Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium. These materials built the world we live in, and they will transform our future. Neil and Jonathan talk to writer and broadcaster Ed Conway about raw materials that drive our economies, who controls them, and how that affects Britain's place in the world

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Ed Conway.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Additional production by Ewan Cameron.

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

Coal once powered the Industrial Revolution and made Britain the richest country on earth. Now with the closure of the country's last coal-fired power station, it will cease to play any meaningful part in the economic life of the nation. Aside from welcoming a cleaner, greener future, what are we to make of this momentous departure? Together with Ewan Gibbs from Glasgow University, Neil and Jonathan look at the epic decline and fall of King Coal. 

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Ewan Gibbs.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

In association with Briefcase.News

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

That's how the public increasingly sees today's managerial elite. Bosses enjoy vast rewards without seeming to be accountable for their decisions - at least the ones that go wrong. The economist (and old friend of Altif) Dan Davies has an answer: they've created what he calls an "unaccountability sink" which is delivering terrible business outcomes. Neil and Jonathan investigate.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Dan Davies.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

In association with Briefcase.News

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

One of Britain's best known bond fund managers, and also founder of the "Bond Vigilante" blog, Jim Leaviss is leaving the City after 32 years to train as an art historian. Neil and Jonathan caught up with him to look back on his City career, the huge bull market in bonds of recent decades, and the threats that lie in store from international instability, political turmoil and deteriorating public finances across the Western world.  

Presented by Neil Collins and Jonathan Ford.

With Jim Leaviss.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

In association with Briefcase.News

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

When banks were found to have manipulated the Libor rate during the financial crisis, they paid a whopping $8bn in fines but only a few junior traders went to prison. In a joint episode with Law & Disorder podcast, we look at the recently appealed cases of Tom Hayes and Carlo Palumbo, and ask whether justice has been served.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Nicholas Mostyn and Helena Kennedy.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

In association with Briefcase.News

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

One of the more striking crime statistics is that burglary is down 90% in England and Wales since the 1990s. That doesn't reflect more upright behaviour. Nope, it's just that villains are increasingly moving their operations online. We talk to author Geoff White about how Silicon Valley is helping the bad guys go digital by making it easier for them not only to con people and rob, but also to launder their digital winnings online

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Geoff White.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

In association with Briefcase.News

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

How did housing in Britain go from somewhere to live to being everyone's favourite financial asset? In the second of our two part series, we look at housing policy since 1970; and ask whether there has ever been a coherent approach. Also is there a natural level of home ownership and should we be encouraging everyone to buy? With Cambridge University housing expert Peter Williams.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Peter Williams.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

In association with Briefcase.News

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

How did housing in Britain go from somewhere to live to everyone's favourite financial asset? In the first of a two part series, we look at the mortgage market since 1970; and ask whether the high prices and low supply we endure today are a financial phenomenon. With former building societies supremo Mark Boleat.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Mark Boleat.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

In association with Briefcase.News

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

When Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, it was an online bookshop. Now its tentacles are everywhere: it's a marketplace for third party goods from around the world, a huge cloud computing business and America's largest parcel delivery group. But is this a good thing or a bad one? We talk to Dana Mattioli of the Wall Street Journal about whether Amazon is the consumer''s friend or a monopolist to rank with Rockefeller's Standard Oil.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Dana Mattioli.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podcast.

In association with Briefcase.News

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

The economist Michael Jensen, who died this month, did as much as any single thinker to shape modern financial capitalism. To his detractors, he was the High Priest of Greed who justified stratospheric CEO pay and predatory private equity. His admirers believe he revived Anglo Saxon capitalism. We discuss his ideas and legacy with the independent researcher and private equity expert Peter Morris. 

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Peter Morris.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podcast.

In association with Briefcase.News

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