Understand: The Economy BBC Radio 4

The rising cost of living really brought home how those big, global economic shocks can mean some pretty bad bumps for our individual finances. Probably the most obvious, immediate and, painful way that global economic events hit our household budgets is through the price of energy. In 2022 we saw our bills almost double - causing the government to step in and guarantee energy prices, with the Treasury picking up the rest of the tab. Even with that support, many people are struggling and we’re all paying a bit more attention to our bills. How does the market for energy work? Exactly what are we paying for, who sets the prices and why are our bills so much higher? And where did it all begin: economic historian Dr Victoria Bateman gives us a brief history of the National Grid.

Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news such as Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills.


Guest: Mike Waterson, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham
Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Editor: Clare Fordham
Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music

A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

The cost of living crisis is putting more pressure on more people - but what happens when that pressure becomes too much, and is bankruptcy always a bad thing? Professor Diane Coyle explains the processes and wider economic impact of bankruptcy, and Dr Victoria Bateman takes us back to the very beginning of the idea in the time of Henry VIII.

Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news such as Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills.


Guest: Professor Diane Coyle, the Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge.
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham
Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Editor: Clare Fordham
Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music

A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

Politicians talk about government debt a lot. When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to tackle Britain's five most pressing problems, he included making sure our debt was falling. But what is the debt? In this episode Dr Gemma Tetlow explains why we have the debt at all, how much we owe, who we owe it to, and whether we should worry about it. Plus Dr Victoria Bateman takes us back in time to hear about historical debts we are still repaying today.

Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news such as Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills.

Guest: Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham
Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Editor: Clare Fordham
Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music

A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

Collectively, our individual financial decisions have a big impact on what the wider economy does. That includes how we manage our own money, including what we buy and how we buy it. One way we make large purchases, smooth out big bills and sometimes just spend some cash we can’t afford - is credit. In this episode Dr Victoria Bateman looks back to the Tallyman in the 19th century, a very early way of shopping with credit. We’ll explore what exactly credit is and how we use it.

Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news such as Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills.


Guest: Prof John Gathergood, Professor of Economics at the University of Nottingham
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham
Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Editor: Clare Fordham
Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music

A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4.

This programme has been edited to change a section of music.

On one hand, we’ve all experienced the things we buy getting more expensive, from the price of fuel to a tub of butter. On the other hand, retailers desperately try to entice us to buy with discounts. Shops seem to constantly have their ‘best ever’ sales and there are days like ‘Black Friday’ when prices are slashed.
How can prices go up and up, and at the same time drop?

In this episode, Felicity Hannah speaks to Rupal Patel, Economist at the Bank of England, to de-mystify how prices work and figure out who has the power in the buyer seller relationship. Dr Victoria Bateman, economic Historian from the University of Cambridge brings us the history of bulk buying.

Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to help you understand the complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news. Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills.


Guest: Rupal Patel, Economist at the Bank of England and co-author of ‘Can’t we just print more money? Economics in Ten Simple Questions’
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham
Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Editor: Clare Fordham
Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music

A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

Why are the rich, rich and the poor, poor, and was it always this way? Tim Harford explains what’s happened to inequality over the last 100 years in the UK and why things might be better than you think. Economic historian Victoria Bateman explains the surprising effect The Great Plague had on income and gender equality.
Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news. Inflation, GDP, Interest rates, and bonds, Tim Harford and friends explain them all. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. We’ll also bring you surprising histories, from the war hungry Kings who have shaped how things are counted today to the greedy merchants flooding Spain with Silver coins. So if your eyes usually glaze over when someone says ‘cutting taxes stimulates growth’, fear no more, we’ve got you covered.

Guest: Xiaowei Xu, Senior Research Economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies

Producer: Phoebe Keane

Researchers: Drew Hyndman and Kirsteen Knight

Editor: Clare Fordham

Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music

A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4