Podcasts

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University considers the latest opinion poll putting Labour in fourth place and wonders if history is being made or whether it is just a temporary blip? He looks at the politics and culture of music and dress from punk and Thatcher's new romantics through to a very modern dandy. And he comments on the race to be Europe's first spaceport, which may be won by Britain.

Steve Caplin on Facebook's closing down of fake review sites and Stanford University's tool that lets you convincingly put words into people's mouths in videos. There's the world's most efficient vehicle, a fan that's also a pen, camera, recording device and phone, the Musicians' Union complaining about classical music on streaming services, an LED spirit level, the speed of 5G and Amazon's airborne Neighbourhood Watch idea.

Nike reports a rare profit miss. FedEx delivers a warning but shares climb. Apple announces a big departure. And a Taco Bell hotel quickly sells out. Analysts Ron Gross and Jason Moser discuss those stories and dig into big banks, Constellation Brands, General Mills, Shopify and McCormick. Plus, Motley Fool CEO Tom Gardner talks with Zoom founder and CEO Eric Yuan about video conferencing technology and the future of the workplace.

Georgie Frost and Editor Simon Lambert are joined by reporter Will Kirkman to talk property, getting in and moving on; living to 100 and whether your pension will last as long as you; Simon ‘shares’ his top tips that could bag you big and the trio don their flares and go back to the 70s.

Last month, the owner of a chain of British hi-fi shops did something unusual. Julian Richer, the founder of Richer Sounds, gave away control of the company to the employees, and even gave them each a £1,000 cash bonus for every year they’ve worked there. It’s a rare move for company owners to give up their wealth. Is this just generosity, or could it actually be good for business? And could it also be good economics, and even good for the planet? The New Economics Foundation is back for a brand new series of the Weekly Economics Podcast. Ayesha Thomas-Smith is joined by Marjorie Kelly, Executive Vice President and Senior Fellow of The Democracy Collaborative in the US, and Mathew Lawrence, director of the think tank Common Wealth and co-author of a NEF report about inclusive ownership funds.

Justin Wright is the co-author of best-selling business book, ‘Stretchonomics’ and co-founder at consultancy Mangrove. A builder’s son, he started out as a money broker before deciding that City life was not for him – he describes his first day as one of the most daunting of his life. He later studied psychology before joining Proctor and Gamble. His agency looks after the likes of Diageo, Unilever, and BP. Justin admires great names from the world of sport, saying we should not underestimate the power of enjoying “something simple”.

Saving, spending, planning — you've got money questions and we've got answers. Every week host Alison Southwick and personal finance expert Robert Brokamp challenge the conventional wisdom on life's biggest financial issues to reveal what you really need to know to make smart money moves. In this week's episode, Ron Gross joins us to tackle many of your numbers-based investing questions around stock valuation, earnings reports, EBITDA and more.

Adam Cox talks to spiritual business coach, Ollie Trew, about why so many people fall into the trap of pursuing the path they think is meant for them, but end up feeling unhappy and frustrated. They discuss the symptoms to look out for, and why alignment doesn’t mean all or nothing.

It's that time of year again – Wimbledon, arguably the best tennis tournament in the world, starts next week. Assistant editor Lee Boyce and broadcaster Georgie Frost dust off their picnic blankets, pack the strawberries and cream and talk tennis with British pro – and plucky underdog – Marcus Willis, who has been ranked as high as 209th in the world. We look at the state of the game in Britain and why more youngsters are heading to the US, including 19 year-old Paul Jubb, a Wimbledon wildcard entry who may have to reject his £45,000 cheque. We discuss life after Andy and the true financial cost of training a child up to become a top tennis player – and the physical and mental cost to boot. Marcus also reveals all about his truly remarkable run in Wimbledon in 2016 in which he played Roger Federer on centre court – and managed to lob the best tennis player in history. He also reveals how much money that summer made him and how bonkers life became after he was thrust in the spotlight.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex Collect compares and contrasts the two contenders for the leadership of the Conservative Party, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt. He also considers whether the protests in Hong Kong are emblematic of bigger stresses and strains involving the US, China and Europe. Lastly, he looks at the Sky/HBO TV series, Chernobyl, which he considers one of the best political TV dramas of all time.