Political Currency EMQs: Who can solve the business rates debacle?
9 snips
Jan 19, 2026 This discussion delves into how former ministers maintain their mental and physical health while in office, emphasizing diary management and family time. They tackle the complex issue of business rates reform, highlighting its revenue significance and the challenges in implementing changes. A listener from Tokyo sparks a conversation on Japan's economic stagnation and the emerging popularity of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The conversation also contrasts the ease of making promises in opposition with the reality of governing.
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Control Your Diary
- Control your diary to protect mental health and decision-making capacity while in senior office.
- Create downtime and thinking time to avoid exhaustion and preserve judgment.
Protect Family Time
- Protect family time to prevent politics consuming every hour and to stay grounded.
- Use weekend boundaries to maintain sanity and ordinary life when in government.
Why Business Rates Resist Reform
- Business rates persist because they raise large, immovable revenue used by central and local government.
- Any root-and-branch reform creates clear winners and losers, making politicians wary.
