Funding the 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.

Every pound of so-called “government debt” is a private financial asset. When the government spends, it creates money that becomes your wealth. Yet politicians pretend debt is a burden. In this video, I explain how our politicians' dangerous ignorance about the real nature of government debt drives austerity, destroys prosperity, and keeps Britain poor.

At 67, Richard Murphy passionately advocates for economic justice and continues creating daily content. He shares how personal experiences of inequality and prejudice shaped his worldview. He discusses the transformation from his privileged education to championing climate and tax justice. His commitment is fueled by the belief that change is possible, demonstrated by successes like country-by-country reporting. With a vision for a fairer society based on care and hope, he encourages listeners to engage in creating meaningful change.

The discussion paints a vivid picture of the political bubble surrounding Trump, driven by hype and delusion. It delves into how his policies, especially tariffs, harm American consumers and farmers alike. The host critiques Trump's record on jobs and inequality, suggesting that global far-right movements are built on similar shaky foundations. As belief begins to falter, a potential collapse is predicted, paving the way for a new political landscape focused on truth and care.