More and more of us are renting for longer – not by choice, but by necessity. In cities especially, more people are renting into their thirties, forties and beyond, sometimes raising children in rented flats with no long-term security. But what if we could do something about it? Could rent controls be the answer? With Hanna Wheatley and Eva Freeman. Donate to the New Economics Foundation: https://neweconomics.org/donate Rent controls report: https://neweconomics.org/2019/07/rent-control Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF! Music this week is by Chris Zabriskie 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

It’s the story we’re all told when we’re growing up. Work hard at school so you can get into a good university. Work hard at university so you can get a good job. Get a masters degree – taking on more student debt – if you really want to mark yourself out. Work hard at the office so you can get ahead. But what if that’s not the real story? Social mobility in the UK is stagnating. Class privilege is entrenched. Boris Johnson is the twentieth prime minister to go to Eton. What if the idea of Britain as a meritocracy is a myth? To answer this question, Ayeisha is joined by Jo Littler, a reader in sociology at City University of London and author of ‘Against Meritocracy’, and Sam Friedman, associate sociology professor at LSE and author of ‘The Class Ceiling: Why It Pays To Be Privileged’. Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF! Music this week is by Podington Bear, 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

This week the UK got a new prime minister, and the Conservative party got a new leader. After nine years in government, will this be a pivotal moment in history, or a last gasp? Apart from a more hard-line stance on Brexit and a few Winston Churchill statuettes, what will the new PM be bringing to the job? Ayeisha discusses Boris Johnson and the future of Conservatism with Christine Berry, co-author of the book ‘People Get Ready’ and former director of policy and government here at NEF, and Andy Beckett, features writer at the Guardian. 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

If you’ve been listening to the Weekly Economics Podcast for a while, you’ll know that we think there’s much more to economics than GDP. But it still dominates the way politicians and much of the press talk about the economy. Now though, there are lots of new proposals for measuring what counts. So what should replace GDP? And how would it change society? Ayeisha Thomas-Smith discusses with Guardian economics correspondent Richard Partington and NEF fellow Annie Quick. Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF! Music this week is by Mr. Frisby's Beat Pocket and Podington Bear, 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

The polls show that while previous generations became more conservative with age, millennials are staying left wing for longer. And age and education now seem to be the big dividing line in our politics, replacing class as the key division. So what’s going on? And what are the political implications of Generation Left? That’s our big question on the Weekly Economics Podcast this week and to help us answer it, Ayeisha is joined by Keir Milburn, author of Generation Left, and lecturer in political economy and organisation at University of Leicester, and Shelly Asquith, a political advisor at Unite the Union. Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF! Music this week is by Covox and Podington Bear, 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

It’s been a busy year for the climate movement since last summer’s scorching heatwave. Extinction Rebellion shut down the streets, the school strikes saw thousands of young people take a stand, and the Green New Deal has shot to the top of the political agenda – for now, at least. Last month Parliament passed a motion to declare an ‘environment and climate change emergency’. Meanwhile, Theresa May is trying to use the last weeks of her premiership to build some sort of legacy, including a new target for net zero climate emissions by 2050. So, against that backdrop, what should the climate movement do next? Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined this week by Hannah Martin from Greenpeace and Green New Deal UK. Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF! Music this week is by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear, 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

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

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.

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

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