The Rest Is Money

Episodes page 1 of 6

1. 325. Why don’t billionaire business leaders stand up to Trump?

   26 Oct 2026 · 50 min · Episode 325

   What is it about Trump’s second term that’s made big money business men capitulate? Are Jeff Besos and Stephen Schwarzman part of a herd of cowards? Will the mid terms bring them some back bone? And who in business is…

2. 324. Should banks pay more tax?

   21 Oct 2026 · 40 min · Episode 324

   Are banks making excessive profits? How do UK taxes on banks compare to other countries? Should the bank surcharge be increased? What about reducing the interest the banks get from the Bank of England for their cash…

3. 323. Are creditors too hard on the UK?

   18 Oct 2026 · 47 min · Episode 323

   Why are economists’ estimates of our fiscal headroom so different from each other? What does the chancellor John Healey need to do to get the markets on side? Will multiple small tax tweaks get us the money we need?…

4. 322. Why French bond turmoil is good for Burnham

   14 Oct 2026 · 41 min · Episode 322

   Why is France in serious financial trouble? Could it go bust? Should the ECB intervene? And where does that leave the UK government in the bond market ‘ugly contest’? Robert and Steph discuss how the political…

5. 321. Should the UK rejoin a struggling European Union?

   11 Oct 2026 · 45 min · Episode 321

   After Burnham said one option for the UK is to rejoin the EU, would this be best for Britain? How do the alternatives to full membership measure up? And how does the emotional immigration debate fit into the…

6. 320. Can Britain lead the world in driverless cars?

   7 Oct 2026 · 57 min · Episode 320

   Is Wayve the start-up that could at last be a British global AI giant? Why does its boss Alex Kendall think the UK is the best place to grow a tech business? How soon will most of us be riding in driverless taxis and…

7. 319. How to fill the Chancellor’s hole, with Dan Neidle

   4 Oct 2026 · 37 min · Episode 319

   Is a Smorgasbord of tax rises the best way to raise money? Should the capital gains tax rate be aligned with income tax? What about increased taxes on banks? Dan Neidle is back to tell Robert and Steph what he’d do in…

8. 318. What’s the cost of Andy Burnham's big plans?

   1 Oct 2026 · 35 min

   Why was Burnham’s speech such an important economic and political reset? Is his promise of an NHS model for social care all it seems? Burnham has raised the possibility of rejoining the EU, but would European leaders…

9. 317. Why the UK must not drop climate leadership

   27 Sep 2026 · 1 h 01 min

   How to win the net-zero argument with voters again? Why the transition will make us richer? Are the Paris warming targets irredeemably lost? How has China led the way? Robert discusses with world-leading climate…

10. 316. Why the world’s economic glue is becoming unstuck

    24 Sep 2026 · 47 min

    Given the militaristic ambitions of Russia, China and America, how close are we to a catastrophic trade shock? Even without such a shock, do we face years of higher inflation because of the new frictions and costs in…

11. 315. Why we should all care about Japan’s rising rates

    20 Sep 2026 · 1 h 00 min

    Is Trump’s handling of America’s 40 trillion debt burden about to start a global financial crisis? Why is US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent selling Euros to buy Japanese Yen? And why are Western leaders worrying…

12. 314. Why do the tech bros really want more regulation?

    16 Sep 2026 · 39 min

    Why has the Al growth-at-all costs plan hit a credibility wall? Is this really about safety? Or are Al bosses trying to keep out more competition? Is pacing realistically enforceable across borders? And could this make…

13. 313. Ruth Curtice: middle earners need to be taxed more

    13 Sep 2026 · 35 min · Episode 313

    How much of a buffer does the chancellor have now? What taxes might we need to put up? How does the tax burden on UK workers compare to other countries? Why might middle earners need to pay more? Ruth Curtice from the…

14. 312. What's missing from Healey's growth plan?

    9 Sep 2026 · 42 min · Episode 312

    The chancellor says we're turning a corner, but into what? He wants ministers to take more risks, so what does that mean? Why was their nothing that directly addresses the UK’s vulnerability to a debt crisis? The North…

15. 311. Why is the US debt crisis a big problem for Burnham?

    6 Sep 2026 · 41 min

    Are we at risk of a global financial crisis? What’s driving it? And why is the UK being punished more than other countries? Is reforming the pensions triple lock part of the answer? It’s been a wild time on the bond…

16. 310. Gordon Brown: ‘I’d tell Trump he’s unpopular’

    2 Sep 2026 · 46 min

    Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown says fixing broken communities is an economic emergency, but how do we do it? Burnham’s fiscal devolution? Could social impact bonds work? How do we extract more tax from the super…

17. 309. Why we’re wasting our time predicting the future of AI

    30 Aug 2026 · 46 min

    Is it possible for us to shape how AI is used rather than have tech firms decide for us? Should the UK government be looking to create our own ChatGPT? Or would open source AI be better for public services? How do we…

18. 308. The 4 challenges (and the biggest opportunity) facing the new PM

    26 Aug 2026 · 47 min

    Does Burnham’s government have a credible growth plan? Are the fiscal rules still fit for purpose? How can Whitehall be reformed for the AI age - and who will pay tax if AI leads to widespread job losses? Robert…

19. 307. The world’s most influential economist: how we can deliver "worker-friendly AI"

    23 Aug 2026 · 26 min

    How damaging to us is the obsession of Anthropic, Google and Open AI with creating AI super intelligence? How can political leaders set a new path for AI, that would enrich workers rather than replace them? And is the…

20. 306. The world’s most influential economist: Tax wealth and break up big tech

    19 Aug 2026 · 32 min

    How do we revive living standards and restore confidence in liberal democracy? Is the link between productivity and wages permanently broken? What is working-class liberalism? Why should Andy Burnham’s first budget…

21. 305. The Apprentice Unicorn - Euan Blair on rewiring investment and training

    16 Aug 2026 · 45 min

    Why is it taking so long to get people trained in AI? Should we be devolving education powers to employers instead of Mayors? Is the replacement for the Apprenticeship levy any good? Why is it so hard for companies…

22. 304. Why Burnham’s best economic policy would be “do nothing”

    12 Aug 2026 · 50 min

    How can the government persuade UK companies and households to invest and spend their record cash holdings? Why is Donald Trump’s unpredictability failing to destroy economic growth? Why is it so difficult to assess…

23. 303. Why making schools truly comprehensive is vital for our economy

    9 Aug 2026 · 1 h 02 min

    Why do secondary schools fail so many young people? Whose fault is it? What does good vocational education look like? He says the hard hat is just as important as the graduation cap, but does Andy Burnham really get…

24. 302. Can the West bridge the gap with China, India and the BRICs+ nations?

    5 Aug 2026 · 38 min

    How fixable is the schism between the rich developed countries, led by the US, and the faster-growing BRICS+ group, led by China, Russia, and India? Can these emerging powerhouses truly detach themselves from the…

25. 301. Why the US won't stop China in the AI race

    2 Aug 2026 · 52 min

    Are we in an AI bubble? Does it matter that Chinese AI firms are banned from using American chips? How big is the chance of an AI crash? Can an AI business survive without energy generation capabilities? Azeem Azhar –…

26. 300. Does Burnham get AI?

    29 Jul 2026 · 43 min

    What parts of AI does the UK have to control to secure ourselves against enemies? Does Burnham understand how important AI is for growth and security? Are entrepreneurs less welcome in the UK now? Why should the…

27. 299. Trump’s new tariffs - can anyone win a trade war?

    27 Jul 2026 · 47 min · Episode 299

    How has Donald Trump got away with bringing in new tariffs when the last lot were ruled unlawful? Why is the UK in a worse position than the EU now? Are trade wars always bad? Had anyone ever won one without harming…

28. 298. Why Healey as Chancellor? And can he find the money?

    21 Jul 2026 · 42 min · Episode 298

    John Healey is the Chancellor to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP, but how will he pay for it? Would war bonds do the trick? Is a cut in electricity VAT and a rise in income tax thresholds helping the right…

29. 297. How do we reshape our workforce in the AI era?

    19 Jul 2026 · 39 min

    What should the government be doing to get us AI ready? How do we make sure people co-exist with AI and aren't just replaced by it? What role should trade unions have? What are 'tech towns' and how important are they…

30. 296. Gary Stevenson- how would a wealth tax help those on low incomes?

    15 Jul 2026 · 37 min

    What impact would a 2% wealth tax on people with £10 million have? If you tax the rich more will it bring down the cost of living for everyone else? How will this help the shortfall of affordable homes? What about the…

31. 295. Jim O’Neill – The man shaping Burnhamomics

    12 Jul 2026 · 48 min

    If fiscal devolution is central to Burnham’s plans, how do we make sure the money is not wasted by mayors and councils? How can Burnham avoid market mayhem if he invests significantly more? Would it be crazy to break…

32. 294. Gary Stevenson – Is being a city trader bad?

    9 Jul 2026 · 34 min

    Is it fair that city traders can make loads of money betting on the economy’s demise? Are people with working class backgrounds better at trading? How do you go from making millions on a trade floor to becoming…

33. 293. A Nobel Prize winning view on wealth inequality

    5 Jul 2026 · 38 min

    Why are some countries richer than others, even though money, people and ideas can flow freely round the world? Why is it so hard for a country to turn things around and become rich? Are illiberal leaders like Trump…

34. 292. The £6 trillion pot we should use to grow the economy

    1 Jul 2026 · 46 min

    How do we unlock trillions of pounds of long term capital and keep it in the UK? What can we learn from a brewery in Newcastle and the Vimto factory in Manchester? Why don’t more people invest in start-ups and…

35. 291. Does Burnham have any wiggle room?

    28 Jun 2026 · 21 min

    How much can Burnham re-engineer the fiscal rules? Should he stick to a manifesto that has already been trampled over? Who should he choose to be chancellor? Will the markets approve? The former director of the IFS is…

36. 290. Can Burnham’s ‘business friendly socialism’ grow the economy?

    24 Jun 2026 · 32 min

    Why are each of us £15,000 a year worse off than we should be? What can we learn from the US about housing? Can ‘Manchesterism’ work across the UK? How much is the triple lock state pension holding back young people?…

37. 289. Why we need fewer civil servants

    21 Jun 2026 · 48 min

    Can Andy Burnham’s civil service employ fewer but more productive officials? Is it fair to blame Brexit and Covid for the rising headcount? Is the government buying British the best growth policy? How the government…

38. 288. Which politician is the worst tax dodger?

    17 Jun 2026 · 23 min

    Should political leaders show us their tax returns in detail? Are the financial questions concerning Farage about tax or something else? Which politicians were careless and which were more culpable? Robert and Steph…

39. 287. Dan Neidle: forget wealth taxes, do this instead

    14 Jun 2026 · 23 min

    Will all the rich people leave if we slap a wealth tax on them? How have plans for a 5% billionaire tax in California gone down? Is tax the best way to redistribute wealth more fairly? Former tax lawyer Dan Neidle is…

40. 286. Dan Neidle: Pubs don’t deserve a VAT cut

    10 Jun 2026 · 33 min

    Why is cutting VAT for specific sectors a bad idea? Should there be a flat rate on everything, including the things currently exempt? Why does cutting business rates only benefit landlords? Are we keeping too many…

41. 285. Can Europe escape American tech dependency?

    7 Jun 2026 · 42 min

    Why did Nick Clegg quit Meta, and what does he really think about Silicon Valley? Why are tech bosses so greedy? And how can Europe catch up in the AI race? Robert sits down with Nick Clegg (former UK Deputy Prime…

42. 284. Is it time to smash the economic consensus?

    3 Jun 2026 · 48 min

    Should it be about the pre-distribution, rather than re-distribution, of wealth? Will that create an economy with fewer billionaires? How would it work in practice? Is it even possible given the balance of power lies…

43. 283. Does the UK need to be rich?

    31 May 2026 · 57 min

    Is the UK stuck in a debt and tax doom loop, and how do we get out? How do we cut welfare spending? How important is it to give regional mayors more agency over tax and spending? And what can we learn from Mississippi?…

44. 282. Are politicians living in a tax-and-spend dream world?

    27 May 2026 · 47 min

    Are the government plans to help low income households hitting the right spot? Is there too much focus on symptoms and not causes? Could fiscal devolution happen too quickly? Why does the IMF often give the UK a rough…

45. 281. How to tax billionaires

    24 May 2026 · 44 min

    How many billionaires are there in the world? How much has their wealth grown by? Why do lots of billionaires pay almost no income tax? How much of a problem are tax havens? Would a 2% global wealth tax (on people with…

46. 280. Should the government set food prices?

    20 May 2026 · 37 min

    Would a voluntary agreement between supermarket bosses and the Chancellor to cap the prices of food basics help those struggling on low incomes? Is the biggest threat to the UK now higher inflation or higher…

47. 279. Why SMEs want more than verbal enthusiasm from politicians

    17 May 2026 · 52 min

    Is the government doing enough to prioritise British SMEs in its defence spending plans? Should price always come first or should more expensive British made goods be the priority? Or are we in danger of propping up…

48. 278. Can any Starmer rival rescue the economy?

    12 May 2026 · 45 min

    Has Labour got what it takes to deliver growth? Is a change in leadership going to help? How might Rayner, Burnham or Streeting fair against the bond markets? Could a plan to shift the tax burden away from working…

49. 277. How to make green energy a vote winner

    10 May 2026 · 50 min

    Why is the UK’s energy pricing system so broken? Why must the transition to green energy be accelerated? And how can we make clean, renewable power the most affordable option for those on low incomes? Robert joins…

50. 276. Will bond market vigilantes see off Starmer’s rivals?

    6 May 2026 · 53 min

    Could the government’s creditors protect Starmer and Reeves, even if Labour is humiliated in the elections? How high are UK interest rates going to rise because of Trump’s Iran war? Has monetary policy stopped working?…