Podcasts from Share Radio Breakfast related to Economics - UK

The European Commission has hit back at claims that Brussels is meddling in the general election. Theresa May has accused EU officials of trying to influence the vote by misrepresenting the UK's position. The Commission says it doesn't "Brexitise" its "important policy work", and insists it's "too busy to engage" in the row.

We turn to the currency markets now. John Hardy, Head of FX Strategy at Saxo Bank, joined Nigel Cassidy and Chris Bailey earlier to look at the themes and movements in the pound, dollar and euro.

We're recalling the early days of Share Radio now. We've been on air for almost two and a half years. Once person who was here from the very beginning was Billy Bambrough, the editor of economics and politics website verdict.co.uk. And Billy explained what it was like when Share Radio went on air at the very beginning.

British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group has said its first-quarter operating profit before exceptional items rose by 9.7% to €170m (US$186.6mn), up from €155m in 2016 and well ahead of analysts forecast for €140.5m.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has formally opened the hunt for London's first ever chief digital officer, in line with a commitment in his manifesto. Khan says the position will have a responsibility for overseeing growth in the sector and increasing "digital inclusion" across the capital. Figures from Oxford Economics show that London is home to more than 40,000 digital tech firms, which collectively employ roughly 250,000 people.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier says it was wrong to suggest Brexit would be a fast and painless process with no impact on people’s lives. He's highlighted the rights of EU citizens, the final divorce settlement, and the Irish border question as the key issues that must be addressed. Barnier’s mandate will be submitted to EU ministers for approval later this month.

Its a landmark date for film fans. Do you know your Wookies from your Womp rats? James Brydges reports.

Now you might say that for a FTSE 100 company to lose two chiefs since 2012 would be unfortunate. To lose THREE would be careless, but that could yet be the case for Barclays. The chief in question is Jes Staley, whose mission to restore the fortunes of the UK's second largest bank has been clouded by not one but TWO seeming misjudgements.

Analysts are predicting underlying pre-tax profits for Sainsbury’s to be about £578m in its full-year results tomorrow, down from £587m last year. City observers are concerned that the company is leaning too heavily on its recent acquisition of Home Retail, which includes Argos and Habitat. Argos delivered growth of 4.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, like-for-like food sales in the same period fell 0.5 per cent.

A recent study from the Advertising Association has found a fifth of companies surveyed lost business due to the Brexit vote. James Murphy, Adam & Eve/DBB co-founder and AA chairman, said that "On the Friday afternoon of the vote, I got a phone call from a large North American client cancelling a contract, with the question: ‘What the hell have you guys done?’