week we’re breaking down what the university strikes are all about, and what they tell us about everyone else’s pensions too. Ayeisha Thomas-Smith speaks to two striking lecturers: Nadine El-Enany, co-director of the Centre for Research on Race and Law at Birkbeck, and SOAS Senate chair Meera Sabaratnam. They are joined by writer and researcher Christine Berry, who is also a postgraduate student at Sheffield University.
Guests: Ayeisha Thomas-Smith,Nadine El-Enany,Meera Sabaratnam,Christine Berry
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Chancellor Philip Hammond unveils the latest projections for the UK economy. Listen again to his full speech.
Guests: Phillip Hammond
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
We have a housing crisis. That’s the message, loud and clear, and it was reiterated by the Prime Minister this week. What’s the answer? Build more homes. Or is it? Because once you start digging into the subject, this housing crisis is a pretty ill-defined problem - and it’s not clear that a lack of homes is causing the problem of too high house prices. Many people suspect that actually it’s too much cheap money that made homes so expensive. On this week’s podcast episode, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost get stuck into the housing crisis. They look at what the problem is meant to be, what made homes so expensive, what the plans are to solve the issue, and whether building more homes will make house prices cheaper.
Guests: Simon Lambert,Lee Boyce
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The collapse and liquidation of the building firm Carillion – a company responsible for numerous government projects – has ignited a row over Britain’s system of outsourcing public services. Many are now calling for such procurement contracts to be taken back into state hands. Kate Andrews, News Editor at the Institute of Economic Affairs, and Head of Education Dr Steve Davies, sat down to discuss the question of outsourcing, and whether public services are best delivered ‘in-house’ by government, or through the private sector.
Guests: Dr Steve Davies
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Helal Miah from The Share Centre explained the background to this week’s biggest story: Comcast’s takeover bid for Sky. He also looked at updates from Associated British Foods, which owns Primark and Twinings Tea, as well as ITV and advertising giant, WPP. Looking ahead, Helal focused on expected updates from online takeaway firm, Just Eat, and Rolls Royce.
Guests: Helal Miah
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Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University explains why the left/right divide is becoming less and less important. Voters’ primary concern is no longer tax, spending and the size of the public sector. Instead votes are now split around ‘internationalism’ which means attitudes to immigration, trade and the like. Tim also looks at whether the UK needs to spend more money on ‘digital defence’ as well as the decline of the traditional British establishment.
Guests: Tim Evans
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Hastened by sluggish productivity growth, the once unfashionable idea of a centrally planned Industrial Strategy is back on the political agenda in Britain. But will it have the desired effect? Joining us today is the IEA’s Head of Transport Dr Richard Wellings, along with Head of Tech Policy Diego Zuluaga. The pair take a look at how industrial strategies have historically fared around the world, and examine the extent to which we can rely on the free market to deliver the infrastructure we need – and where government should fit into all this.
Guests: Dr Richard Wellings,Diego Zuluaga
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