Share Sounds from The Bigger Picture

In the first Bigger Picture of the Year, political commentator Mike Indian talks to Simon Rose about the problems faced by the NHS in dealing with its backlog, about the Government's Plan B for Covid, about rising energy bills and the cost of living generally and about the objections to Tony Blair being awarded a knighthood.

At the end of 2021, we feature some of the topics covered during the year by Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University. In conversation with Simon Rose, Tim discussed the tensions in eastern Europe and why Germany is so beholden to Putin's Russia, the death of the Californian Dream, Ed Balls' examination of the crisis in the UK care system, science's Replication Crisis and why Lord Frank Field was ahead of his time in his ideas on unemployment benefit.

Political commentator Mike Indian channels his inner Marley to look at politicians past, present & future. He assesses the void that will be left by the departing German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, perhaps the most impactful world leader of modern times. He asks if the goodwill shown towards Boris Johnson is running out and ponders what his legacy will be. And he wonders if Joe Biden can use his remaining time to bring about the considerable reforms that are necessary in the United States.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University discusses with Simon Rose the ideas behind Egalitarian Capitalism as espoused by Gavin Oldham OBE, amongst other things the founder of Share Radio. He's keen to see a world with inter-generational rebalancing, where everyone has a disintermediated stake in capitalism (for more, see tinyurl.com/mrhzcb27). Tim also asks if Boris Johnson is still a lucky general or are his days numbered?

Political commentator Mike Indian looks at "Partygate" and the resignation of Allegra Stratton, as well as the fine over the refurbishment of the PM's Downing Street flat. With polls indicating a hung Parliament if there was a snap election, he asks what it would take for the PM to go. He considers the latest Covid rules and discusses how heavy they might get - could Christmas be cancelled again? And he puts the case for mandatory vaccination as an alternative to recurring shutdowns of society.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University discusses a paper from John Penrose MP which could galvanise the debate on poverty, tackling the underlying causes, rather than treating its symptoms. He reflects on Nigel Farage's interview with Donald Trump on GB News, wishing Trump had faced a rather less friendly interviewer. And, confessing his own bias, he looks at the timeless and messy issue of the politics surrounding abortion, explaining why it is so divisive.

In the wake of a shambolic speech to the CBI, political commentator Mike Indian looks at the political future of Boris Johnson and asks if we are seeing the beginning of his end as PM. After the tragedy with a migrant boat in the English Channel, he suggests a possible solution. And he turns again to the Northern Ireland protocol and Article 16 and wonders whether, if there is a majority in favour in Northern Ireland, a United Ireland is a possible outcome.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at the mounting tensions in Central and Eastern Europe and asks what's going on and explains why Germany is so beholden to Putin's Russia. Delving into the roots and reality of sleaze in British politics, he wonders if we should have amateur or professional politicians. And he admires a TV programme in which Ed Balls looks at the care system, in a crisis towards which the country seems to be in denial.

Political commentator Mike Indian looks at the issue of MPs having second jobs and how to prevent paid lobbying. Are the rules fit for purpose? He looks at the issue of Northern Ireland, Lord Frost, whether Article 16 might be triggered and what the consequences could be. And he reflects upon COP26 and expresses optimism that the UK can use technology to show the rest of the world how to achieve a zero-carbon future.