Thursday 25th March 2021

The ad industry was hit as hard as most other industries during the ACOVID crisis. Some sectors, like cinema advertising, had to shut down completely. So how quickly will it bounce back? Phil puts that question to Gideon Spanier, editor in chief of ad-industry journal Campaign. They also discuss how advertisers can achieve cut-through when there are so many media choices, and a consumer spending more time on ad-free subscription content.

Also today, the container vessel that’s blocking world trade. Is this the time to ask, do we rely too much on goods shipped half way round the world. The consequences for the planet are enormous.

Trade in vaccines is also in the spotlight, a the EU drafts a law to block exports to the UK. And why Kim Jong Un chose last night as the time to launch a couple of ballistic missiles. For testing purposes only, of course.

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Wednesday 24th March 2021

As we head out of lockdown, soonish, which habits adopted in the last 12 months will stay with us. Futurologist Tom Cheesewright has been looking at our spending habits, using data from Barclaycard, and suggests that some of these behaviours will carry-on beyond COVID-19, which could be very good news for our local shops.

Phil Dobbie also looks at yesterday’s job numbers from the ONS and says a fall in the unemployment rate doesn’t represent the real picture – people are continuing to work less even though the roads are busy.

One of the papers today points to Boris Johnson’s criticism of the BBC, mainly because of how they supposedly mocked the Union flag. We look at the BBC Director General’s astonishingly poor performance in front of a Select Committee this week and ask if it’s time for a root and branch review of the organization. The viewing habits of young people is particularly telling.

And now one year on, Britain is recovering from COVID-19 faster than most. A report suggests it’s a less rosy picture in the US which could be heading for the perfect storm of a partially vaccinated population returning to life as it was. 

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Tuesday 23rd March 2021

It’s one year ago today that Britain first went into lockdown. Today we look ahead at one industry that could help lead the UK into a brave new world, creating jobs and boosting our GDP – artificial intelligence. But are we a contender to be one of the world leaders inthis space? After all, we seem to have stuffed up attempts at managing large scale data during this pandemic. Seb Krier from Dataphysix says there’s no reason why not. We already are. And we can retain our stronghold if we get the policy settings right. He takes us through what has to change.

Plus, Jerome Powell, governor of the US Federal Reserve Bank, was talking at a BIS seminar yesterday. The topic was digital currencies. We dip into what he had to say about cryptocurrencies in particular, and ask whether central banks are concerned about the impact alternate currencies will have on their ability to use sovereign currencies to fund government debt, of which there’s a lot more these days.

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Monday 22nd March 2021

Personal finance export Jasmine Birtles from Money Magpie joins Phil today to look at money saving ideas, including taking in the online bots that push you to buy more. She also looks at how to prepare for the end of the tax year and discusses non-fungible tokens.

Also today, the vaccine war with the EU. Has it, and the rising infections on the continent, put an end to hopes of a summer holiday in the sun this year. Unless the weather in Cornwall is particularly good this summer.

And Rishi Sunak didn’t offer anything too radical in his budget. Has he been saving himself for tomorrow, when he unveils a series of papers on proposed tax changes?

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Friday 19th March 2021

In January the number of passengers travelling through UK airports was 81 percent lower than a year before. That’s after a year where the industry struggled to cut costs and control massive losses. So what shape will the industry be in when it comes out the other side? Phil Dobbie talks to airline industry strategist John Strickland from JLS consulting, who says the sector desperately needs to see a quick return to flying this summer, but admits there are no guarantees.

Maybe the return of holidays in the sun will be expedited by vaccine passports. Ursula von der Leyen has announced a certificate within the EU. Could Britain be asking if they could join in with the Euro-areas scheme?

And tensions are rising between the US and China and the US and Russia. Those who thought Jo Biden might be a soft touch will have to think again. Overnight China has said Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan are inseparable Chinese territories and they oppose US interference. Watch this space.

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Thursday 18th March 2021

The Bank of England meets today and will change very little. Certainly don’t expect a rate hike anytime soon. In the US the Federal Reserve indicated that rates wouldn’t rise until late 2023 at the earliest. Kallum Pickering from Berengers Bank says it might happen a little sooner than that, but its not necessarily a bad thing. But what would it mean for your mortgage?

Also today, how Dominic Cummings negotiated his way into No. 10. Is the upping of our nuclear capability a result of his early demands on the Prime Minister?

Plus, yesterday Uber adopting the requirements to pay the minimum wage to drivers, who will now be treated as workers, rather than independent suppliers. But, are they really meeting the minimum wage requirement? And is the original business model now defunct in this country? 

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Wednesday 17th March 2021

Those who are expecting nosiness to come flying in through the door as lockdown measure ease might be sorely disappointed. You need to work on regaining your customer’s trust and accept that consumer behaviour might have changed. One piece of advice from entrepreneur Richard Crawford Small is that just shouldn’t just reopen the doors, you should use this as an opportunity to relaunch your brand. It’s one of six things to consider that he covers off in today’s podcast.

Also, Matthias Corman is the Secretary General elect for the OECD. It might be bad news if it wasn’t for the fact the OECD has very little power or influence. The Royals are all over the newspaper front pages again, and the FOMC, the group within the US Federal Reserve who determine interest rates and QE, meet this evening, our time.

Oh, and you can use the word Memphis again. It was banned by Twitter for a while. We celebrate with eight songs with Memphis in the title – can you name the artists?

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Tuesday 16th March 2021

At least a million people are out of work as a result of COVID-19, whilst a further 4.7 million people are being kept in work by the government’s furlough scheme. So what happens when the scheme ends? Dr Nicola Headlam from business intelligence firm Red Flag Alert, reckons a further 275,000 people will lose their jobs. On today’s podcast she says there’s an urgent need for a strategy beyond the necessary short-termism that’s been driving public policy so far.

Also today, Europe slows down it’s vaccine rollout over concerns of blood clots, Deliveroo set for a UK IPO and are BT workers set to strike? And the important question, are there too many letters in the alphabet. Wich ones could you do witout?

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Monday 15th March 2021

On today’s podcast share expert Rodney Hobson joins Phil Dobbie to go through five companies that are worth investing in because they have restored their dividends. Rodney says he always prefers to invest in companies that demonstrate stability by paying dividends, rather than going for growth stocks.

Also today, will the governments new 308 page Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill be the first significant defeat for the Johnson government, and will they also backflip on the 1 percent pay for wages. Phil asks, is this time for a review of the way we pay for the NHS.

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Friday 12th March 2021

Today we look at the opportunities in the buy to rent market. Real estate guru Russel Quirk says there are good returns to be made compared to other asset classes and, if you were to invest, we look at areas that could work well for you.

Plus, the answer to the chicken and egg question is clearly, the chicken came first. But what about the question of supply and demand. Which comes first. Phil Dobbie explains why Joe Biden’s stimulus package might answer that question once and for all.

And the European Central Bank, buying more bonds to keep interest rates low. How Carole King is singing to encourage Americans to take the vaccine. And should men just stay in at night?

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