Podcasts

Last week, the Prime Minister suffered a historic defeat, after the Withdrawal Agreement was voted down in Parliament by a margin of 230 votes. Today we're joined by Victoria Hewson and Dr Radomir Tylecote, of the IEA’s International Trade and Competition Unit. Interviewed by Madeline Grant, the pair examine what these developments mean and what renegotiation with the EU could hold, especially when it comes to securing the UK's ability to have an independent trade policy. They also discuss preparation for a 'no deal' Brexit or WTO departure, and the importance of timing and sequencing in trade negotiations. Finally, they assess the continued impasse around the Irish Border question.

Ed Bowsher chats to Melal Miah about the big stock market stories of the last week and looks ahead as well. Helal is quite impressed by Dixons Carphone’s latest results where online sales have held up well even though mobile phone sales did disappoint. Helal also explains Metro Bank’s share price tumbled 15% in just one day. Looking ahead, Shell will be issuing a fourth quarter update on January 31st – Helal explains how that update will have been affected by the falling oil price at the end of 2018.

Steve Caplin, although a fan of Amazon's Alexa, wonders if it's worth building into a bicycle or a piano! He also looks at self-tightening trainers using a smartphone, the most retweeted message ever, a way of finding lost keys, a double bass that fits in a small suitcase, a solar-powered yacht and a $350,000 Swiss watch with no numbers and no hands, which chimes and gongs to tell the time.

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: Netflix rises on a price hike but slips on earnings; Atlassian hits a new high; UnitedHealth reports healthy earnings; Lululemon hits its stride; And Tesla makes a big cut; Analysts Andy Cross, Ron Gross, and Jason Moser discuss those stories, dig into the latest from American Express and Tiffany, and celebrate the life of Vanguard founder John Bogle; Plus, Reuters transportation writer Paul Lienert talks cars, trucks, and “big-ass” crossovers.

Inflation is within a whisker of its long-term target of two per cent – does that mean an interest rate rise off the table in 2019? Assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost talk about the latest inflation figures in the This is Money podcast – including why it has fallen, where it is heading next and what it means for savers. Savings rates are up, with nearly 100 accounts now matching or beating inflation. Lee explains a nifty trick on how to beat inflation with a one year fixed-rate savings account and boost the rate even further. We also discuss the House of Lords report which let rip over RPI and CPI, and why it matters to the pound in your pocket. Meanwhile, we reveal why it is important to not penny pinch on your travel insurance and how the zero per cent beer market is booming – and it's not just because of 'dry January'. This week, we don't have one, not two, but three coin stories for your enjoyment. How euro coins rattling around in your home could be worth a pretty penny and why 50p coins have had a moment in the sun.

Adam talks to Haleema Nawid, a mental health advocate who experiences severe mental health issues to the point of suicidal thoughts and clinical depression. Heleema even found herself homeless and on the receiving end of ambivalence and prejudice as a result of her mental health issues. She now campaigns to educate and inform people about their options regarding mental health and where they can find their voice.

Jose Hernandez is a specialist in crisis management and compliance, and has ‘rolled up his sleeves’ countless times to repair the reputations and business integrity of organisations around the world. He counts a former director of the FBI amongst his close friends and associates; he’s worked for top firms such as PwC; and loves to travel – for business and pleasure. Now a Netherlands national, he’s originally from El Salvador and has recently written of putting together ‘Broken Business’. Listen as he talks about how reputational damage and crisis can occur in plain sight.

In any society there are ‘elite’ positions that command a high income and, more importantly, high status. Unsurprisingly, there is intense competition for these positions. But what happens when a society turns out more people qualified for these roles than the number of roles actually on offer? On this week’s podcast, the IEA’s Head of Education Dr Steve Davies discusses what he calls the ‘over-production of elites’ in society. The problem, he explains, is that elitism, unlike many things, is a zero-sum game – to be in the elite means you are not like 90 per cent or more of the population as a whole. As a result, the ever-increasing number of UK university graduates or American PHDs students leads to bitter resentment towards those with similar qualifications, who have managed to secure elite jobs. Steve talks about how elitism affects our views of a fair society, what it means for the concept of meritocracy, and how societies go about addressing perceived issues of unfairness.

Graham Spooner of The Share Centre looks back at numbers from Boohoo, Persimmon & Bovis and Associated British Foods and looks ahead to what we might expect from Restaurant Group, St. James's Place and Vodafone.

Steve Caplin continues his look at the weird and wonderful delights of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. There's a VR headset with eye-tracking, a humanisation of Amazon's Alexa, a laundry-folding robot, an intelligent toilet with a "fully immersive experience", a water generator for cars, a mask to stop snoring and a smart speaker to teach Chinese.