A Long Time In Finance

How on earth did the UK end up having to fling £150bn at the energy market just to keep the lights on? Is it just because of Vladimir Putin, or does it also involve poor decisions taken far nearer to home? Neil and Jonathan talk to energy expert Nick Butler about the history of what happened, what went wrong, and how we might put it right. 

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Nick Butler.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sponsored by Briefcase.News

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode on Britain's 1992 currency crisis, Neil and Jonathan look at the consequences of Black Wednesday with Jonathan Portes, Sir Paul Tucker, both of whom had ringside seats in the Treasury and Bank of England respectively, and economic historian Duncan Weldon.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Duncan Weldon and Jonathan Portes.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Additional editing by Ewan Cameron.

Sponsored by Briefcase.News

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second of our three-part series on Black Wednesday, the sterling crisis that drove Britain out of Europe's Exchange Rate Mechanism in the autumn of 1992, Neil and Jonathan look back on the events of the day itself with Sir Paul Tucker, who watched the mounting chaos from the Bank of England.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Sir Paul Tucker.

Produced and edited by Nick for Podot.

Additional editing by Ewan Cameron.

Sponsored by Briefcase.News

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 16 September 1992, after an "extremely difficult and turbulent day", sterling was driven out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism, shattering the central economic policy of John Major's government and arguably setting Britain on a path to the fringes of, and ultimately the exit from, the European Union. In the first of a three-part series, Neil and Jonathan look back on the run up to the crisis with Jonathan Portes, Sir Paul Tucker, both of whom had ringside seats in the Treasury and Bank of England respectively, and economic historian Duncan Weldon.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Sir Paul Tucker, Jonathan Portes, and Duncan Weldon.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Additional editing by Ewan Cameron.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's arguably the most important number in world history, and one that drives almost all our main economic decisions. But how is the interest rate set, and (more importantly) have we been setting it wrong in recent years, to the detriment of our economies? We discuss interest rates from Babylon to QE with economic historian and author Edward Chancellor.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Edward Chancellor.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The private equity industry has grown massively in recent years, but is it a bubble or a genuine money-making machine? We talk to Sachin Khajuria, a former partner of Apollo and author, who believes the buyout chiefs really can turn pension funds' base metal into gold.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins,

With Sachin Khajuria.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

In association with Briefcase.News

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the key divide in UK economic policy, according to economist Sam Bowman: You are either a growth-hungry Booster who thinks we can revive the economy, or a pessimistic Doomster who believes struggling Britain is condemned to persistent low growth. We talk to Sam about why the Doomsters dominate the discussion, and how Boosters can bounce back.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Sam Bowman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

In association with Briefcase.News

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tory leadership contest has been badged as a "battle of economic ideas" between "prudent" Rishi Sunak and "go for growth" Liz Truss. But what exactly are these ideas, where do they come from, and how relevant are they to Britain's current situation? Neil and Jonathan talk to economic historian Duncan Weldon about the contenders' plans to put Britain back on track.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Duncan Weldon.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sponsored by Briefcase.News

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people think it's all over. But with new variants raging, are we too sanguine about dismissing the risks from Covid. Neil and Jonathan talk to Deborah Birx, who ran the Coronavirus Taskforce in Donald Trump's White House, about dealing with "the Donald", where we are with the virus, and how we can avoid contracting a nasty case of economic long Covid. 

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Deborah Birx.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Sponsored by Briefcase.News

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Things are going from bad to worse for the privatised water industry, argues Feargal Sharkey. The rivers are running with sewage, and now there are warnings the whole South East could run out of water. We discuss possible fixes with the ex-Undertone, fisherman and water campaigner, from nationalisation to using "grey" water to flush your bog.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Feargal Sharkey.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.