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Ian Forrest of The Share Centre looks back at the investment year of 2017 and the way in which smaller companies have outperformed the big boys. He also looks ahead to what investors can expect in 2018 and how they can best prepare themselves.

The Institute of Economic Affairs hosts a debate asking if economist and author John Mills has the solutions to the UK’s economic problems. At the heart of John’s plan is a proposal to lift the share of manufacturing and investment by engineering a substantial fall in the exchange rate. On the other side of the debate is the IEA’s chief economist Julian Jessop, arguing that deregulation and lower tax rates are the best way to stimulate economic growth. Both John and Julian join IEA news editor Kate Andrews for today’s podcast, as they go over the main points made during the debate, and go into further detail in areas of disagreement and consensus.

Matt Smith is UK Managing Director at recruitment specialists Harvey Nash, having worked with the company for 20 years. He also manages operations overseas.

In this week’s episode of Mobile News, Matthew Cook speaks with the Head of Policy and Communications at Mobile UK, Gareth Elliott, about the trade body’s collaboration with West of England Combined Authority (WECA) to extend and enhance mobile coverage in the west of England. Matthew also catches up with the Director of Graystone Strategy, James Gray, to discuss his new nationwide research into consumer preferences concerning network operators.

It’s time for the annual This is Money Christmas taste test – and our look at how the supermarket business is faring. This year, the contenders are Sainsbury’s for the mass market, Waitrose for the upmarket, and Lidl for the discount challenger. But which will come out on top across a range of Christmas food and who delivered the cheapest bill? Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce take on Georgie Frost’s festive feast to find out in this week’s podcast and discuss whether the big supermarkets are doing better after some difficult years, if the rise of Aldi and Lidl will continue, and how Tesco and Sainsbury’s shares compare.

Want to keep up with the latest earnings updates from the States? Well join Chris Hill and the Motley Fool Radio Show team here on Share Radio, direct from Washington DC, for news, views and analysis of the US stocks that matter. In this week's show: Disney buys a big part of 21st Century Fox; Costco delivers surprising online numbers; and Waste Management once again proves that trash is treasure. Plus, CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla talks bitcoin, business, and what to watch in 2018.

What is the best way to measure poverty? Intuitively, this question might not seem necessary – surely, we know poverty when we see it. But while we can probably agree that the inhabitants of Victorian slums were in poverty, in many cases today things aren’t so clear cut. Our Chief Economist Julian Jessop examines this question in light of recent research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, warning of rises in child and pensioner poverty.

Personal debt is at record levels with one in six of us at risk of a debt crisis. Credit cards, overdrafts and payday loans are propping up households across the country as wages continue to fall in real terms. And many people are struggling under the pressure of paying back what they owe. But what is the effect on the wider economy? And what should we do about it? Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is back with us this week and is joined by Sarah Lyall, NEF’s Social Policy Lead and special guest Dr Jo Michell, Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of the West of England.

Adam interviews two identical twin sisters, Raissa and Joyce de Haas, who founded the drinks company Double Dutch. In just a few years they have won awards, used innovative approaches into investment and have created surprising new flavours of drinks. They discuss the emotional power of flavours and the benefits of working with someone with identical genetics.

Political commentators Mike Indian and Alex Clark look back on 2017. Did it bring what we expected? How was Trump's first year? Will UK politics change in the wake of the election and Brexit? What happened to the apparent wave of European populism and where is the EU heading. And what will 2018 bring?