Share Sounds.

Politicial commentator Mike Indian discusses the uproar in the Commons over Gaza amendments which has damaged Speaker Lindsay Hoyle's hitherto high reputation. Party politics has once more trumped meaningful debate in a world where MPs are increasingly seen as being targets. Mike asks if this was a face-saving exercise for the Labour leadership and assesses what it means for the Speaker. He also returns to the Post Office Horizon Scandal and questions whether public-owned bodies providing key services to the state like the Post Office ought to be run as businesses at all. Lastly, he turns to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. With much of the world turning towards authoritarianism, Mike feels we must cherish and strengthen our democracy.

Neil Shah of Edison Group looks at Rolls-Royce in the wake of results showing record profitability and a massive turnaround in the business. It shows, he feels, the importance of leadership with CEO Tufan Erginbilgic able to explain clearly what is happening within a complex business, driving long-term profitability by focussing on the things that matter. He feels there is much further to go with the stock. He also highlights Pan African Resources with a new note on the Edison website. A South African precious metals miner, it is lowly valued compared to its peers and somewhat overlooked. Despite some political risk, it is going in the right direction.

Much like Sir Keith Joseph, Michael Gove provides intellectual stimulus for the Conservative Party. 'Breaking the cycle of deprivation' was Keith Joseph's strategy in the mid-70s, but after 32 years of Conservative governments there's little progress to show. Is Michael Gove just talking about housing or can he tackle the wider issue, including unclaimed Child Trust Funds? Background music: 'Waiting' by Andrew Langdon

It's finally happened. After months of will-we, won't-we speculation, the UK economy has finally succumbed to recession. The ONS revealed this week that a drop in GDP in the final three months of 2023 meant that Britain had racked up two consecutive of negative growth - and thus the dreaded R word is here. But is this a bad one, why does the term 'technical recession' keep being bandied about and do these backward-looking figures mask things already getting better? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert look at what recession means for the UK and you. Plus, who are the villains among big banks and building societies when it comes to sky-high standard variable rates for mortgage borrowers, and is it them or the customers themselves to blame if somone ends up paying almost 10% interest? Also — the customer turned down for a switching bonus by HSBC because they had a Midland account 21 years ago. And finally, electric car sales aren't growing as fast as the government or car makers want. Does that mean it's time to drive a bargain?

In this special bonus This is Money episode, Simon Lambert speaks to easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Sir Stelios tells the story of how he launched easyJet and his easyGroup of companies - and how allowing others to build companies using the easy brand works. He also explains why he is backing entrepreneurs under the age of 35 with his Stelios Philanthropic Foundation awards and giving away £150,000 to the successful winner.

Economic data and earnings season combined for a volatile weak in the stock market. Bill Mann and Jason Moser discuss the latest inflation numbers and what they mean for investors, earnings wrap-up for Twilio, Lyft, Airbnb, Shopify and Trade Desk, and Nvidia’s disclosure of its investments and how it impacted stocks. Then, 19 minutes in, Corrado Russo shares some thoughts on the international real estate market. Finally, 34 minutes in, Bill and Jason break down two stocks on their radar: Fresenius and Home Depot. Stocks discussed: TWLO, LYFT, ABNB, SHOP, TTD, SHOP, NVDA, NNOX, ARM, HD, FMS. Host - Ron Gross; Guests - Bill Mann, Jason Moser, Corrado Russo.

Retail numbers fall as some wonder if it’s more than cold weather holding consumers back. Bill Barker and Deidre Woollard discuss how the retail spending numbers might impact the Fed, if Stellantis is ready to take on Big EV, and Deere’s returns for investors. The, 18 minutes in, Drew University Professor Chris Andrews shares his thoughts on why some companies are changing their strategies on self-checkout. Companies discussed: WMT, DG, KR, STLA, GM, F, DE. Host - Deidre Woollard; Guests - Bill Barker, Chris Andrews.

The teenage years are often marked by periods of insecurity and awareness of all the things that can go wrong, and this inner dialogue can persist well into adulthood. However the journey into those later years helps by building resilience based on experience, so that these conflicted paths can be addressed on the basis of a growing store of knowledge. Adam Cox helps those challenged by this anxiety based on an inner dialogue to build a more positive, forward-looking approach.

Rather than rely upon press reports, Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University delves into Reform UK's policies, finding no evidence of far-right attitudes but instead a mix of old-school Thatcherite ideas with socialist control. He suspects some ideas could be appropriated by other parties. Donald Trump's Agenda 47 baffled him more, being a smorgasbord combining centre-left ideas on welfare with more nationalistic, protectionist policies. By offering something for almost everyone, he may have a broader base than previously. Tim is very concerned about the rise of thousands of fraudulent scientific papers, with 10,000 believed to have been retracted last year alone. This black economy, driven in large part from China, India, Iran and Russia, could prove extremely dangerous in the scientific arena.

Steve Caplin discusses the US returning to the Moon for the first time since 1972, entirely in private hands rather than equipped by NASA. There's an electric rickshaw with a detachable scooter. A top-of-the-ranger mobility scooter has all mod cons. Brian Eno's limited edition turnable is a work of art – but an ugly one. Steve wonders why there's a new portable CD player. Charles Darwin's library is online in its entirety, but dreadfully presented. Lithium batteries could be made far safer, if people are prepared to pay. Taylor Swift's songs could save people from heart attacks. Repeated vaccines should be given in alternate arms. An underwater kite could be the solution to strong wave power. And chocolate could have much less sugar – and more oat flour.