Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Victoria Scholar of Interactive Investor, despite being in a broken-down car in freezing weather, talked to Simon Rose about the latest interest-rate decisions from the Fed, the Bank of England and the ECB. With growth weakening, all three tilted away from a more hawkish position. In the UK, the pound and banks were lower ahead of the MPC's announcement while housebuilders were stronger because interest rate rises might not be as great as they might have been.
Guests: Victoria Scholar
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson laments a 4th week of plunging box office, despite several old Christmas favourites reappearing. He recommends the true story of The Silent Twins (#23), finding it audacious, original and beautifully simple. Another pick is the DVD release of the exquisitely-made Emily with Emma Mackey about Emily Bronte, which he found intellectually daring and moving. And he also is keen on Netflix's The Swimmers, a true story about Syrian sisters, Olympic hopefuls, who refused to be deterred by the civil war.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Steve Caplin has a sackful of Christmas gift suggestions that should arrive before the holiday. For the extravagant, there's a 2-storey inflatable catamaran or a pimped iPhone 14 Pro Max. For the rest of us, choose between apps to produce spectacular portraits, a smart door lock, a space-saving Christmas tree, kitchen scales, a yodelling pickle, a rechargeable lantern, a travelling plug set, a folding fan, a belt for sailing through security, a suitcase to beat size restrictions and an app to keep track of all your online shopping.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian looks at the nurses' strike. When all solutions to the NHS's problems are difficult, he feels emphasis should be on patient outcomes. He looks at the new bullying claims against Dominic Raab, wondering why the relationship between government and the civil service has deteriorated so markedly. And he summarises an extraordinary year which, he says, shows just how the Conservatives have thrown away most of the advantages they held.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson analyses the UK box office, down another 33%, with Matilda the Musical still #1. Seasonal horror film Violent Night enters at #3 which "puts the X into Xmas". To his surprise, James found it outrageously funny but also touching. He also praises the Blu-Ray restoration of the 1939 horror comedy The Cat and the Canary, starring Bob Hope, a view with which Simon concurs.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Politicial commentator Mike Indian says that PM Rishi Sunak should not get bogged down in detail, but work out what to concentrate on and make himself visible where it counts. He discusses government U-turns and what the Chester by-election means for Labour, suggesting it reinforces the idea that the party will form the next government. With Stephen Flynn the new SNP leader in Westminster, does this mean that Nicola Sturgeon's days are now effectively numbered?
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Tech buff Steve Caplin finds an answer to Simon Rose's earlier question about who invented the wheeled suitcase. There's a pilot-it-yourselves VTOL sightseeing plane, a hydrogen-powered commuter bike and supercar, an electronic nose to detect prostate cancer, a toilet sensor to identify cholera outbreaks, a gel to kill harmful bacteria, nuclear-reactor robots to repair the 3,000 malfunctioning satellites, Elon Musk's brain chip and Apple allowing people in the UK to repair their own phones. Steve says, "Don't even think about it."
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
With the World Cup in full flow and Manchester United up for sale, Russ Mould of A J Bell looks at the economics of football clubs. Although Man United was worth $78m when it floated in 1991 and is, in theory, set to sell for upwards of $4bn, for investors of late it, and every other club, has proved a poor investment. Russ explains how modern football financing works, pointing out that, in good times, all the money seems to go to the talent.
Guests: Russ Mould
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University suggests ways in which the UK can return to growth and compete internationally, but wonders which government – if any – will do what is necessary. He discusses the mindless vandalism of cracking down on overseas students. And he considers whether China's increasing economic woes will benefit India, the world's biggest democracy.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson casts his eye over a lacklustre box office, despite 5 new films in the top 10 places. At #1 is Matilda the Musical, which James thought might be the worst musical he's ever seen, unsubtle, unengaging and with no sense of reality. He was unimpressed with Disney animation Strange World at #3. But he was full of praise for She Said (#4), about sexual harassment in Hollywood, starring Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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