Oh God, What Now? Can we get Britain out of its hole?
Dec 2, 2025
Join John Springford, an Associate Fellow at the Centre for European Reform, as he dives into the UK's economic troubles. He discusses the alarming stagnation of wages and productivity and critiques Labour's lack of a cohesive economic strategy. Discover the obstacles that hinder UK cities and explore how rejoining the goods single market could revitalize manufacturing. John also tackles the restrictive immigration policies affecting labor demand and reflects on the political dynamics of economic reform. A bold vision for the future is necessary!
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Britain’s Real Economic Strengths
- Britain’s strengths lie in tradable services, creative industries and niche advanced manufacturing like aerospace and luxury cars.
- John Springford warns Brexit, weak cities and university crises have stopped policy from playing to those strengths.
Why Second Cities Underperform
- Many UK cities were built for past industries and struggle to host high-skilled service clusters.
- Springford says you must either densify cities or link them by transport to create larger productive labour markets.
Dorset Cheese Factory Decline
- John Springford shares his Dorset upbringing and local cheese manufacturing decline to show regional disruption isn't only northern.
- He uses this to argue policy must revive smaller towns and rural areas too.
