New Economics Podcast

GDP grew by 0.5% in the last quarter of 2015 - but what does that mean, and is it even the right thing to measure? Kirsty chats to Juliet Michaelson, associate director of the wellbeing team at the New Economics Foundation. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org. Music by Podington Bear used under Creative Commons licence. www.podingtonbear.com

The world's richest 62 people now own as much wealth as the poorest 50%, according to a new report released by Oxfam. But what are we measuring when we talk about wealth and inequality? Why does it matter? And what can we do about it? Kirsty chats to Dr Faiza Shaheen. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Faiza Shaheen Twitter: www.twitter.com/faizashaheen Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org. Music by Podington Bear used under Creative Commons licence. www.podingtonbear.com

Back for a new series, Kirsty Styles asks economist Olivier Vardakoulias from the New Economics Foundation whether the rumours of another economic crash in 2016 are true. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Olivier Vardakoulias Twitter: www.twitter.com/o_vardakoulias Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org. Music by Podington Bear and Christian Bjoerklund used under Creative Commons licence. www.podingtonbear.com www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Christian_Bjoerklund

In the final episode of the year, the tables are turned as Jessie Barnard interviews Kirsty about the economic highlights and lowlights of 2015. A surprise guest makes a special appearance. Featuring contributions from James Meadway, Christine Berry, Olivier Vardakoulias, Ewa Karwowski, Yuan Yang, and the Sustainababble team. (And thanks to the Observer's Miranda Sawyer for coining the 'lively and engaging' phrase: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jun/14/radio-review-eddie-mair-robert-peston-julian-barnes-beats1) Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Jessie Barnard on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Jessie_Barnard Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org. Music by United States Marine Band, Scott Joplin, Podington Bear, Oskar Schuster and sanmi used under Creative Commons licence. Ho ho ho. See you again in 2016.

To support the show and help us come back for another series in the New Year, please give £5 or whatever you can afford at www.neweconomics.org/podcast. Chancellor George Osborne set out his long term economic plan for the third time this year in last week's Comprehensive Spending Review. Kirsty runs through the numbers with economist Yuan Yang. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Yuan Yang Twitter: www.twitter.com/YuanfenYang Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org. Music by Podington Bear used under Creative Commons licence. www.podingtonbear.com

To support the show and help us come back for another series in the New Year, please give £5 or whatever you can afford at www.neweconomics.org/podcast. This week, Leo Murray from the campaign 'A Free Ride' joins Kirsty Styles to talk about airport expansion in the UK, and its link to the economy. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod A Free Ride on Twitter: www.twitter.com/a_free_ride Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org. Archival clips from the 1936 London Films documentary 'Conquest Of The Air'. Music by Podington Bear used under Creative Commons licence. www.podingtonbear.com

In a special double-length episode, guests Dave Powell and Oli Hayes from comedy podcast Sustainababble join Kirsty to talk about the government's environmental policy — both nationally and internationally — and how it's intrinsically linked with economics. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Sustainababble on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thebabblewagon Sustainababble on the web: www.sustainababble.fish Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at: www.neweconomics.org. Music by Podington Bear (www.podingtonbear.com) used under Creative Commons licence. Sustainababble theme by Dicky Moore from Bearcraft and Dream Themes.

To support the show and help us come back for another series in the New Year, please give £5 or whatever you can afford at www.neweconomics.org/podcast. This week, Josh Ryan-Collins from NEF's Economy & Finance team joins Kirsty Styles to explain the Bank of England and its role in the UK economy. Also, Batman. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Josh Ryan-Collins on Twitter: twitter.com/jryancollins Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Thanks to Jessie Barnard for reading the credits again this week. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at: www.neweconomics.org. Music by Podington Bear used under Creative Commons licence. www.podingtonbear.com

This week Kirsty's joined by Fran Boait, Director of Positive Money, to talk about people's quantitative easing. Why is it different to other QE? Isn't it just printing money? Would it help or hinder our economy? Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Fran Boait on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franboait Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at: www.neweconomics.org. Music by Podington Bear and Waylon Thornton.

To support the show and help us come back for another series in the New Year, please give £5 or whatever you can afford at www.neweconomics.org/podcast. In this week's episode, regular contributor and chief economist at the New Economics Foundation, James Meadway, returns to chat to Kirsty about last week's state visit from China and what it means for the UK economy. Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod James Meadway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/meadwaj Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Thanks to Jessie Barnard for reading the credits this week! Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at: www.neweconomics.org. Music by Podington Bear (www.soundofpicture.com) and Origamibiro (www.freemusicarchive.org/music/origamibiro) used under Creative Commons Licence.