Funding the Future

Funding the Future

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Funding the Future episodes

  • Taxing billionaires isn’t enough!

    Many think a “billionaire tax” could solve the UK’s problems — but there are only 156 of them. The real wealth — and the real untaxed income — is spread far wider. In this video, I explain why looking beyond billionaires, to the top 1% and top 10%, is essential if we want a fair tax system.

    17 min
  • The UK government can't borrow

    Politicians tell us the UK is “borrowing too much” and faces a “debt crisis.” That’s wrong. The government creates the pounds it spends, and what’s called “borrowing” is really just it accepting deposits — or savings — from the public and financial markets. It’s time to stop the scare stories and understand the truth.

    9 min
  • Danger for the wealthy?

    Rachel Reeves may be about to close a major inheritance tax loophole — and the wealthy are calling it “dangerous.” But what’s really dangerous in Britain? It’s not taxing the rich. It’s child poverty, crumbling public services, NHS queues, unsafe housing, and inequality. In this video, I take apart the scare stories from the wealth lobby and explain why closing loopholes is not a threat — it’s tax justice.

     

    10 min
  • Tax is an economic steering wheel

    Politicians tell us taxes pay for public services. In reality, it does something far more important — it shapes our society. In this video, I explain why tax is an economic steering wheel, not a fuel tank or piggy bank, and how we can use it to create fairness, tackle inequality, and protect our environment.

    9 min
  • Who Controls the Overton Window?

    The Overton Window decides what can – and cannot – be said in politics.

    But who builds this “window of acceptability”? In this video, I argue it’s not the public and not politicians – it’s the billionaire-owned mainstream media.

    12 min
  • Governments aren't like households
    Politicians love to say the government must “live within its means” – just like a household. But this analogy is completely wrong. In this video, I explain why the household analogy is economic nonsense, how it misleads the public, and how it drives damaging austerity policies. Once you understand how government really works, you’ll never fall for this trick again.
    15 min
  • We need to rethink capital

    We talk about capital as if it’s only money or machines, but that’s a dangerously narrow view. In this video, I unpack the six forms of capital we should measure, protect, and value: productive, financial, human, natural, environmental, and societal. And I explain why the Politics of Care demands a complete rethink of what truly matters for a sustainable future.

     

    16 min
  • Tax cheats could fill the black hole

    People say Rachel Reeves faces a £40bn “black hole” in the UK budget. She is hinting at tax rises — but that gap could be filled, at least in part, by collecting corporation tax already owed. In this video, I explain how billions go unpaid each year, why HMRC is fighting blind, and how three simple changes could fix the system. Honest businesses would win. Tax cheats would lose. And they would need to hit ordinary people with tax increases.

     

    8 min
  • Neoliberalism is a con

    For over 45 years, neoliberal and neoclassical economics have dominated UK policy — and failed us. These models rest on absurd assumptions about human behaviour, markets, and government. In this new series, I will dismantle their false logic, explain why they fail, and show how you can argue back with reason and evidence. Economics should serve people, not markets. Let’s take it back.

    8 min
  • Toblerone, tariffs… and Trump's chaos

    Donald Trump has slapped a 39% tariff on Toblerone from Switzerland – but this isn’t really about chocolate. It’s about a dangerous trade war targeting allies and enemies alike. In this video, I explain how tariffs work, who really pays for them, and why Trump’s economic nationalism will mean higher prices, job losses, and global instability. Fair trade matters – and this isn’t it.

    11 min

About Funding the Future

From the publisher's feed

Richard Murphy and occasional friends talking about everything you need to know to understand the economy, tax, finance and how we fund our future.