Podcasts related to Economics - UK

Welcome to the This is Money and Share Radio podcast, brought to you in partnership with NS&I. Are we seeing the end of an era for ultra cheap mortgages? HSBC is withdrawing its record low 0.99% deal which could usher in a new wave of price hikes. It’s not just mortgages undergoing price hikes though. Rail fares are set to rise 2.3% whilst growing commuter dissatisfaction with poor service has prompted Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to devise a new plan for better management. In the end though train times might be the last of our problems as we hear about one financial expert predicting major financial Armageddon just around the corner. Could we be in for the worst crisis yet? And what can people do to prepare? Gold is being tipped as a favourite but certainly not spread betting which is currently undergoing a crackdown. Georgie Frost is joined by Personal Finance Editor Rachel Rickard Straus and Consumer Affairs Editor Lee Boyce to find out more about this potential money meltdown. Also this week we take a look at Money Mail’s annual Wooden Spoon Awards and see which of Britain’s shambolic businesses have made it onto the shortlist.

Georgie Frost is joined in the studio by Tom Church, Co-Founder, LatestDeals.co.uk. Today on the agenda, they discuss food price increases – apparently being blamed on a potential shortage of EU workers. Plus, the National Grid agrees to sell a majority stake in its gas pipe network. All these stories and more on The News Review.

Concerns have been raised after the National Grid decided to sell a majority stake in its gas division. A consortium led by Australian bank Macquarie will buy a 61% stake in the UK's gas infrastructure network, that values the business at about £13.8bn. But public services union, Unison, says that their tax structure is an area for concern, and that profits will take precedence over maintaining the pipelines. James Brydges spoke to Matthew Lay from Unison, but first heard from Dr Jonathan Marshall from the Energy Intelligence unit.

Helen Thomas, Managing Director of BlondeMoney, joined Share Radio Breakfast for the first instalment of her new slot each Friday. She's a blogger, worked in the city for George Osborne, and loves policy, politics and finance. This week, Helen discusses Mario Draghi and the ECB meeting on Thursday. The ECB president warned of a year of 'big uncertainty' for the Eurozone as voters go to the polls in Germany, France and the Netherlands.

McDonald's is to move its non-US tax base from Luxembourg to the UK, the company has said. The new holding company will pay UK tax on the royalties the firm receives outside the US. McDonald's said it had chosen the UK due to the "significant number of staff" it has in London. The Luxembourg tax affairs of the burger giant are currently under formal investigation by the European Commission. Clive Gawthorpe, Tax partner at UHY Hacker Young, joined Share Radio to discuss the move.

The historic Brexit legal challenge has drawn to a close. And it did so with a reminder from the Supreme Court that it will not "overturn the result of the EU referendum". A decision is expected by early January. To look into the key findings from the case, George Peretz QC from Monckton Chambers joined Share Radio.

Christmas is a time for sharing and caring but the majority of us won't visit our elderly relatives on Christmas Day - according to a new study - despite a fifth of us worrying about them being alone then. One woman has made it her mission to make sure no one loses out throughout the year. Share Radio Morning's Georgie Frost spoke to Devika Wood, the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at care provider Vida. Her personal experience of caring for her grandmother and dealing with par social service’s carers, has driven her to want to improve the quality of care.

Georgie Frost is joined in the studio by consumer editor of Good Housekeeping, Sara Benwell. Today they discuss coffee shop saturation on the high street. Plus a look into junk food ads aimed at children becoming a thing of the past. All these stories and more on The News Review.

Christmas cards may be going out of fashion...but one group of disabled artists say this is threatening their livelihood. 'Show you care - send a card' - is the message from the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. Every year the MFPA print their original artworks on Christmas cards. But as the tradition for sending physical cards is in decline, so too does their business. Georgie spoke to Rosy Moriarty Simmonds OBE in the studio and MFPA artist Andy Baker on the line.

Legal disputes are costing small firms in England and Wales a whopping £11.6 billion each year. That's according to the Federation of Small Businesses who say nearly three quarters of those issues are down to late or non-payment. Georgie Frost spoke to FSB Policy Director Martin McTague to find out more.