Podcasts from Share Politics

Mel Stride, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, talks to Share Radio's Simon Rose about the Government's latest initiative to crack down on online sellers trying to evade VAT, particularly those based overseas. VAT is the third-largest source of revenue for the government after income tax and National Insurance and, as the minister explains, the Government is determined that the playing field should be level with bricks-and-mortar retailers and that those owing tax are not able to escape paying.

One of the most striking developments in the past few years has been the disenfranchisement felt by many towards business and politics, particularly among the young, to the extent that it’s become a threat to the very continuation of the free market and capitalism. Gavin Oldham, Chairman of The Share Centre and of The Share Foundation, joins our host Simon Rose to discuss a set of proposals he has developed intended to introduce a more egalitarian form of capitalism, giving everyone in our society the opportunity to benefit from wealth creation enabled by the free market.

On this podcast, you’ll hear an update from our Brexit Unit, run by the IEA’s chief economist Julian Jessop. Coming up, digital Officer Madeline Grant discusses the concept of unilateral free trade with Julian – a policy he thinks should be considered during the Brexit negotiations. Julian gives a comprehensive explanation of what unilateral free trade would mean in practice – and how after Brexit, the UK will be free to set its own trade rules and tariff barriers. Julian and Madeline also discuss the potential disadvantages, especially in the short term, of such a policy – mainly the disadvantages to British producers, who will face increased competition, with no guarantee it’ll be easier to export to other parts of the world.

We’re joined by Diego Zuluaga, Head of Tech Policy at the IEA, and Digital Officer Madeline Grant, as they discuss Uber and the gig economy in the light of last week’s decision from TfL not to reissue Uber’s licence. The pair discuss the ruling – how it came about, and take a look at some of TfL’s motivations. They also explore what the ruling means in practice – for the 40,000 drivers who earn a living from the platform, for the app’s 3.5 million users in London, and for the broader future of tech and innovation in Britain.

Ed Bowsher looks at the outlook for emerging markets. After a strong run in recent years, can the emerging markets bull run continue? Ed asks Rajiv Jain from GQG Partners, David Cornell of the India Capital Growth investment trust, Howie Li of ETF Securities, and Charles St Arnaud of Lombard Odier Investment Managers.

Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at the Bank of England’s Independence Conference: celebrating 20 years since the Bank of England was granted operational independence on 6th May, 1997.

The IEA’s Head of Education Dr Steve Davies and News Editor Kate Andrews discuss how farming technology is revolutionising our world. Although current discussions of the future of tech tend to focus on AI, automation and robotics, Steve explains how recent advancements in farming offer solutions some of the key crises of our time – allowing us to feed an ever-growing population without compromising on economic development or environmental concerns. They also discuss some of the ongoing debates within the environmentalist movement, over these varying technologies.

Ed Bowsher discusses whether there's a bond bubble and if it's about to burst. His guests include James Butterfill of ETF Securities and David Stevenson of ETFstream.

In this week’s Money Makers podcast, one of our regular big picture market roundups, Jonathan Davis talks to Charlie Morris, Investment Director at Newscape Capital, and editor of the Fleet Street Letter, about the latest developments in the UK and global markets and what they mean for investors’ portfolios. The oil price holds the key to future developments, he argues.

Is now the right time to consider a transitional deal between the UK and the European Union? On our podcast this week, IEA Chief Economist Julian Jessop and Digital Officer Madeline Grant discuss the varying options for transitional arrangements for March 2019 - after the UK has left the EU, but before it pursues its full plans to exit the Single Market or the Customs Union. The pair also discuss how such a deal could impact on other areas of the Brexit negotiations, including the 'Divorce bill'.