# How to be a middle power in a superpower world. With Jenny Bates

An episode of [The Economics Show with Soumaya Keynes](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1746352576), 25 Sep 2026, 31 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/664394a442f6710013618119/e/6ab51b2ccf7654f56a75a5c2/media.mp3

The global economy is becoming increasingly hostile with tariffs, export controls and industrial policy being used as geopolitical weapons, while the world’s biggest powers compete for economic advantage. So where does that leave a middle power like Britain? Host Soumaya Keynes speaks to UK senior civil servant Jenny Bates, who’s just completed the Heywood Fellowship at Oxford university, where she got to think about Britain's place in the world and how it should adapt to a changing geopolitical seascape. They discuss what Britain can learn from historic partnerships and why closer co-operation between government and business could be crucial to navigating a more dangerous global economy. Subscribe to Soumaya's show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen. Further reading: Mark Carney urges EU to cement trade deal as Ottawa seeks pivot from US Ursula von der Leyen backs Canada’s ‘associate membership’ bid Trump lays a new trap for Takaichi Presented by Soumaya Keynes. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Original music and sound design by Breen Turner. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Flo Phillips is the FT’s head of audio. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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