
New Economics Podcast
Award-winning podcast about the economic forces shaping our world, with Ayeisha Thomas-Smith and guests. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy.
Latest episodes

Jun 24, 2019 • 41min
Inclusive Ownership
Last month, the owner of a chain of British hi-fi shops did something unusual. Julian Richer, the founder of Richer Sounds, gave away control of the company to the employees, and even gave them each a £1,000 cash bonus for every year they’ve worked there.
It’s a rare move for company owners to give up their wealth. Is this just generosity, or could it actually be good for business? And could it also be good economics, and even good for the planet?
We’re back for a brand new series of the Weekly Economics Podcast and this week we’re getting excited about inclusive ownership.
Ayeisha is joined by Marjorie Kelly, Executive Vice President and Senior Fellow of The Democracy Collaborative in the US, and Mathew Lawrence, director of the think tank Common Wealth and co-author of a NEF report about inclusive ownership funds.
Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF!
Music this week is by A. A. Aalto and Podington Bear
The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the UK's only people powered think tank. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org

May 29, 2019 • 59min
Algorithms of Oppression (Live)
Algorithms have a huge influence on the way that we see the world. We increasingly understand news through social media — as libraries shut down more of our knowledge is found with the click of a search engine rather than in books or classrooms.
But the algorithms that underpin our every interaction with the digital world are not neutral. They are created by humans, and reflect the biases of the people who write them.
We hosted Safiya Umoja Noble, author of Algorithms of Oppression, to discuss her recent book with Kirsty Styles for this live episode of the podcast.
If you want to find out more about this topic, check out:
Safiya Umoja Noble, Algorithms of Oppression
https://nyupress.org/9781479837243/algorithms-of-oppression/
Safiya Umoja Noble, Social Inequality Will not be Solved by an app
https://www.wired.com/story/social-inequality-will-not-be-solved-by-an-app/
Sarah Roberts, Behind the Screen
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300235883/behind-screen
Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/shoshana-zuboff/the-age-of-surveillance-capitalism/9781610395694/
Content warning: in this episode there is discussion of sexual content and pornography that some listeners might find offensive.

May 21, 2019 • 40min
A Beginner's Guide to Neoliberalism: 7 – Changing the Rules
It’s been 4 years since Kirsty Styles and James Meadway told the story of neoliberalism, from Hayek to Thatcher to the end of history.
But now, the band is back together, alongside NEF chief executive Miatta Fahnbulleh. It’s 2019, the world is on fire, and it’s time to change the rules.
Music by Christian Bjoerklund, Mr Frisby's Beat Pocket, and Chris Zabriskie.
Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF!
The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the UK's only people powered think tank. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org

May 13, 2019 • 13min
A Beginner's Guide to Neoliberalism: 6 - The Alternatives
Kirsty Styles and James Meadway talk about the alternatives to neoliberalism.
This episode was recorded back in August 2015, which feels like a million years ago. We still think it's worth listening to, but a lot has changed since then.
The good news is, James and Kirsty will be back for a brand new update episode next week, bringing us bang up to date on the alternatives.
Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF!
The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the UK's only people powered think tank. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org

May 7, 2019 • 13min
A Beginner's Guide to Neoliberalism: 5 - The End of History?
James Meadway and Kirsty Styles discuss how neoliberalism lives on today.
This episode was recorded back in August 2015 and a lot has changed since then. The good news is James and Kirsty will be back for a brand new episode in a couple of weeks’ time, telling the story of the backlash against neoliberalism over the past few years.
Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF!
The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the UK's only people powered think tank. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org

Apr 29, 2019 • 12min
A Beginner's Guide to Neoliberalism: 4 – Acceptable in the 80s
James Meadway and Kirsty Styles explain how neoliberalism took hold in the UK in the 1980s.
Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF!
Music by Chris Zabriskie (www.chriszabriskie.com), sanmi (www.freemusicarchive.org/music/sanmi) and Christian Bjoerklund (www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Christ…n_Bjoerklund) used under Creative Commons Licence.
The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the UK's only people powered think tank. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org

Apr 22, 2019 • 13min
A Beginner's Guide to Neoliberalism: 3 – World Domination
James Meadway and Kirsty Styles explain how neoliberalism came to dominate economies around the globe.
Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF!
Music by Chris Zabriskie (www.chriszabriskie.com), sanmi (freemusicarchive.org/music/sanmi/) and Christian Bjoerklund (freemusicarchive.org/music/Christian_Bjoerklund/) used under Creative Commons Licence.
The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the UK's only people powered think tank. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org

Apr 15, 2019 • 12min
A Beginner's Guide to Neoliberalism: 2 – The House That Hayek Built
Economist James Meadway and journalist Kirsty Styles continue their 6-part miniseries about neoliberalism. In part 2, they tell the story of how the once obscure ideas of theorist Friedrich Hayek moved from the fringe to the mainstream, ushering in the age of neoliberalism.
Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF!
Music by Chris Zabriskie (www.chriszabriskie.com) and sanmi (www.freemusicarchive.org/music/sanmi/) used under Creative Commons Licence.
The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the UK's only people powered think tank. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org

Apr 8, 2019 • 14min
A Beginner's Guide to Neoliberalism: 1 – The Basics
For the next 6 weeks, we’re doing something a bit different. We’re telling the story of neoliberalism, from the beginning. We call it A Beginner’s Guide to Neoliberalism.
We first ran the series back in 2015, but it’s as relevant as ever. It’s presented by the journalist Kirsty Styles alongside James Meadway, who at the time was chief economist at the New Economics Foundation.
In part 1, James and Kirsty start with a history of our economic system, the difference between capitalism and neoliberalism, and examine how neoliberalism came to dominate modern day economics.
Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF!
Music by Chris Zabriskie and sanmi used under Creative Commons Licence.
The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the UK's only people powered think tank. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org

Mar 18, 2019 • 34min
What explains the knife crime epidemic? With Gary Younge
Knife crime is at a nine-year high. Everyone agrees: something must be done.
Some politicians want more police on the streets, or tougher sentences. Others want cuts to mental health services to be reversed. One MP has suggested every knife in Britain should have a built-in GPS tracker – good luck with that.
But knife crime it is a complex issue, and young people’s lives depend on policymakers getting it right. So today, Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is taking a big-picture look at the issue with one of the journalists who’s covered it more than perhaps any other: the Guardian’s editor-at-large, Gary Younge.
Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF!
Produced by James Shield. Music this week is by Candlegravity and Podington Bear, used under Creative Commons licence.
The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org
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