New Economics Podcast

Our public services are in dire need of investment. The question of how much investment has loomed large over the first weeks of the election campaign. But in the middle of a debate over competing spending plans, isn’t it also time to ask what we want our public services to actually do for us? That’s the view of group of economists and campaigners who are pushing for something called ‘Universal Basic Services’ – a radical expansion of high-quality public services for all to areas like transport, childcare and social care. More than 70 years after the creation of the welfare state and the NHS, is it time to reimagine the public services we should all expect? Ayeisha is joined by NEF Principal Fellow Anna Coote and openDemocracy Economics Editor Laurie Macfarlane.

There's been a panic in the stock markets in recent weeks after the Dow Jones plunged more than 1000 points on a single Monday in the first week of February. When the stock market plunges should we all be worried? Or does it only affect those wealthy enough to be trading? This week, Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Frank van Lerven, NEF economist, and Anna Isaac, economics correspondent at The Telegraph. Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF! Produced by James Shield and Huw Jordan. The award-winning Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the UK's only people powered think tank. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org

With Sports Direct last week announcing plans to ban notorious zero-hour contracts and improve workers' representation, is big business about to change its ways? Dr Faiza Shaheen, Director of think tank Class, joins Kirsty this week. NEF on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nef Weekly Economics Podcast on Twitter: www.twitter.com/weeklyeconpod Kirsty Styles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kirstystyles1 Faiza Shaheen on Twitter: twitter.com/faizashaheen Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Music this week is by Podington Bear and Franco Luzzi. Brought to you by the New Economics Foundation – the independent think tank and charity campaigning for a fairer, sustainable economy. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org.

We're back with a special report from Ecuador - the little country that's doing things differently. It's the first of our Weekly Economics Podcast Stories, taking a deeper look at an idea that's caught our eye. Please see the following links for ways you can help earthquake relief efforts in Ecuador: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/sos-ecuador www.oxfam.org.uk/ecuador www.unicef.org.uk/Ecuador-Donation https://donate.unhcr.org/gb-en/ecuador-earthquake http://www.care.org/newsroom/press/press-releases/earthquake-ecuador -- Presented by Kirsty Styles. With guests Dan Vockins and Jacqui Howard. Produced by James Shield. Programme editor for NEF: Huw Jordan. Help the show by leaving a review: www.getpodcast.reviews/id/970353148 -- Music by: Revolution Void www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Revolu...cs_of_Desire Unknown tonada and albazo pieces by unknown Ecuadorian artists via Daniel Lofredo Rota www.soundsandcolours.com/articles/ecuador/episode-5-musica-popular-ecuatoriana-29518/ Broke For Free www.brokeforfree.com ElectroBandas Quito www.electro-bandas.blogspot.co.uk Blear Moon www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Blear_Moon Grimm Reality www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Grimm_Reality Julian Sartorius www.juliansartorius.ch Johnny Ripper www.freemusicarchive.org/music/johnny_ripper Languis www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Languis Co.fee www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Cofee Chris Zabriskie www.chriszabriskie.com Onda Bidon www.freemusicarchive.org/music/onda_bidon Franco Luzzi www.francoluz.bandcamp.com Lata www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Lata Los Amparito www.losamparito.bandcamp.com Comfort Fit www.tokyodawn.net/comfort-fit-forg...-and-remember-lp Asura www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Asura C. Scott www.freemusicarchive.org/music/C_Scott

Note to listeners: this episode was prerecorded in August 2022. 2022: a year of extremes. During the 40 degree summer heat, roads melted and railway lines buckled. The London Fire Brigade had its busiest day since the Blitz as record temperatures led to hundreds of fires across the city. When it finally rained a month later, the Met Office warned of flood risk. But after a dangerously hot summer, we’re now worrying about whether we can afford our energy bills during a long, cold winter. This was the year that the climate crisis collided with the scandalously high cost of living. But how are the two related? Why are fossil fuel companies making bumper profits while the rest of us are worried about paying our bills? And can we stay warm while making sure oil and gas stay safely under the North Sea? Ayeisha is joined by Mika Minio-Paluello, climate and industry lead at the Trades Union Congress and Tessa Khan, environmental lawyer and founder and director of Uplift. -Want to join a union? You can find the right one for you on the TUC website: https://www.tuc.org.uk/joinunion - Get involved with the Stop Cambo/Jackdaw and Warm this Winter campaigns: https://www.stopcambo.org.uk/ and https://www.warmthiswinter.org.uk/ ----- Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear, used under Creative Commons licence. Researched by Margaret Welsh. Produced by Becky Malone. Enjoying the show? Tweet us your comments and questions @NEF! The Weekly Economics Podcast is brought to you by the New Economics Foundation. Find out more at www.neweconomics.org