In this episode of Trading Up Unpacked, host Jim Fitzpatrick and Professor Richard Ramsey analsye how economic realities are overriding culture wars to reshape global political agendas.
The discussion opens in the United States, examining how soaring petrol and diesel costs, Federal Reserve interest rates, and the energy-intensive AI infrastructure boom are impacting political strategy ahead of the US midterms.
Across Europe, economic strain manifests in Spain’s housing-driven election and French public sector protests.
Turning to the UK, the hosts evaluate the Chancellor’s tight £24 billion fiscal headroom, £100 billion annual debt interest burden, and difficult choices between taxation and public spending cuts.
Finally, they spotlight Northern Ireland, where political inertia around a £2 billion wastewater funding gap, record-low housing completions, and 22-year planning delays for the North-South inter-connector threaten long-term economic competitiveness.
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