Podcasts

We live in a time of considerable intolerance towards free speech – on campus – and, increasingly, in broader society as well. But just how widespread is the situation – and how did we get here? On this week’s podcast, we were joined by Claire Fox, Director of the Academy of Ideas, and Kristian Niemietz, the IEA’s Head of Health and Welfare. They examined so-called “Generation Snowflake” – a term often used to describe a perceived millennial distrust in free expression. They discussed how common these views actually are amongst the young, how seriously we should take them, and who else may be to blame for this culture of intolerance.

Ian Forrest of The Share Centre looks at recent numbers from Taylor Wimpey, Whitbread and Barclays and looks ahead to forthcoming numbers from WPP, Sainsbury's and IAG.

Steve Caplin examines evidence that violent videos make you fat, the space hotel that will cost $10m for a stay, an autonomous boat, a tooth-mounted sensor and, best of all, a gadget that FINALLY helps you to hang a picture in exactly the spot you want.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University turns his attention to the 10 reasons why wealth inequality is soaring in the UK, to the reasons Oman is a beacon of hope and stabiity in the Middle East and why Israel and Iran might be heading towards war, and the prospects for Cuba in a post-Castro era.

James Cameron-Wilson examines the worst week this year at the UK box office, thanks to the weather. He reviews two new movies, both searching for the grey pound, the Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society and The Leisure Seeker. He also looks at the Blu-Ray release of the shortest Best Film Oscar-winner ever, Marty, with Ernest Bourgnine.

What has Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, got to do with long-forgotten television soap Eldorado? Find out in the latest This is Money podcast, in which editor Simon Lambert and consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce discuss the inflation figures out this week and whether they have increased the likelihood of a base rate rise. Meanwhile, house prices in London saw their first annual fall in price since 2009 and sellers across the UK are having to accept far less than their asking price. Are values in the capital about to fall even faster? And lastly, one for the gardening enthusiasts – how much of a drain on energy is the patio heater?

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: Amazon gives Wall Street 100 million reasons to be bullish; Netflix produces another great quarter; Wells Fargo gets a billion-dollar fine; And Mattel’s CEO jumps ship. Ron Gross, Jason Moser and David Kretzmann analyze those stories.

Richard Blanco asks Douglas Haig, Vice Chair of the Residential Landlords Association and Richard Lambert, Chief Executive Officer of the National Landlords Association about the work of landlord associations; whether they can be legitimately seen as the voice of landlords; how their offer supports the landlord community; and why campaigns to prevent – and now roll back – recent tax changes have been thwarted. Also joining the debate is Vanessa Warwick, landlord and founder of propertytribes.com, who outlines the role she sees for digital platforms. What role might these organisations play as the government tries to professionalise and regulate the sector, should landlord associations merge to give them more clout, and is it fair to criticise web portals as a forum for ranting?

In the second episode of our new programme, Peter Urwin is joined by Professor Lisa Webley, Chair in Legal Education and Research at the University of Birmingham's Law School, to explore the increasing lack of diversity as one progresses up the ladder of the legal career. Lisa describes the situation in various branches of the profession and sets out the findings from her research, which provide insight into why many women and BAME lawyers do not make it to the top. What actions can government, employers and professional bodies take to improve the situation?

Are there limits to free speech – and if so, where should they be set? In this week’s podcast, Dr Steve Davies, Head of Education at the IEA and News Editor Kate Andrews examine this question. They take a look at free speech on social media, and at universities, where issues like ‘safe spaces’ and ‘no platforming’ are increasingly controversial. Yet, the situation is rather more complex than it might seem. Though, Steve argues, speech should be as free as possible – private institutions and private individuals also have a right to determine what speech they permit on their own property. And public funding of institutions can also complicate matters.