Funding the Future

Apple has crossed a $4 trillion valuation. That’s $495 for every single person on Earth — if we all shared it. But we don’t. This video explores how its shareholders extract vast profits from billions of people locked into Apple’s ecosystem — and what it means for inequality, democracy and tax justice. I ask: who really creates Apple’s wealth — and who benefits?

Larry Elliott, longtime economics editor and co-author of the Green New Deal, dives into the UK's fiscal challenges. He critiques Rachel Reeves’ economic rulebook as unrealistic and the Bank of England for its inflation missteps. The conversation explores the potential of capital controls to revive manufacturing, the risk of an AI bubble, and the limited returns from recent tech advancements. Elliot also emphasizes the need for fresh political leadership and expresses cautious optimism for a transformative future.

The podcast dives into the debate of whether AI will truly benefit society. It highlights the historical pattern where automation favors owners over workers. Current AI technology merely predicts patterns, often amplifying existing biases. The host stresses that real productivity stems from education and human care, not just technology. Conversations revolve around the risks of AI centralizing power and impacting personal identity. Ultimately, the message is clear: we must steer AI towards supporting human efforts, ensuring a compassionate future.

Explore the myth of competition in UK banking, where just six giants dominate the market, leading to high fees and low interest rates. Discover how banks exploit customers and close branches, making access to services harder. Richard Murphy advocates for viewing banking as a public utility, proposing a state-owned Basic British Bank to ensure fairness and local support. Learn about the need for a resilient public payment infrastructure and how nationalization can restore trust and accountability in a vital service.

Exploring the economics of walking about reveals how power shapes communities. From Ely Cathedral's grand architecture to Cromwell's historical influence, the discussion highlights the ties between past and present economic realities. The podcast connects feudal rents to modern mortgage issues and emphasizes how local symbols can help us understand political economy. Richard Murphy encourages listeners to walk their neighborhoods to uncover the subtle economics hiding in plain sight.

Trump is demolishing the East Wing of the White House to build a privately funded $300 million ballroom. It’s being paid for by undisclosed corporate donors and is being built without proper regulatory approval. This isn’t restoration or renewal. It’s a hostile takeover of one of democracy’s most symbolic buildings, and when money rebuilds power, citizens lose it.

We’re told tax is a curse and even “theft.” That’s wrong. Tax is how we build a fair society. It plays an essential role in the funding of education, healthcare, and economic stability and justice. It’s how we express our shared responsibility. The real immorality lies in avoiding tax. In this video, I explain why tax is not a burden but the foundation of democracy itself.

Catherine Mann of the Bank of England says inflation will stay above 2%. But what if the problem isn’t inflation but is the target itself? The 2% rule was invented in the 1990s to please markets, not to help people. In this video, I explain why our obsession with hitting that number is crushing wages, stalling investment, and protecting the rich at the expense of everyone else. It's time for an inflation policy that serves people, jobs, and the planet, and not financial markets.

There’s a real debt crisis in Britain – but it’s not the one the politicians or journalists are talking about. While Rachel Reeves and the media obsess over government borrowing, 4 million people are already in negative budgets, meaning they're unable to afford the basics of life without debt. This video explains why the real debt crisis in the UK is about private debt, not public debt. It shows how austerity, low wages, speculative markets and broken benefits drive ordinary families into despair, all while the Treasury celebrates its so-called “fiscal discipline.” I argue that government debt is not a burden; it’s a tool, but private debt is a real trap. Meanwhile, the Treasury's obsession with balanced budgets is leading Britain towards social collapse and, dangerously, towards fascism. Watch, share, and tell me what you think in the poll below.

Rachel Reeves says she needs to raise taxes to “balance the books.” But that’s not how government finance works. In this video, I explain why that tax doesn’t fund spending, why raising taxes on most people now would kill demand, and why idle wealth, and not workers, should be taxed if anything has to be at this moment. The government’s job is to sustain spending power, not drain it.