Rethink

The UK has many world-leading museums that inspire wonder and fascination in their visitors. Many were originally created to display artefacts from empire or house the collections of their wealthy Victorian founders but recent decades have seen museums finding innovative ways to challenge what a modern museum can be. However, in tough economic times many museums are facing serious challenges. The sector is having to make the case for why museums should receive public money when there’s a lot less to go around. They are also facing criticism about who visits them, who curates them, and what objects they collect and display. What are museums for? Who are they for? And how can they teach us about our past whilst remaining relevant and exciting for today’s visitors? Presenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Viv Jones Editor: Clare Fordham Contributors: Sara Wajid, co-CEO of Birmingham Museums Trust Tony Butler, Director of Derby Museums Trust Stephen Bush, columnist and associate editor at the Financial Times

In this conversation, Sara Hobolt, a leading expert on European politics, and Paula Surridge, a political sociologist, dive deep into the evolving landscape of political labeling. They discuss how Britain's traditional left and right parties are struggling amid rising support for smaller parties, suggesting that these labels might be outdated. The duo examines how voters now seek alternatives that resonate with personal beliefs, driven by issues like immigration and social justice. They question whether a shared political sphere is feasible without common terms.

Rethink considers how we might take a different approach to issues that affect all of us, asking some of the brightest minds what we could do to make the world a better place.This week, we're rethinking energy. The massive rise in the price of wholesale gas in 2022, and the subsequent rise in our household energy bills highlighted the need for the UK to have a secure, reliable and cheap energy supply. So what choices do we have? UK fossil fuel reserves are dwindling, but we have offshore wind, and sunshine in the south. Renewable power is also cheaper than fossil fuels. In the first three months of 2024, the UK's wind, solar and other forms of renewable power generated just over half of our energy and by the end of September, coal had been phased out completely.But there is still a long way to go before the UK is self-sufficient. It can take as long as 15 years to connect a renewable power plant to the National Grid. A nuclear power station hasn't been completed in the UK for nearly 30 years Do we have enough power storage for cloudy or windless days? And industry and homes are still reliant on gas. So how to we need to rethink energy to keep the lights on, charge our many devices and power our electric vehicles in the future? And if we get it right, what will be the rewards for everyone? Presenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Ravi Naik Editor: Clare Fordham Contributors: Aoife Foley, Professor & Chair in Net Zero Infrastructure at the University of Manchester. Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive, the Climate Change Committee. Sam Richards, a former special advisor on energy to Boris Johnson, and now the Chief Executive of campaign group Britain Remade. Andrew Crossland, Associate Professor in practice at the Durham Energy Institute.

The care system in Britain is creaking at the seams. People who need care aren't receiving it - or if they do it's untenably expensive. There aren’t enough staff for care homes, and unpaid family carers often burn out looking after their loved ones without support.Successive governments have recognised it’s a problem, but they haven’t been able to fix it. Rachel Reeves is just the latest in a long line of chancellors to back away from care reform.How can we reform the care system so it works better for everyone involved? And crucially - how can we pay for it?In this edition of Rethink we look at some of the big ideas that could revolutionise social care in this country. We look at the arguments for a National Care Service to match the National Health Service. We hear about new technological fixes, from robots in care homes to smaller scale initiatives to help with medication or paperwork. Or maybe we all need to think about the whole system differently - and all care for each other a little more.Contributors: Sir Andrew Dilnot, head of the 2011 government review on Funding of Care & Support Kathryn Smith, chief executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence Ben Cooper from the Fabian Society, co-author of their report Support Guaranteed: The Roadmap to a National Care Service Hilary Cottam, designer, social activist and author of Radical Help: How We Can Remake the Relationships Between Us and Revolutionise the Welfare StatePresenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Clare Fordham

Rethink looks at the issues of our time, and considers how we might approach them differently. Scrutinising the latest thinking and research, we look at what this might mean for policy and society. In this episode: the cost of living has been high, but all too often, we also pay a premium. It's because of dynamic pricing, drip pricing and now personalised pricing. Dynamic pricing is why, after queuing for hours, Oasis fans were offered tickets that were considerably more expensive than the ones advertised. It's also why do you can be offered different prices each time you try and book an airline ticket, or a hotel online. Big data means that companies can figure out exactly what you are willing to pay online and can shift the price you face to match that. AI data-gathering software is causing cartel-like behaviour amongst competitors, who can draw similar conclusions about their market, and set similar prices.The depth of information available to companies means that they know the price a market will bear, rather than how much customers can afford and regardless of interest rates set by central banks. Regulators are playing catch-up, but what other strategies could be used to combat anti-competitive pricing led by algorithms? And what needs to change to ensure buyers can work out if they're getting a fair deal? Presenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Ravi Naik Editor: Clare FordhamContributors: David Dayen, writer and journalist, and the executive editor of The American Prospect magazine. Tom Smith, partner at Geradin, and former Legal Director at the UK Competition and Markets Authority. Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, Professor of consumer psychology at Anglia Ruskin University. Martyn James, consumer rights campaigner and journalist.

Sunder Katwala leads British Future, focusing on immigration and identity. Alan Manning, an LSE professor, offers economic insights, while Madeleine Sumption analyzes migration trends from Oxford. Robert Colvile discusses policy implications. The group delves into public sentiment, revealing divides over immigration that mask agreement on specific groups, like Ukrainian refugees. They tackle the polarization fueled by media and politicians, advocating for honest discourse to bridge gaps in understanding and improve policy for a diverse UK.

Rethink considers how we might take a different approach to the issues of our time, asking some of the brightest minds what we could do to make the world a better place. This week: billionaires. They are some of the wealthiest people who have ever lived - a tiny group with a large influence on politics, society and the lives of millions. The gap between the super rich and everyone else is huge. According to Credit Suisse, just fourteen billionaires own fourteen percent of the world’s entire wealth. Should we cap the wealth of the super rich? Philosopher Ingrid Robeyns has developed the concept of "limitarianism". This would limit an individual's wealth to 10 million dollars, pounds or euros - or whatever the local currency is - with anything beyond that point confiscated by governments. So is this theft? Socialism gone mad? A good idea? Or something that governments must do? Presenter: Ben Ansell Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Clare FordhamContributors: Ingrid Robeyns, professor of Ethics of Institutions at Utrecht University and author of "Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth"Liam Byrne, Labour MP and author of the book "The Inequality of Wealth" Sam Dumitriu, author and head of policy at campaign group Britain Remade Helen Miller, Deputy Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and head of their tax sector

Glen Weyl, a Microsoft Research co-creator of Quadratic Voting, shares his vision for revolutionizing electoral systems. Rosie Campbell, a Politics professor at King's College, expresses skepticism about the viability of this approach. Hannah White, CEO of the Institute for Government, discusses its potential impact in Parliament. Rob Ford, a Political Science professor, investigates the intricate relationship between citizenship and voting rights in the UK. Together, they unravel the complexities of modern voting systems and explore how to better represent diverse political opinions.

Cory Doctorow, a Visiting Professor of Computer Science and co-founder of the UK Open Rights group, dives into the concept of 'enshitification'—the decline of the internet due to profit-driven motives. The conversation highlights how platforms like Facebook and Amazon shift focus from user experience to advertisers, complicating our online interactions. Doctorow explores the nostalgic longing for a more engaging internet and discusses the need for regulatory action and community-driven alternatives to combat monopolistic control, emphasizing the importance of a rights-based digital society.

What type of leadership does the world need to tackle global warming? Amol Rajan discusses whether people with power are doing enough to solve the climate crisis. Are politicians just too focused on the ballot box to take long term decisions? What about the role of celebrities and business leaders? Graihagh Jackson, presenter of the BBC podcast ‘The Climate Question’ is with Amol alongside guests Lord Deben, Greg Jackson, Monika Langthaler and Professor Daniel Schrag.Producers Nick Holland and Marianna Brain Sound design Graham Puddifoot Editor Lizzi Watson Production coordinators Sophie Hill, Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed