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Political Currency

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Ed Balls and George Osborne take us behind closed doors into the rooms where decisions are made. Having battled it out across the despatch box, the former Chancellor and shadow chancellor now meet in the studio to discuss the decisions that affect the nation’s pockets. Our frenemies have the knowledge and experience to explain how good politics follows the economics - and expose how the powerful become powerless when faced with market forces and political currents they can’t control. Join us every Thursday. Send your messages or voice notes to questions@politicalcurrency.co.uk Find us on social media @polcurrency Political Currency is a Persephonica production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. EMQs: Should PMs be youthful or experienced?

    HACE 2 DÍAS

    EMQs: Should PMs be youthful or experienced?

    Fresh off the back of our latest episodes Ed Balls and George Osborne get an answer to their queries around the curate eggs and a follow up to the Libya crisis series on age in politics. In politics, particularly the Tories, you’re considered young at 40 or 50 while in tech it makes you ancient. Why is this? Youth is often seen as a negative in politics, but is there value to not being weighed down by your experiences?  Then the pair answer a question from the Barclays Brief podcast on the gilt markets, and options open to Rachel Reeves should higher energy prices limit her fiscal headroom. They explain why her options are severely limited coming into the second half of this the parliament and what options are still available for her. Baroness Jo Valentine then asks a question around rail development at Heathrow should the third runway be developed. They point to past projects like the Millennium Dome and Olympic Park as pointers on what you should and shouldn’t do, while exploring why planning often takes so long in Britain. Finally, they address a question on many people’s minds: what happens if we’re plunged into active war? They discuss whether the government should better prepare the public for this event, and what areas of weakness the government should address to better protect the public in future.  We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question. Thanks for listening. To get episodes early and ad- free join Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. If you want even more perks including our exclusive newsletter, join our Kitchen Cabinet today: 👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency 👉 Apple Podcasts Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon. Credits: Research: Sam Burton Production: Caillin McDaid & Nasreen Arain Video Editor: Carla Mercer Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    46 min
  2. HACE 6 DÍAS

    Is it risky for the Chancellor to attack Trump?

    The Middle East conflict raged on during our Easter break and George Osborne comes back to us with news from Washington and word from friends in high places, like incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. He and Ed Balls discuss the failed peace talks from George’s other mate, JD Vance, and where things go from here.  They then weigh in on the UK’s shifting tone towards the Trump administration, and why they’re becoming more critical. It’s aiding them for now, but will it come back to bite them? The ongoing defence spending dilemma also rears its head with Labour peer George Robertson openly critcising the Government. The pair predict this will come to be the biggest challenge for Rachel Reeves and the Treasury in this year’s budget. Earlier this week the International Monetary Fund forecast that Britain would be one of the countries worst hit by the Iran war. Ed explains why he disagrees with this assessment, and how the Bank of England can avoid debilitating inflation. George cautions that Reeves is in a tough spot, and faces some unpopular choices should the IMF’s forecast come to fruition.  Finally, George sheds some light on emerging cybersecurity threats particularly Anthropic’s Mythos model. Alarms are ringing in Washington over this model, with the new threats of AI on defence and security becoming clear. George highlights the risk and opportunity inherent in these technological innovations, and they call for regulation as these models become more and more advanced. We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question. Thanks for listening. To get episodes early and ad- free join Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. If you want even more perks including our exclusive newsletter, join our Kitchen Cabinet today: 👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency 👉 Apple Podcasts Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon. Credits: Research: Sam Burton Production: Caillin McDaid & Nasreen Arain Video Editor: Carla Mercer Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 h 4 min
  3. What If: George was PM during Covid?

    13 ABR

    What If: George was PM during Covid?

    In another special ‘What If’ edition of EMQs George Osborne and Ed Balls consider the would be worlds and outcomes, if just one historical event went another way. In a more theoretical ‘What If’ they consider what would happen if MPs couldn’t abstain and had to vote aye or nay on every bill. Ed believes this could lead to a breakdown in our system, while George thinks it could reprimand a mistake made by the recent Tory governments.  An anonymous question from someone in government poses a radical change to our recent history: What if Trump became a unifying anti-gun and violence figure after the attempted assassination in 2024? This would have had massive implications for our current world, but would it be believable? George is sceptical, while Ed wonders if Trump would have gone on to a greater landslide victory or if the MAGA movement would have turned on him. Finally, a pair of EU related ‘What Ifs’. Had the Brexit results been flipped, who leads the country into 2020 and the pandemic? George? David Cameron? Or is it still Boris Johnson? Also, what if the Maastricht or Lisbon treaties had been put to the country as referendums? Would Brexit still have happened? Would we still be in the EU? Would it have saved or ended the premierships of John Major and Tony Blair? We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question. Thanks for listening. To get episodes early and ad- free join Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. If you want even more perks including our exclusive newsletter, join our Kitchen Cabinet today: 👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency 👉 Apple Podcasts Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon. Credits: Research: Sam Burton Production: Caillin McDaid Video Editor: Avi Asher Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min
  4. What If: George was PM during Covid?

    9 ABR • SÓLO PARA PERSONAS CON SUSCRIPCIÓN

    What If: George was PM during Covid?

    In another special ‘What If’ edition of EMQs George Osborne and Ed Balls consider the would be worlds and outcomes, if just one historical event went another way. In a more theoretical ‘What If’ they consider what would happen if MPs couldn’t abstain and had to vote aye or nay on every bill. Ed believes this could lead to a breakdown in our system, while George thinks it could reprimand a mistake made by the recent Tory governments. An anonymous question from someone in government poses a radical change to our recent history: What if Trump became a unifying anti-gun and violence figure after the attempted assassination in 2024? This would have had massive implications for our current world, but would it be believable? George is sceptical, while Ed wonders if Trump would have gone on to a greater landslide victory or if the MAGA movement would have turned on him. Finally, a pair of EU related ‘What Ifs’. Had the Brexit results been flipped, who leads the country into 2020 and the pandemic? George? David Cameron? Or is it still Boris Johnson? Also, what if the Maastricht or Lisbon treaties had been put to the country as referendums? Would Brexit still have happened? Would we still be in the EU? Would it have saved or ended the premierships of John Major and Tony Blair? We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question. Thanks for being a valued member of our Kitchen Cabinet or a Gold subscriber. Remember Kitchen Cabinet members get exclusive access to live EMQs recordings, briefings from the team, and an exclusive Political Currency mug. Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon. Credits: Research: Sam Burton Production: Caillin McDaid Video Editor: Avi Asher Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

    37 min
  5. Inside The Room - The Libya Conflict: The Aftermath (Part Three)

    9 ABR

    Inside The Room - The Libya Conflict: The Aftermath (Part Three)

    How can it be ensured countries will face a better future after a large-scale military intervention? It’s a question which applies to both politicians dealing with the war in Iran today, and for politicians dealing with the aftermath of Muammar Gaddafi’s killing in 2011. In this third and final part of this series, Ed Balls, George Osborne, and Sir John Sawers reflect on the fallout of the 42-year regime in Libya coming to an end. Who was responsible for post-war failures? Was there a case for putting boots on the ground? And what were the unexpected repercussions for geopolitics? They also discuss their immediate reactions to Gaddafi’s death and the shocking way in which he was killed. Ed and George then press Sir John on what this all could mean for the ongoing situation in Iran, plus what he really thinks of how Keir Starmer has handled it. Thanks for listening. To listen to all three parts of Inside the Room: The Libya Conflict now, join Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. You will also get early and ad-free access to our regular episodes of EMQs. For even more perks, including our exclusive newsletter, join our Kitchen Cabinet today: 👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency 👉 Apple Podcasts Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon. Credits:  Research: Monica Lillis, Ayla Krachai, and Sam Burton Production support: Tom Jackson Production: Caillin McDaid and Nasreen Arain Video Editor: Avi Asher and Oliver Geraghty Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford and Henrietta Harrison Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min
  6. Inside The Room - The Libya Conflict: The Inquiry

    8 ABR • SÓLO PARA PERSONAS CON SUSCRIPCIÓN

    Inside The Room - The Libya Conflict: The Inquiry

    In this subscriber-only episode Ed Balls and George Osborne reflect on Inside the Room - The Libya Crisis. The hosts were joined by former MI6 Chief, Sir John Sawers, former EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Cathy Ashton, and deputy national security adviser to the coalition government, Hugh Powell. With the guests, the hosts track the 2011 intervention in Libya from the outbreak of the Arab Spring up to the messy aftermath after the conflict. They ask what lessons can be applied to the current crisis in the Middle East? In this debrief episode, Ed presses George on the decision making in the coalition government ‘war room’. The pair also reflect on the honest and open insight the three guests brought to the miniseties as they delve further into the parallels and differences between Libya, past conflicts and the current war in Iran. Thanks for being a valued subscriber and listening to this Inside the Room series. We want to hear from you! What EMQs do you have about our Libyan miniseries? And what other room would you like us to take you inside? Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get the episodes in video as soon as they’re released. Credits: Research: Monica Lillis, Ayla Krachai, and Sam Burton Production support: Tom Jackson Production: Caillin McDaid and Nasreen Arain Video Editor: Avi Asher and Oliver Geraghty Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford and Henrietta Harrison

    38 min

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Ed Balls and George Osborne take us behind closed doors into the rooms where decisions are made. Having battled it out across the despatch box, the former Chancellor and shadow chancellor now meet in the studio to discuss the decisions that affect the nation’s pockets. Our frenemies have the knowledge and experience to explain how good politics follows the economics - and expose how the powerful become powerless when faced with market forces and political currents they can’t control. Join us every Thursday. Send your messages or voice notes to questions@politicalcurrency.co.uk Find us on social media @polcurrency Political Currency is a Persephonica production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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