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Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University laments the profligacy of Government and the failure of the Bank of England to get a grip on inflation. He compares it to the disastrous mid-70s, saying the Bank is failing badly. He looks at the shifting sands of HS2 and climate policy, explaining why the UK is so bad at infrastructure. And he finds a positive in the fact that so many people are choosing to continue to work beyond conventional retirement age.

James Cameron-Wilson laments the current state of the UK box office, down 20% WOW & 35% YOY. He hates Expendables 4, limping in at #2 wth a mere £760,000. Paul Dano stars in Dumb Money, #5, about the Gamestop story. However, James found it utterly baffling and felt he'd already seen the film after watching the trailer. He was, however, very impressed by Flora & Son on Apple TV, an Irish film from the director of Once, Begin Again and Sing Street, about the transformative power of music. He ends with a tribute to the late Sir Michael Gambon.

Russ Mould of A J Bell discusses share buybacks. Long popular in the United States, he notes that they are currently down by a fifth YOY, pointing out that previous peaks coincided with market tops. In the UK, many of our biggest companies have engaged in buybacks, particularly in the financial field. With the FTSE yielding 3.9%, buybacks are adding another 2.3%. While private investors don't usually participate directly, their equity stake rises. Russ explains the ins and outs of share buybacks from a private investor's point of view.

Steve Caplin talks tech with Simon Rose. Alexa is to become more conversational while Meta has launched smart Ray-Ban glasses with AI. A website will show you the grisly details of medieval murders, while Swedish scientists believe they can resurrect a carnivorous marsupial from Tasmania. Mini launches its first eBike while there are improvements to car roof boxes and head torches. While Amazon is trying to limit the number of AI-written books, the US Copyright Office has ruled that art created with AI can not be copyrighted.

After the December 2019 election, Dominic Cummings brought HM Treasury under the heel of No. 10. Little did he realise that in 2023 the financiers would be running the whole show. Rishi Sunak, financier par excellence, thinks he is making long-term decisions for a brighter future. Not everyone agrees: but then a week is a long time in politics — or finance, come to that. Background music: 'Something Is Wrong' by Sir Cubworth Image source: BBC

And suddenly they stopped. After 14 interest rate rises in a row, the Bank of England stalled and kept base rate on hold. A lower than expected inflation number and slew of economic reports indicating the heat was being taken out of the economy were credited with staying the Monetary Policy Committee's hand. So, will 5.25% now be the peak for base rate or could rates once again start to head higher from here? And what does the Bank of England's decision to pause mean for savings rates and mortgage rates? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss why interest rates were held, what nudged inflation down, what could happen next and what all this means for savers, borrowers and investors. Plus, what does the government rowing back on Net Zero plans mean for electric cars, EPCs and how we heat our homes? And finally, if your neighbours can see into your garden and you don't like it, can you just stick up a very tall fence or do you need planning permission (and risk triggering a neighbourly battle)?

Interest rates are paused but the hikes may not be over yet. Bill Mann and Deidre Woollard discuss what metrics the Fed is looking at before its next meeting, how FedEx’s business has evolved over time, and the traits a good chief financial officer should have. Then, 15 minutes in, Tom King and Deidre Woollard explore how TransMedics is building a complete organ transplantation supply chain. Companies discussed: FDX, UPS, TMDX. Host - Deidre Woollard; Guests - Bill Mann, Tom King

The United Auto Workers are taking on the entire Big Three at once for the first time ever. (00:21) Ricky Mulvey and Asit Sharma discuss how investors can measure an automaker’s profits, a long-term problem for legacy carmakers, the impact of the strike on Tesla, and digital payments adoption in India. Plus, 15 minutes in, Robert Brokamp and Alison Southwick talk about planning dream vacations before retirement and why you shouldn’t wait. Companies discussed: F, GM, STLA, TSLA, PYPL. Host - Ricky Mulvey; Guests - Asit Sharma, Robert Brokamp, Alison Southwick

Caring for others, dealing with emergencies or tough times can drain a lot out of people. As Adam Cox says, you can't keep pouring from an empty cup. So this episode highlights the importance of self-care — making sure you re-build those resources and that confidence to keep going. It's about allowing the body and mind to heal: you can't make a long journey without fuel in the tank! Loving your neighbour as yourself means you need to take care of yourself in order to do your best for your neighbour: it works both ways.

Neil Shah of Edison Group discusses the fall in inflation and the MPC's decision to pause interest rate rises with Simon Rose. He points out that a lot of money is going into the bond market, which should be positive for equities and offers advice about how to position your porfolio in the current environment. He points to two companies investors might find interesting, Team Internet (formerly CentralNic) and Baker Steel Resource Trust.