Podcasts

Interest rates have finally risen above 0.5 per cent for the first time in almost a decade. The Bank of England has decided that the UK's economy is healthy enough to finally get above the financial crisis emergency level, but was the hike a wise move or a mistake. Of those in favour, some have been calling for a rate rise for a long time, others believe we must try to get back to normal before recession hits. But those opposed believe even this tiny shift up to a very low base rate level of 0.75 per cent, is a gamble too far from the Monetary Policy Committee's ratesetters. On this week's podcast, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost dive into the rate rise. Why did the bank hike rates, who will it affect, why do interest rates even move up and down and how did they end up at 0.5 per cent in the first place? Also on this week's show, Lee introduces us to the world of micro-saving, we discuss the case of the financial adviser who suddenly ask for £10,000 more and Simon tries to show he is down with the kids who are making money by selling on Depop.

Mike Southon is a former mobile DJ, musician and singer as well as an astute businessman. He was co-founder of The Instruction Set in 1984, selling training in computer services, later selling on out to Hoskyns (now Cap Gemini Ernst & Young). He’s collaborated in and helped set up numerous companies, and is a published author several times over – and is regarded as one of the most experienced entrepreneur mentors in the UK. His original book from 2002, ‘The Beermat Entrepreneur’ has been updated for 2018. He says one the secrets of entrepreneurial success is to ‘find a foil’ – someone who compliments what you do, and be nice!

You’re listening to Live from Lord North Street, a podcast from the Institute of Economic Affairs. Back in June, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was kicked out of the Red Hen restaurant in Virginia, because the owner didn’t like her association with President Donald Trump’s administration. Is this an act of discrimination, perfectly within one’s right, or both? Today we’re joined by Dr Steve Davies, Head of Education at the IEA, to discuss the concept of civility in public life. Interviewed by IEA News Editor Kate Andrews, Steve argues that any private establishment has the right to refuse service, but that doing so does not come without consequence. The pair discuss famous instances of discrimination, perpetuated by both the private sector and the state, and try to identify what the lines are between civil dissent and dangerously overstepping the mark.

Adam talks to cardiologist Rick Shakes and Founder of Prescan Eddy Van Heel about why we have regular check ups in several areas of our life such as car MOT’s and regular dental check ups but rarely have a thorough health check that can look for the warning signs of serious medical issues such as cancer, heart disease and others. The founder of Prescan also reveals that his own company detected a form on cancer early enough to avoid what would otherwise be a potentially deadly outcome. They discuss why we have a tendency to bury our head in the sand when it comes to the most precious commodity – out health!

Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump; Erdogan in Turkey and the Five Star Movement in Italy; Podemos in Spain and Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines. All of them have been described as populists. But what does ​‘populism’ actually mean? How can it include people with wildly different ideologies under the same umbrella? Is it possible to be a progressive populist – and even if it is, should progressives use that label? Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by academic and writer Eliane Glaser, and Michael Walker from Novara Media.

Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at the US/EU discussions on tariffs, at the arrival of "soundness signalling", at the demographic challenges being faced by some European countries and at the way in which governments are ignoring some of the more positive aspects of cryptocurrencies.

Helal Miah of The Share Centre looks at recent announcements from BP, BAE Systems, Lloyds Bank and Next. He also looks ahead to what we might expect from HSBC, G4S, Prudential and Intertek.

James Cameron Wilson looks at a UK cinema box office that has suddenly caught fire, with Mission Impossible: Fallout knocking Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! off the Number One slot. As well as discussing this coming Sunday's one-day 50th anniversary re-release of Mel Brooks' The Producers, James also looks at the home release of the Todd Haynes' film Wonderstruck

Steve Caplin spills the beans on robot cockroaches and snakes that will help service jet engines, at an autonomous bus that can't leave its depot, at an oven that does 0-260 degrees in under a second, at clingfilm made from crab shells and at the video camera that starts filming10 seconds before you press the record button.

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: Facebook plummets on slowing growth; Amazon rises on record profits; Chipotle serves up big earnings; Atlassian surrenders to Slack; And Spotify tries to produce sweet music for investors.