With talk of raiding pensions, George Osborne and Ed Balls consider how to increase the incentives for working people to save. As former Treasury insiders, the pair reflect on specific parts of their own previous pension reforms and ask: what approaches would they take if they were still setting policy today?

They’re also pressed on recent arguments made by Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak that Russian assets held in European banks should be directly channelled towards the Ukrainian war effort. Is this a viable approach to funding support for Ukraine? 

And how can Mark Carney become Prime Minister of Canada without sitting as a member of Parliament? From Lord Halifax to Alec Douglas-Home, George provides an overview of historical precedent for such an occurrence in the UK whilst explaining the impracticalities of it happening today. But what is the one British government role that demands you be an MP?

Finally a question to you, our EMQ listeners – what are your favourite hobbies and pastimes to do whilst listening to the podcast? And can you beat this week’s question-asker?

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Technical Producer: Danny Pape 

Producers: Miriam Hall and Jarek Żaba

Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford 

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