Nobody wants to be in debt? To find themselves owing money? Or to end up paying back high levels of interest?

But it has been reported that Rachel Reeves is looking to adjust the government’s rules to allow her to borrow more.

So what’s the chancellor thinking? How can the government borrow more? What can it spend money on if it borrows more? If the rules are so quick to change then why doesn’t every chancellor do it? And what actually happens if the government racks up a bigger debt?

Well, take a deep breath, get your calculators out, and let the Expert Factor tell you all about it.

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How does power work in government? Where does power really sit in government? And how can power best be given away from government?

The Expert Factor team aren’t exactly known for being 24-hour festival people – but when it comes to a festival about policy they are properly in the mood.

And in this special recording for this year’s Policy Festival, Hannah, Anand and Paul explore how policy is made (and could be made better through) with a fascinating discussion taking in missions, devolution, ministers, money and much more.

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Hannah, Paul and Anand – with some snazzy new remote podcast recording equipment – met up at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham to record a special episode of the Expert Factor. So what is the mood? How does it compare to Labour’s get together in Liverpool? Has the Conservative party reflected on its historic defeat and considered how it might govern differently? And are there any announcements that we need to be paying attention to?

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How many people claim benefits in this country? Who should be allowed to claim benefits? How much money does the government spend on benefits?

Questions about benefits are back on the agenda. The row over cutting the winter fuel allowance is ongoing. Keir Starmer is insisting that most people who claim benefits should be looking for work. And the government is planning to legislate to stop benefit fraud. So is the government taking the right approach for bringing the benefits bill down?

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THE EXPERT FACTOR: 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, explore and explain the big questions and policy challenges that will be faced by the Labour government, dominate debate in Westminster and beyond, and shape the political landscape for years to come.

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How angry should people be about Keir Starmer’s free gift list? How does a confusing set of rules governing standards and ethics in public life actually work? Whatever happened to Labour's grand plans for reform? And what can the PM due to reset the narrative?

The IfG’s standards expert Tim Durrant joins Hannah and Anand to get beyond the row over Keir Starmer’s new suits and Arsenal tickets and explore how the standards system works - and often doesn’t - and what could be done to fix it.

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THE EXPERT FACTOR: 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, explore and explain the big questions and policy challenges that will be faced by the Labour government, dominate debate in Westminster and beyond, and shape the political landscape for years to come. Produced by Milo Hynes.

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What exactly is a National Wealth Fund? Lots of other countries have one - or something similar. In fact, there are 179 of them - holding up to $12.4 trillion in assets.

And now the Labour government is going to set one up too. So how do they work? Where does the money come from? Where does the money go? What are the opportunities? And what are the risks? And how might Rachel Reeves’ wealth fund vision play out?

Hannah and Paul are joined by top macroeconomist, finance expert, development specialist and sustainability adviser Sony Kapoor to explain 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.

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Parliament has returned. MPs are back in Westminster. And the government is gearing up for a busy autumn, with the budget and some big legislation in parliament coming down the track. The Conservative party is battling through a leadership contest. The party conference season is almost upon us. And there’s a rather important election taking place in the US.

So what do we need to look out for? Where might the government run into difficulties? Which political rows might erupt? And are there actually any taxes to raise? Hannah, Anand and Paul return to the studio to bring you an expert preview of what might happen next in British politics.

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

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Are the right people making the right decisions about your future? How do politicians really know what you are thinking about the big questions facing the country? And is a tick in a box once every half a decade really a good enough way to tell our politicians what you want them to do?

Polly Curtis, CEO of the think tank Demos, joins Hannah and Anand to dive into the world of citizens' juries, citizens’ assemblies, and the new democratic experiments that could shake up how policy is made. Can these ideas make a difference, or are they just a distraction? 

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THE EXPERT FACTOR: 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, explore and explain the big questions and policy challenges that will be faced by the Labour government, dominate debate in Westminster and beyond, and shape the political landscape for years to come.

Produced by Milo Hynes

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The country is reeling from the worst civil unrest in the UK since the London riots of 2011.

So why did violence break out across England in recent weeks? How well has the Government handled it? What can be done about disinformation on social media? And should we be thinking about the root causes of dissatisfaction?

Nazir Afzal, former Chief Crown Prosecutor and Chief Executive of the country’s Police & Crime Commissioners, joins Anand and Hannah to try and make sense of the scenes that followed the tragic events in Southport last month - where three young girls attending a dance class were murdered by a 17-year old assailant.

Produced by Milo Hynes and Podmasters.

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THE EXPERT FACTOR: 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, explore and explain the big questions and policy challenges that will be faced by the Labour government, dominate debate in Westminster and beyond, and shape the political landscape for years to come.

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One of the Labour government’s big missions is to deliver clean power by 2030 – so what is its plan for getting there? Nick Butler, a top energy consultant and economist, joins Hannah, Paul and Anand to explain what the government is trying to do, who is going to pay for it, and examine whether it will actually work.

What exactly is GB Energy? How does the Crown Estate fit into the plans? Is onshore wind going to be enough or do we need a bigger mix? How many more pylons does the UK need to build – and will people really accept this as a price to pay for cleaner energy? And talking of prices to pay, are people’s bills actually going to come down?

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THE EXPERT FACTOR: 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, explore and explain the big questions and policy challenges that will be faced by the Labour government, dominate debate in Westminster and beyond, and shape the political landscape for years to come. Produced by Milo Hynes

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