Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian looks ahead to the Budget, discussing whether Labour will be breaking its manifesto commitments, feeling that a time-limited wealth tax would be better than discouraging pension saving. He discusses the surprise ejection of James Cleverley from the Tory leadership contest, perhaps the one best placed to unify the party. He predicts that at the end of this Parliament, it will be Boris Johnson who is leader of the opposition. He also reflects upon the life of Alex Salmond, who so nearly became Prime Minister of an independent Scotland. He had flair and talent, though perhaps not integrity. The latter, in the long run, is more important in a politician.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Neil Shah of Edison Group finds London Tunnels' project fascinating. Despite the name, they are listed on Euronext and aim to turn the network of tunnels under Holborn Underground into a major tourist attraction. Although intended as air raid shelters they became a home for MI6 and ended up being used by the GPO. Details of a forthcoming presentation are on the Edison Group website. Card Factory is demonstrating that a combination of bricks and clicks could be more effective than a pure online operation. The company is expanding its product range, stores and its online business and is trading at a larger discount than it should be.
Guests: Neil Shah
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says the box office is up 44% thanks to #1 Joker: Folie à Deux, with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. Essentially a jukebox musical contemplating the human condition, it sadly lacks a narrative drive and is often downright boring. At #10, A Different Man is an accomplished and original drama which is moving, challenging and entertaining. Never sure where it's going, it's remarkable and highly recommended. Out on excellently restored home discs is the 1954 JB Priestley An Inspector Calls with Alastair Sim, directed by future Bond director Guy Hamilton. Despite its age, it still casts quite a spell.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin explains why the BBC has been forecasting record winds & temperatures. Tesla are to unveil their Robotaxi. Google Japan have produced a Möbius strip keyboard with 208 keys. A virtual dog lead is somewhat shocking. What will happen to the Chagos Islands' internet domain? A Harvard student has produced smart glasses with real-time facial recognition. The Ask Silver scam checker gets the thumbs up from Steve. The crowd-funded FlyOn travel coat is designed to beat the meagre luggage allowance on budget airlines. And an Australian university has found a way to make flat-pack tubes incredibly strong.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell discusses the UK 10-year gilt yield rising over 4%, despite the Bank of England governor saying that interest rate cuts could happen more quickly. Why are equity markets both here and in the US more optimistic than fixed interest investors? In the UK we owe £2.5 trillion and have a £100 billion interest bill, so the government faces very difficult decisions. The only way to reduce the burgeoning debt/GDP ratio is through growth or inflation. It will probably be a combination of both and 2% may soon be the floor for the inflation rate rather than the ceiling. Russ discusses what this may mean for equities, with 28 of the FTSE100 companies yielding more than the 10-year gilt.
Guests: Russ Mould
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the surprisingly upbeat tone at the Conservative Party conference. He takes Simon Rose through the four leadership contenders, explaining who he thinks will be the pair party members will vote on. He also talks about the interventions of three former leaders, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson. Turning to the controversy about freebies given to Labour ministers, he considers the ethics of lobbying. While feeling Keir Starmer is right to return £6,000 of gifts, the PM must address the giving of gifts, as well as tackling MPs' second jobs and the issue of Sue Gray.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson reorts on box office down 9%, the third downturn in a row. He thought #3 The Outrun, a searing drama based on a memoir starring Saoirse Ronan, a terrific film. A work of arthouse cinema, it's a beautiful and emotional expedition with great acting. Francis Ford Coppola's long-cherished dream project Megalopolis reaches the screen at #7 but it is preposterous, self-indulgent and incomprehensible and had the audience leaving in droves. #10 Never Let Go with Halle Berre is a boring cabin-in-the-woods horror. But James was unexpectedly delighted by Ronan's first film from 2007, I Could Never Be Your Woman, which is available to view free online. He found Netflix's family drama His Three Daughters unduly theatrical and disappointing.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin laments the demise of the car CD player. But he looks forward to flying shopping trolleys which can even handle stairs. A powerwash simulator apparently improves people's mood. A traditional ladies' fan converts into a tactical defence baton, for a price. There's a kayak with an electric motor you can pedal, if you can deal with one of the worst websites Steve has ever encountered. A hydrogen balloon is the latest space tourism venture. There's a nasal gel to trap viruses. Westinghouse are producing a nuclear microreactor with no moving parts which lasts for 8 years without refuelling. And Australian scientists have discovered that clay reduces the methane from cow burps by 30%.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Neil Shah of Edison Group sees little to disappoint with Greggs' Q3 results. It remains a hugely efficient machine which is great at understanding consumer needs. Opening new stores aggressively in the wake of Covid and expanding into evening service, it remains attractively priced. He also looks at the collective investment vehicle Gresham House Energy Storage Fund. It has performed poorly of late. But the long term opportunity is great as we pivot to renewables, which need battery energy storage and it is an interesting opportunity as it is at a significant discount. More information is on the Edison Website. (https://www.edisongroup.com/research/rising-revenues-and-big-plans-for-the-future/34011/)
Guests: Neil Shah
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University says that we are living through the days of immense change and that AI is an evolving technology without end. While imperfect and with moral challenges that need to be faced, everyone should get to grips with it. From non-doms to university fees and housing, he returns to the subject of Labour moving to the market right of politics with little challenge from the directionless Conservatives. And with Labour's honeymoon well and truly over and talk about links between Lord Alli and Syria's Assad, how damaging will Cronygate be?
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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