Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
Merryn Somerset Webb is Editor-in-Chief of MoneyWeek and a contributing editor and weekly columnist for the Financial Times. She has published a book called 'Share Power', showing not only where capitalism is going wrong, but also how every one of us can have the power to make it work for us. Larry Fink, Chair and CEO of BlackRock, also understands the problem. However 'Participation for all' is the key objective in Share Alliance's quest for a more egalitarian form of capitalism — Merryn's book and Larry's annual letter to shareholders move us strongly in the right direction. Background music: 'People Watching' by Sir Cubworth Image sources: Merryn Somerset Webb — Alchetron; Larry Fink — Wikipedia
Published:
Temper tantrums do not solve fights in the playground, and they certainly don't resolve international disputes. If we are concerned about young people under the age of 16 having access to social media in order to reduce the risks to which they are exposed, we should certainly be concerned about the existential risks to which we are all exposed as a result of this 'Epic Fury' being unleashed on the Middle East, the powder-keg for so many conflicts. Background music: 'Don't Look Inside' by Biz Baz Studio Image source: Sunday Times
Published:
Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
The young owners of over two-thirds of all Child Trust Funds reach adulthood at the end of March 2026, but very large numbers of HMRC-allocated accounts remain unknown and unclaimed, including almost three-quarters of the £1 billion belonging to low-income young adults: the position is particularly acute in the north of England and devolved nations. These are accounts for which HM Treasury/HMRC are the 'settlor', and therefore have a duty to deliver these young adults' birthrights. Background music: 'Waiting' by Andrew Langdon
Published:
Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
The current state of humanity could well be giving rise to a degree of despair in divine quarters: we certainly don't seem to have learnt much over the past two thousand years. With Easter now only just over a week away, perhaps it's time to see how a deeper understanding of logic and unconditional love could contribute to religious insight. Background music: 'Pastorale' by Joel Cummins
Published:
Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
For the past fifty years the world's conflicts have been powered by our addiction to oil, while the climate has continued to suffer. If concern about our environment is insufficient to break this addiction, perhaps the straw that breaks the camel's back is more likely to be the immense geopolitical and economic instability which results from relying on regions such as Russia and the Middle East. Could the current conflicts be the birth pangs of a new world order without fossil fuels? Background music: 'Addicted' by VYEN
Published:
Donald Trump's comment about Keir Starmer being 'No Churchill' wholly overlooks Churchill's part in destabilising Iran when the UK and US were the prime movers behind the 1953 coup d’état — or was he perhaps making reference to that? What followed was 26 years of authoritarian rule by the Shah, which brought about the 1979 Islamic revolution — then the past 47 years of more authoritarian rule. It's now more urgent than ever to provide a forum for stability and peace, and the UK has a real duty to help find the answer. Background music: 'Lost in Prayer' by Doug Maxwell
Published:
Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
The past half-century has provided a generally well-structured approach to employment and career opportunities, but there's little reliability or predictability today. Increasingly, young people cannot rely on others to sort their lives out for them: they need to take matters into their own hands. Could it be the time for entrepreneurial activity to move from the margins to the centre-ground? Background music: 'Any Thing You Can Dream' by The Whole Other
Published:
President Trump has learnt the hard way that he can't just impose tariffs by Executive Order. The U.S. Supreme Court may be beefed up by his own nominees, but they have shown that they do understand the law. We're now beset by uncertainties: on tariffs, refunds, exchange rates and U.S. public debt. The financial markets hate uncertainty, and his 150-day 'Section 122' tariffs won't fend off the risk of financial meltdown unless a long-term solution can be agreed on a cross-party basis. Background music: 'Confliction & Catharsis' by Asher Fulero
Published:
Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
There are a host of big issues facing young people, but lowering the voting age to 16 is not one of them. Student debt post-graduation is one of the biggest: as Gavin Williamson says, 'Saddling young people with eye-watering debts before they have even begun their working lives is more than unfair: it amounts to a levy on ambition'. Why can politicians not get out of the mindset of pandering to the elderly at the expense of the young? They need to learn what inter-generational rebalancing means. Background music: 'Something Is Wrong' by Sir Cubworth
Published:
Starmer has learnt the hard way that without truth there can be no trust. But throughout society people feel that they cannot take anything at face value, and the deception and dishonesty which riddles social media are significantly exacerbating this problem. The need for a moral compass is heavily tested without faith: GK Chesterton said, 'When people stop believing in God, they'll believe in anything’. Is this really where we want to be? Background music: 'Dark Alley Deals' by Aaron Kenny
Published:
