As the US-China trade war heats up, Ed Balls and George Osborne ask: what if the Trump White House took the nuclear option… defaulting on its debts to China? Ed explains why that could be a catastrophic thing to do, while George points to the ‘Mar-a-Lago Accord’ as a way that the US in reality may negotiate its debt. 

Sticking with Trump, Ed and George also ponder ‘patrimonalism’ – a term coined by Max Weber to describe governance by personal loyalty and kinship… Is Donald Trump the first patrimonial President of the United States? 

Josh Simons MP, a rising star in the Labour Party, asks for advice on getting government backing for a new road in his Makerfield constituency. Is he right to lobby the Housing and Transport departments, and what sort of arguments will pique the interest of the Labour leadership?

Right now, the UK has eight living former Prime Ministers. Ed and George conclude by comparing their behaviour upon leaving Number 10. Which PMs clearly can’t let go, and whose stock has risen over time? 

Technical Producer: Danny Pape 

Producers: Miriam Hall and Jarek Żaba

Executive Producer: Dino Sofos

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