Do you remember when politics was the domain of good chaps and a time when politicians could be trusted to stick to the rules? Ok, so maybe there was never quite such a rose-tinted age – but from lobbying scandals to accusations of minsters bullying their staff, standards in politics seem to have been slipping in recent years.

So this week the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into standards and ethics in public life – and how they are meant to be uphold. Why have standards been on the slide? Have the good chaps left the political scene for good? What could Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer do to fix the problem? And do the voters really care?

A general election is looming. Manifestos are being drafted. The battle of ideas is intensifying. From tackling climate change to turning around the economy, rethinking Britain’s place in the world to restoring trust in politics, the UK is facing huge challenges. So how can we make sense of it all?

THE EXPERT FACTOR is the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts. Each week the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, debate and explain the big questions and themes that will shape the election – and the political landscape for years to come.

Produced by Milo Hynes and Podmasters.

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

From HS2 cancellations to Heathrow’s still unbuilt third runway, the over-budget Elizabeth line to the repeated delays to the Hinkley C nuclear reactor, why is the UK so bad at infrastructure projects? 

This week the Expert Factor team – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – take a deep dive into what goes wrong when the UK wants to build big things. How did the costs for HS2 get so high? Is there the right level of government expertise to see through big infrastructure projects? Does the UK have a bigger NIMBY problem than other countries? And what could be done to learn from past mistakes?

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Rising inflation, a cost of living crisis, striking public sector workers, the NHS facing another winter crisis… costs on the public purse are spiralling and government borrowing is being pushed still higher.

So is it true to say there is no more money left?

This week the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into the state of Britain’s public finances. What would it mean if we stick to current tax and spend policies? What choices are facing this country’s politicians and its public services? What does the country expect its governments to deliver – and how does it expect it to be paid for? And what did we learn from the Labour and Conservative conferences about the two parties’ plans for the economy?

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On the 22nd November, the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will give his Autumn Statement. He will update MPs on the country's finances and the government's plans for tax and public spending, based on the latest forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility.

In this episode, we speak to Carl Emmerson, Deputy Director at IFS and Ben Nabarro, Chief UK Economist at Citigroup, about the underlying economic situation facing the Chancellor.

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

Recently, Rishi Sunak announced significant changes to the UK's net zero pathway. A ban on the sale of combustion engines has been pushed back to 2035, instead of a 100% phase out of gas boilers by 2035, this has been changed to 80%, and he’s scrapped energy efficiency targets for homes.

What is the impact of the announcement? Who will it affect? How will it alter the UK's path to net zero?

Joining us today is Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee, an independent, statutory body which advises the government on climate change. 

Paul was until this year also a member of the CCC.

Find out more: www.ifs.org.uk/podcast

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Some politicians are keen to talk up global Britain. Others boast that the UK is world leader in, well, just about everything. But some say this is a country in non-stop decline. So what’s the true story?

This week the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into Britain’s place in the world. How do other countries view the UK after a tumultuous time in Westminster? What is the state of the UK’s post-pandemic economy compared to other countries? Just how special is the ‘special’ relationship with the US? And what is the true story about what Brexit has meant for the UK? Hannah White, Paul Johnson and Anand Menon ask the tricky questions – and come up with the expert answers.

A general election is looming. Manifestos are being drafted. The battle of ideas is intensifying. From tackling climate change to turning around the economy, rethinking Britain’s place in the world to restoring trust in politics, the UK is facing huge challenges. So how can we make sense of it all?

THE EXPERT FACTOR is the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts. Each week we the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, debate and explain the big questions and themes that will shape the election – and the political landscape for years to come.

• Institute Fiscal Studies: https://ifs.org.uk/

• Institute for Government: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/

• UK in a Changing Europe: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/

Written and presented by Paul Johnson, Hannah White and Anand Menon. Audio production by Alex Rees for Podmasters.

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

Subscribe to The Expert Factor feed: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-expert-factor/id1709487231

A general election is looming. Manifestos are being drafted. The battle of ideas is intensifying. From tackling climate change to turning around the economy, rethinking Britain’s place in the world to restoring trust in politics, the UK is facing huge challenges. So how can we make sense of it all?

The EXPERT FACTOR is the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts. Each week we the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, debate and explain the big questions and themes that will shape the election – and the political landscape for years to come.

This week the team look ahead to the party conference season. What are the pressing questions that Keir Starmer needs to answer? How much pressure will Rishi Sunak be under? And what difference do these get-togethers really make?

• Institute Fiscal Studies: https://ifs.org.uk/

• Institute for Government: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/

• UK in a Changing Europe: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/

Written and presented by Paul Johnson, Hannah White and Anand Menon. Audio production by Alex Rees for Podmasters.

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

From silicon chips to fertiliser, the last few years have shown us that where our materials come from matters massively to the stability of our economy.

How we get stuff out of the ground, processed and into complex global supply chains is a vital and oft-overlooked part of our economy - with ramifications for government policy across all sectors.

In this episode, we speak with Ed Conway, Economics Editor at Sky News and author of a new book Material World: The Making of Civilisation.

Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/

Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership

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

Debates about inequality often focus on inequalities between people. But what about inequalities between firms?

Recent decades have seen the emergence of giant, multinational firms - the FAANGs of this world. But over 40% of registered businesses in the UK have less than 10 employees.

What do we mean when we talk about inequality between firms? Are inequalities between firms limiting UK business dynamism? And do governments need to step in and enforce competition rules?

Joining us this episode are John Van Reenan, Ronald Coase Chair in Economics and School Professor at the LSE, and Amelia Fletcher, Professor of Competition Policy at Norwich Business School.

Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/inequality/

Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership

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

Over the past decades, women have drawn closer to men in a variety of areas - education, university degrees and workforce participation. But, women still earn less on average than men.

In this episode, we ask why this pay gap opens up, whether things have improved in recent years, and talk about one key factor affecting women’s pay - kids.

Joining us are Alison Andrew, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford, Christine Farquharson, Senior Research Economist at IFS and Lucinda Platt, Professor of Social Policy and Sociology at the LSE.

Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/inequality/

Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership

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