Funding the Future

Tory Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride wants to take £47 billion out of the UK economy — mostly by cutting benefits for migrants and those with mental ill health. That isn’t prudence. It’s managed decline. In this video, I explain what really happens when you cut money from the poorest: demand collapses, jobs vanish, and resentment grows. The truth is simple: spending creates income, and austerity destroys it.  

Tory Mel Stride wants to slash the UK’s overseas aid to 0.1% of national income. That’s not just cruel, it’s racism and fascism dressed up as fiscal prudence. Cutting aid means condemning millions to poverty, fuelling migration, and destroying economic stability. This is the politics of contempt in action, when Britain should lead the world by helping it, not punishing it for existing.

The Economist claims Britain is trapped in a “debt doom loop.” But they’re wrong. The UK does not face a government debt crisis. What we really face is chronic underinvestment, inequality, and an elite media pushing austerity to protect the wealthy. In this video, I explain why The Economist’s story is false, what they deliberately ignore, and what the UK really needs.

John Kenneth Galbraith’s The Affluent Society asked a question that still matters: how can we live with private luxury alongside public squalor? In this video, I explore why Galbraith was right about how markets manufacture wants, and why public goods are neglected. From billionaire rockets to broken hospitals, his warning is as urgent today as it was in 1958.

Fascism is not just about Mussolini or Hitler. It is an ideology that divides humanity into “superior” and “inferior” groups — with catastrophic consequences. In this video, I explain what fascism really means, why its essence is exclusion, and why true democracy depends on equality and respect for all.  

Chris Hedges has warned us: fascists mean what they say. Donald Trump has now issued NSPM-7, a presidential order that redefines dissent as terrorism and authorises the state to treat opponents as enemies. From Stalin’s Article 58 to the Nazi Malicious Practices Act, history shows what happens when repression becomes law. We need to face facts: the US is very rapidly sliding into full-blown fascism — and the UK could follow.

Are all our major political parties now the same? Labour, Conservatives, the Lib Dems, and even Reform  are united by one ideology: neoliberalism. Fiscal rules, austerity, and the “household analogy” bind them together into what I call the Single Transferable Party. This is why public services are always cut, inequality deepens, and investment is suppressed—no matter who wins an election. In this video, I explain why UK democracy has been hollowed out, why real choice has disappeared, and what alternatives—like proportional representation and ending fiscal rules—we must fight for if we want genuine change.

Prof Andrew Baker of the University of Sheffield and I have been working on tax transparency and how to create it as the foundation for a better society for a long time. In this video, we share our visions and plans. 

Our economy isn’t working. It’s built on lies: the myth of growth, the myth that profit comes before people, and the myth that wealth is more important than fairness. If we want a sustainable society, we need a new moral code for the economy. In this video, I set out ten commandments for a just economy - principles that put people before profit, justice before greed, and sustainability before growth. These commandments demand: People before profit Fair rewards for work Inclusion, not exclusion Respect for the earth Finance that serves life Fair taxation Transparency and accountability Measuring what really matters This is a manifesto for a fair and sustainable economy. One we could all be proud to live in.

The discussion kicks off with Keir Starmer reigniting the ID card debate. Supporters argue these cards would simplify access to services and voting, while opponents raise concerns about surveillance and discrimination. How might ID cards impact privacy and freedom of movement? Potential issues like data abuse and increased suspicion are examined. The conversation highlights risks for marginalized groups and questions if potential benefits outweigh the threats to human rights. It's a call to consider whether these cards enhance life or enable government control.