# 243. Identity crisis: why the government can't make up its mind about Digital IDs

An episode of [The Rest Is Money](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1703785141), 15 Jan 2026, 56 min.

Audio: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLT8008112692.mp3?updated=1768569773

Are the u-turns on ID cards and business rates bad for the economy? Can the Northern Powerhouse Rail deliver what it’s promising? And why is Donald Trump strong-arming banks and oil companies in a way that looks more like old-fashioned state socialism than free-market capitalism? Steph and Robert examine Labour’s modernisation agenda and ask whether Donald Trump has swapped free-market economics for a “Banana Republic” style economy. Email: therestismoney@goalhanger.com X: @TheRestIsMoney Instagram: @TheRestIsMoney TikTok: @RestIsMoney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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