
Macrodose
Your weekly fix of everything economics. Hosted by James Meadway.
Latest episodes

5 snips
Apr 2, 2025 • 23min
Liberation Day! w/ Yanis Varoufakis [Patreon Preview]
Yanis Varoufakis, an influential economist and former Greek finance minister, joins the conversation. He discusses the implications of Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs and Germany's shift to military Keynesianism. The trio explores the potential for a wealth tax, the legacy of Nixon’s monetary policies, and strategies for U.S. dollar devaluation. They also delve into the transition from a unipolar to a multipolar world and the need for the UK to adapt. Varoufakis brings sharp insights on economic strategies that resonate with current global dynamics.

Mar 26, 2025 • 23min
Labour’s Welfare Crackdown & Washington’s EU Blackmail
On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: the UK's Spring Statement and Labour’s reckless welfare cuts (0:51), how Trump’s America is using dollar swap lines to pressure the EU (7:55), and how global shipping companies are raking in record profits from worldwide trade disruptions (16:55).For exclusive content—including our new chat show, The Curve, and Macrodose’s monthly newsletter, The Fix—visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose.Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk.To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

Mar 19, 2025 • 46min
The UK’s Misguided Embrace of AI Hype (Macrodose & TWSU)
James is away from the show this week, so we’re sharing a great conversation between him and Paris Marx for the podcast Tech Won’t Save Us - a show offering a critical take on Big Tech and its impact on society.Paris and James dive into the UK’s relationship with tech. Why is Keir Starmer promising to, quote, “mainline AI into the veins of the nation”? Can we do anything about the UK’s dependence on Silicon Valley? And what might an alternative tech future look like?For exclusive content—including our new chat show, The Curve, and Macrodose’s monthly newsletter, The Fix—visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose.Support Tech Won't Save Us here.Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk.To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

Mar 12, 2025 • 21min
Germany Ditches Austerity, UK Doubles Down
On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: Germany’s dramatic break from austerity as the government abandons its balanced budget commitments for the first time since 2009 (1:14), and a look at Rachel Reeves' planned cuts in Britain, sticking to the same old austerity playbook even as Germany goes the other way (10:37).For exclusive content—including our new chat show, The Curve, and Macrodose’s monthly newsletter, The Fix—visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose.MICHAEL BURKE – INCREASING MILITARY SPENDING WILL NOT RAISE LIVING STANDARDS Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk.To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

Mar 5, 2025 • 19min
Germany's Election Results & Record US Food Imports [Patreon Preview]
In a new show from Macrodose:The Curve, James Meadway and Grace Blakeley break down the week’s biggest economic stories and what they mean for all of us.In this excerpt, they discuss the recent German federal election results and how Die Linke managed to turn things around (1:08).In the full episode, James and Grace look at how US food imports are at a record level, and some recommended reading on the global debt crisis.FULL SHOW: Patreon.com/macrodose

Feb 26, 2025 • 14min
Putin & Trump’s Plan for Ukraine
On this week's MACRODOSE James Meadway unpacks: Trump and Putin’s plans for Ukraine – and the geopolitical stakes for Europe (1:29), why new research debunks the myths about working from home (7:50), and our top economics reads for beginners (12:08).For exclusive content, including our new Macrodose chat show - The Curve - visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose.Post-Work: What It Is, Why It Matters and How We Get There - by Helen Hester and Will StrongeCEP LSE: Not incentivized yet efficient: Working from home in the public sectorOur Macrodose Reading List Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk.To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

Feb 19, 2025 • 12min
Stagflation, Gas Prices & Techno-Feudalism? [Patreon Preview]
In a new show from Macrodose:The Curve, James Meadway and Grace Blakeley break down the week’s biggest economic stories and what they mean for all of us.In this excerpt, they discuss the Bank of England’s interest rate cut and its forecast of 3.5% inflation- are we seeing the return of stagflation? (0:40) In the full episode, James and Grace examine why Britain’s gas prices are soaring, and tackle a listener question: where do they stand on the hotly debated notion of techno-feudalism?FULL SHOW: Patreon.com/macrodose

Feb 12, 2025 • 19min
The UK Economy's Gloomy Road Ahead
On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: the Bank of England’s gloomy forecast for the UK economy (1:08), new warnings about just how water-hungry Britain’s data centres will be (6:23), and how the rising price of eggs is the fresh political headache for US president Donald Trump (13:57).Red Shadow - 'Stagflation'Jo Michell - 'Rate cuts won’t save us: why Rachel Reeves must do more to fix the economy'For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose.Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk.To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

Feb 5, 2025 • 19min
Trump's Tariff Wars [Patreon Preview]
In the first episode of The Curve, James Meadway and Grace Blakeley dive deeper into the economic stories hitting the headlines and what they mean for all of us. First up is US President Donald Trump announcing a slew of tariffs that have provoked reaction globally.
For the full episode with James and Grace, head to Patreon.com/macrodose

Jan 29, 2025 • 18min
Did ChatGPT Just Lose Its Job to DeepSeek?
On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: how China’s new DeepSeek AI model is sparking chaos in Silicon Valley (0:38), a look back at the first 10 days of Trump 2.0 and the early economic trends emerging (6:53), and a listener question: what the hell is Trump coin, and why is it now worth millions of dollars? (13:18).
For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose.
Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk.
To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.