A Long Time In Finance

Poorer Britons are being squeezed by the impact of the terrible war in Ukraine, which is also threatening to squash the economy's post Covid bounce. Neil and Jonathan talk to economist and forecaster Gerard Lyons about what's coming next and what the government, businesses and investors should do.Hosted by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.With Gerard Lyons.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted a wake-up call about Britain’s overly cosy relationship with dubious oligarchs. Neil and Jonathan talk to Tom Burgis, author of “Kleptopia” about the scale of the problem and whether current efforts to crack down will work. Hosted by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.With Tom Burgis.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.This podcast is sponsored by Briefcase.News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, flat owners not only discovered overnight they were living in potential deathtraps, but that it might cost them an arm and a leg to put things right. Neil and Jonathan talk to cladding victim and campaigner Liam Spender about the government’s latest plan to sort the mess out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world will need new nuclear power to cut carbon emissions, but will the public accept it? Neil and Jonathan talk to nuclear experts Kirsty Gogan and Eric Ingersoll about whether attitudes to reactors are changing. Can phobias about costs and safety be overcome?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inflation is back. Consumer prices in Britain rose by more than 5 per cent last year, for the first time in three decades. Neil and Jonathan look back at the various inflation spikes since the Second World War, and Neil shares his experience of fighting inflation in the 1970s and 1980s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fictional City banker, Alex Masterley, has been scheming his way to the top of Megabank since the 1980s. Neil and Jonathan talk to Charles Peattie and Russell Taylor, creators of the iconic cartoon strip, about the changing Square Mile, some choice expenses fiddles, and the existential difficulty of making jokes about the bond market. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rocketing energy prices are hurting consumers, with 3m in Britain already in fuel poverty. Neil and Jonathan talk to Reuters energy analyst, John Kemp, about how to ease “duel fuel misery”, and whether sky high costs are set to be a permanent feature as the UK barrels on towards its Net Zero targets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to 2022. Energy shortages are jacking up power prices, bringing financial misery to millions and adding to inflationary pressures. A temporary blip or something more permanent, caused by the policies we’re pursuing? Neil and Jonathan discuss the wisdom of Saudi oil ministers and take a trip back in time to 1973. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cryptocurrency has been seeping into the financial mainstream. If you are a brave soul, you can buy shares in crypto exchanges or Exchange Traded Funds. But what's the point of crypto beyond blind speculation? Neil and Jonathan sat down with FT Alphaville's Izzy Kaminska to talk tokens and grapple with the blockchain.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the water industry was privatised in 1989, we were promised it would usher in a new era of investment, clean rivers and beaches. Neil and Jonathan talk to water campaigner Feargal Sharkey about what went wrong and how it could be fixed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.