The i Podcast

The end of close to 15 years of cheap credit is over and it’s having a significant impact on the British economy. As the Bank of England rachets up interest rates, many homeowners are feeling the pinch, but the impact goes beyond higher interest payments for those with mortgages.

This sea change in monetary policy is calling into question one of the few certainties of life in Britain. The idea that property is a safe and secure investment is on shaky ground.

To help us explore what this means for Britain’s economy, society, and political landscape, in this week’s episode of The i Podcast we are joined by our housing correspondent, Vicky Spratt, and money and business editor, Jessie Hewitson.

Join us as we take a deep dive into the mortgage crisis, looking at the ramifications of the ongoing transformation of the UK economy, and find out how our guests are coping with the borrowing crunch themselves.

Produced by Albert Evans, edited by Julia Webster.

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In a few short years, Saudi Arabia has become one of the biggest players in world sports. Capitalising on the pandemic, it has unleashed its oil-backed financial power and made inroads in most of the world’s top sporting industries.

It’s growing dominance over golf, inroads into the Premier League and eye-wateringly expensive deals for some of football’s biggest stars are just a few indicators of the kingdom's takeover.

But this has been met with widespread criticism. Accusations of sport-washing and human rights abuses have followed, coming from industry insiders and fan groups alike.

In this episode of The i Podcast, we are unpacking why the Middle-Eastern country is making such a bold move and the major impact it is having on teams and communities,  

Joining us is northern football correspondent Mark Douglas and chief football writer Daniel Storey to shed light on the events as they have unfolded and the consequences for “the beautiful game”. 

We also have professor of sport and geopolitical economy at SKEMA business school in Paris, Simon Chadwick, to provide his expert insight on the Saudi expansion and what it means in geopolitical terms.

Produced by Albert Evans, the assistant producer was Sebastian Piette Pereira. Edited by Julia Webster.

Music featured is by Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

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In 24-hours Yevgeny Prigozhin’s heavily armed convoy of Wagner troops captured the world’s attention as they crossed from Ukraine into Russia, humiliating Vladimir Putin and the Russian army in the process.

As the former caterer's forces stormed towards Moscow, Wagner's advance raised major questions about the Kremlin’s control within Russia’s own border. By the time the screeching halt was announced on Saturday night, the shockwaves from this event were reverberating across the world.

In this episode of The i Podcast, we are taking a look behind this major development in the Russian war with Ukraine.

Joining us is foreign news and feature writer Kieron Monks and special projects editor Rob Hastings to shed light on the events as they have unfolded and the implications for Ukraine.  

We also have special correspondent and Russia expert Patrick Cockburn to give his insights on the conflict between Wagner and the Russian military establishment.  

With our guests we will explore the origins of the dispute, the impact this may have on the war with Ukraine, and its potential for destabilising Putin’s regime.

Read more about Wagner here: https://inews.co.uk/topic/wagner-group

Produced by Albert Evans, assistant producer was Sebastian Piette Pereira. Edited by Julia Webster.

Music featured is by Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

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South Sudan has faced significant challenges since it gained independence from its northern neighbour in 2011. But the conflict between two Sudanese factions has triggered a migrant crisis that is dramatically worsening conditions – and this is largely being ignored by the rest of the world.

In this special episode of The i Podcast, Molly Blackall takes us to the border between Sudan and South Sudan, where thousands of new arrivals are entering a living nightmare in the camps that have sprung up to house them.

Molly meets the people who are facing bandits, snakes and disease in the camps as they look to the future – their lives unrecognisable from those they had before the conflict broke out in April this year.

We will explore how the conflict took hold, the journey they took, and why aid organisations including Save the Children say a decision taken at the height of the pandemic by the UK Government is making conditions even worse. 

Additional audio supplied by Reuters and PA.

Written and produced by Albert Evans, edited by Julia Webster.

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A six-month i investigation has uncovered a suspected Russian intelligence asset has been living freely in the UK and even used the flagship Homes for Ukraine scheme to bring his family to Britain.

i Senior Reporter Richard Holmes joins us this week on a special episode of The i Podcast to reveal how he unearthed this remarkable story and what it says about the UK's ability to counter suspected foreign threats.

From covert meetings with FBI agents in Italian restaurants to high-level Ukrainian investigations, Richard has worked for half a year to bring the story to our front page this week.

Find out the lengths he went to uncover exactly what happened in the heart of government when the scheme was launched, and what the subject, who i has chosen not to name, has to say about the allegations.

Read Richard's investigation here: https://inews.co.uk/news/alleged-russian-intelligence-asset-living-london-homes-ukraine-scheme-2374434

Written and produced by Albert Evans, edited by Julia Webster.

Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

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For most of us, rinsing out our plastics and dropping those single-use containers into our kerbside recycling seems like a worthy, if unremarkable, pursuit.

But a new study suggests even recycling plastic may be doing more harm than we realise.

In this week’s episode of The i Podcast, science and environment correspondent Tom Bawden and environment correspondent Daniel Capurro join host Serina Sandhu to look at how exactly we can kick our plastic habit and clean up our recycling act. 

From increasing its toxicity to releasing billions of microplastic particles in every cubic metre of wastewater, recycling may not be the silver bullet we once hoped.

Now, ministers are set to increase a crackdown on "wishscycling", when well-meaning households drop items that can’t be recycled into their green bins.

So how else can we prevent our plastic consumption from wreaking havoc on the environment and taking its toll on our health? 

Written and produced by Phoebe Fleming, edited by Julia Webster. The executive producer is Albert Evans.

Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

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Conservative MPs have a problem they can’t shake. A problem called Boris Johnson. The former PM looms large over the party, rarely far from newspaper front pages.

His supporters want him to return to frontline politics and renew the 80-seat majority he delivered in 2019. Others in the party treat him like a bad smell, reminding them of the worst days of the “Partygate” scandal.

In this week’s episode of The i Podcast we take a look at this divisive character and what his enduring presence means for Rishi Sunak’s party as it faces one of the toughest political landscapes in its 13 years in government.

Joining us to tread through the latest wave of controversy following Mr Johnson is i Policy Editor Jane Merrick before we speak to polling guru Sir John Curtice about how Mr Johnson fares with voters. 

Produced by Julia Webster and Phoebe Fleming. The executive producer is Albert Evans.

Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

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It might sound like science fiction, but while unions worry about AI’s risk to jobs, some experts are concerned about a more existential threat to humanity.

In this week’s episode of The i Podcast, host Molly Blackall is joined by i science writer, Stuart Ritchie, to look at why many have concerns about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.

This new technology could reinvent the economy freeing workers from menial tasks and boosting productivity. Yet on the flip side, millions of jobs are at risk due to it’s widespread use.

But job losses may turn out to be the least of our worries. Beyond the world of work there is an even greater threat – that to human life itself.

And surprisingly, it’s not just sideline sceptics issuing these warnings – some of the loudest voices are the very scientists and developers who created the technology.

Sign up to Stuart's newsletter here: https://inews.co.uk/my-account?ico=signup_header 

Produced by Julia Webster. The executive producer is Albert Evans.

Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

Check out their music here:

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It's the biggest issue facing Britain in a generation. The UK's broken housing market is fuelling deprivation and poverty on a vast scale - and policymakers are struggling to find a solution. 

In this week's episode of The i Podcast, we are taking a deep dive into how the UK became addicted to rising house prices and the effects of this, from leaseholders to renters, and homeowners grappling with soaring interest rates.

Our guide on this journey is i housing correspondent Vicky Spratt, who explores what can be done to fix Britain's housing mess. 

Vicky is also taking your questions on matters including if we are on course for a house price crash, the 100 per cent rate mortgage, leasehold reform, and shared ownership. She's also answering your questions on solutions such as a land value tax and the upcoming Renters Reform Bill.

Sign up to Vicky's newsletter here: https://inews.co.uk/my-account?ico=signup_header

Produced by Julia Webster. The executive producer is Albert Evans.

Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

Check out their music here:

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The results of last Thursday’s local elections, were on the face of it, terrible for the Conservatives. The party lost more than 1,000 seats, haemorrhaging support across the country to Labour and the resurgent Lib Dems.

But if you look a little closer for glimmers of hope for the Government, a number of interesting factors come into view that show that the race for Downing Street is far from a done deal.

In this week’s episode of The i Podcast we are taking a look at Labour’s lacklustre performance in some areas, the opening of Lib Dem front in the Conservative’s “blue wall” and why personality politics is on the wane.

Joining us to pick through the details are Political Editor Hugo Gye and Political Reporter Chloe Chaplain to help shine a light on the coming election due in the next 18 months.

Read more of our politics coverage here: https://inews.co.uk/category/news/politics

Produced by Julia Webster. The executive producer is Albert Evans.

Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

Check out their music here:

https://pixabay.com/music/modern-classical-the-introvert-michael-kobrin-10959/

https://pixabay.com/users/lexin_music-28841948/

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