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Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: The main parties' political atmospherics

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: The main parties' political atmospherics
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University focuses on the "political atmospherics" or the "vibes" of the main parties. He considers this to be the only General Election in his lifetime that is more like a by-election, where most people are voting negatively. The Tories have essentially become the "untrusted socialists", as irrelevant as old Labour in the 70s and 80s. Labour is shapeshifting in a Tory Party way and could become the natural party of government. The LibDems are the closest to moderate old Labour while Reform UK are now the Thatcherites. As for the electorate: they are smart and don't change much.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Sunak & D-Day, Labour's policies, Farage entering the race and the likely outcome

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Sunak & D-Day, Labour's policies, Farage entering the race and the likely outcome
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the Conservatives' dismal election campaign, feeling it indicative of a tired, worn-out government. He wonders where Labour's inspiring moment is, feeling the Tories are losing rather than Labour winning. He senses that Labour is planning attacks on CGT and wealth. Despite Nigel Farage attempting – for the 8th time – to become an MP, Mike thinks turnout could be down. He'll be fascinated to see if Reform get more votes than the stunt-obsessed LibDems. Looking at what has happened with European elections, he believes that Starmer must deliver, or politics could become more extreme and populist in the UK too.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Professor Tim Evans's General Election Special

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Professor Tim Evans's General Election Special
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University explains that the Conservative Party is no longer trusted, that it is out of touch with its base and so is relying on negative campaigning. Without a positive vision, they stand no chance of stopping a landslide. While Labour is more moderate and united, it may come under pressure once it is in power. Can it rise to the many domestic and global challenges it will face, particularly with such an appalling handover? if so, it might become the natural party of government. It will be fascinating to see if Reform overtake the Tories in the polls, in which case the Conservative argument against voting for Reform vanishes.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: General Election Special – What can we expect?

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: General Election Special – What can we expect?
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the main parties' prospects for the UK's General Election. He thinks that this might be a day without a high turnout. With so many Tory MPs abandoning politics, he feels that the gap between the Conservative Party and its membership will become even wider. He discusses Labour's big Achilles' heel and laments the lack of an element of excitement, though he expects the TV debates to be interesting. A change of government, he says, could be a good thing. It will shake the Conservatives out of complacency, though Labour might find that the current control freakery will come back to haunt them.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Thoughts on the election, challenges to global companies & understanding populism

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Thoughts on the election, challenges to global companies & understanding populism
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University offers some thoughts on the General Election, explaining that Rishi Sunak is not a lucky PM. This is, he points out, a year in which half of humanity is going to the polls, with 1.4 billion Indians entitled to vote. But with press freedoms being curtailed, is the country sleepwalking into becominging a managed democracy and can it maintain growth while reducing its serious unemployment problems, particularly among young graduates? He also looks at the problems global companies have with mounting geo-political tensions and why economists need to think precisely about populism, as political scientists have for some time.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Starmer's six pledges, underinvestment in infrastructure & who is pulling Labour's strings?

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Starmer's six pledges, underinvestment in infrastructure & who is pulling Labour's strings?
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses Keir Starmer's six pledges as the long General Election campaign gets underway. He looks at why underinvestment in infrastructure in the UK is coming back to haunt us, offering some suggestions at ways to improve things. And he looks at who is pulling the strings in Labour behind the scenes at think tank Labour Together. Although Labour may mock the chaos of the Conservative Party, Mike wonders how turbulent the broad church of the Labour Party will be when it is in power.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Labour & Donald Trump, the future of Conservatism & the shocking NHS estate

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Labour & Donald Trump, the future of Conservatism & the shocking NHS estate
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at shadow foreign secretary David Lammy's attempts to woo Donald Trump as well as Joe Biden. With even the Prime Minister appearing not to believe the Conservatives will be in Government soon, he considers the future of the party and "Conservatism", wondering if there is going to be a massive shake-up of the order of British politics. And he looks at the shocking state of the NHS estate, with over 2,000 hospital buildings predating the birth of the NHS in 1948.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: The SNP Leadership, OECD & UK growth & Labour and zero-hours contracts

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: The SNP Leadership, OECD & UK growth & Labour and zero-hours contracts
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses what will happen to the SNP after the resignation of Humza Yousaf. With devolution now 25 years old, he highlights the problems faced by all single-issue parties and believes it cannot defy gravity for much longer. He highlights the OECD report that the UK will be the worst-performing G7 economy next year, which should worry Labour as well as the Government. And he looks at Labour's apparent decision to abandon its pledge to ban zero-hours contracts.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Top earners fleeing Scotland, the Mondragon Experiment & the UK defence budget

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Top earners fleeing Scotland, the Mondragon Experiment & the UK defence budget
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University discusses the report that higher-rate Scottish taxpayers have been heading south, explaining that it shows the truth of the Laffer Curve in action. He highlights the Basque Region's Mondragon Experiment which, in showing that there is a different way of running businesses, is effectively socialism without the state. Could it offer a future direction for the NHS? And he wonders how an increase in the UK's defence spending, announced by the Prime Minister, could work with so many other urgent calls on the public purse.
Guest:

Professor Tim Evans


Published:
Simon Rose

The Bigger Picture: Will Rwanda flights happen, the UK's influence over Israel, the smoking bill & Liz Truss's book

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture: Will Rwanda flights happen, the UK's influence over Israel, the smoking bill & Liz Truss's book
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the latest delay in the Rwanda Bill, asking if the flights will ever get off the ground. In the light of Iran's drone and missile attack, he wonders how much influence the UK has, or should seek to exert, over Israel. Is the rebellion over the smoking bill about freedom or manoeuvering for post-election power? And he assesses Liz Truss's book.
Guest:

Mike Indian


Published: