Political Currency

This week on Ex Ministers’ Questions Ed Balls and George Osborne hear from listeners from the high seas, the Dubai sun, and the halls of Parliament - including a Gold subscriber who circumnavigated the globe listening to the podcast under the stars.The pair consider, has the press been too negative on the government’s brand new free trade deal with India? And while they’re talking about global alliances, they share their thoughts on CANZUK, a proposed alliance between Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.Meanwhile, the newly-elected Reform UK Mayor Andrea Jenkyns asks for advice on putting Greater Lincolnshire on the map. They weigh in on how cash-strapped local councils can protect the most vulnerable. And they cast their minds back to when they last slept out in a tent…To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet: 👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Danny PapeExecutive Producer: Dino Sofos Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been an impressive week for the Labour government, with trade deals with both India and the US. Ed Balls and George Osborne consider: what does this say about the Starmer government’s ‘softly-softly’ approach to the wildly unpredictable Trump administration? Being the first in the world to ink a deal with the Americans is nothing to be sniffed at, even if it is a little light on the details – but they both agree the big prize will be a deal with the European Union.... What role will free labour movement play? And what price will Labour be willing to pay, considering the all-important need to keep voters placated on matters of immigration and the economy? Back home, Nigel Farage claims his Reform Party is now the official opposition of the land following a bruising local election for both the major parties. Ed and George consider how both Labour and the Tories will need to position themselves to keep their base. Plus, they turn to the matter of interest rates. The US Federal reserve opted to keep the base rate steady, while the Bank of England has granted borrowers something of a reprieve. What does this say about the direction of the British economy? To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet: 👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Danny PapeExecutive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed Balls and George Osborne, fresh from a break for the Inside the Room Series: The Election that Never Was, jump straight back in with a slew of questions. With George’s old mate and former David Cameron adviser Steve Hilton jumping into the Governor’s race in California they counsel a stateside Republican voter (and Kitchen Cabinet member) on whether they think he’s a good choice. They also mull data sources for parliamentarians. Are there rules on what’s fair game when crunching the numbers? Or can you cherry pick and choose as it suits? They turn philosophical: is there ever a point when politics and policy has totally served its purpose? A listener who has been using the show to work up to GCSE studies asks: What’s the best way to get across the financial aspect of politics? The pair share their tips on the best ways to build a good political and economic understanding in today’s climate.To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet: 👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency 👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Oliver GeraghtyExecutive Producer: Dino SofosPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Local elections are taking place across England today - and they’re a major political test for Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, and Nigel Farage. Ed Balls and George Osborne break down what’s at stake in these key contests, from mayoral races to a critical by-election.Meanwhile, across the pond, Donald Trump has just hit 100 days in office. With stock markets reeling, 142 executive orders signed, and a trade war brewing, Ed and George ask how Keir Starmer should handle the ‘special relationship’ with a now even more unpredictable White House?Plus, Mark Carney - the former Bank of England Governor - has just led his party to victory in Canada. A backlash to Trump, or a one-off? And what might it signal for upcoming elections in Australia and beyond?To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet: 👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Oliver GeraghtyExecutive Producer: Dino SofosPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To Snap or Not to Snap?... As we turn to October 2007, election fever has taken over the UK - everyone from journalists to the opposition to Ed Balls himself is expecting Gordon Brown to call a snap general election. But with the polls lurching back towards the Tories, Brown gets cold feet. In the final episode of this series, Deborah Mattinson rejoins the series to recall those final war room discussions with Gordon Brown himself and his closest advisors, discussions that end up with the election… aborted. Brown chooses to make this public in a blockbuster Downing Street interview with Andrew Marr, who joins us in the studio for the second half of the show to take us behind the scenes at that momentous juncture. How did he end up with the scoop, what was Gordon Brown’s demeanor in the room, and why did he decide to break the news as soon as he walked out the door of number 10? To listen our bonus 'The Inquiry' episode, where Ed and George reflect on this series, sign up to Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. Head to Apple Podcasts or www.patreon.com/PoliticalCurrency to find out more. Producers: John Rogers and Miriam HallTechnical Producer: Danny PapeExecutive Producers: Ellie Clifford and Dino SofosPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network

Election Speculation... Labour had a substantial lead in the polls in 2007, fuelling talk of a snap general election to cement Gordon Brown’s place in Number 10. And things only got better as the party arrived in Bournemouth for their party conference. By the end of it, election fever was well and truly in the air.To listen to episode 3 straight away, sign up to Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. Head to Apple Podcasts or www.patreon.com/PoliticalCurrency to find out more. Subscribers will also get exclusive access to 'The Inquiry' - our bonus episode where Ed and George give their reflections on the series.EPISODE 2: Labour’s rivals had to follow the show, and shadow chancellor George Osborne had an ace up his sleeve to unveil at their own conference in Blackpool: a hugely popular cut on inheritance tax. David Cameron followed it up with his own surprise move, a ‘no-notes’ speech that was well received. Suddenly, the polls swung back, erasing the Labour lead in less than a week. Deborah Mattinson - a key pollster for Gordon Brown - continues in the studio with George and Ed to relive these tumultuous couple of weeks.Producers: John Rogers and Miriam HallTechnical Producer: Danny PapeExecutive Producers: Ellie Clifford and Dino SofosPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network

Gordon Brown Takes the Crown... Ed Balls and George Osborne relive the sliding doors moment that could have changed the course of British history - the 2007 election that never was.To listen to episodes 2 and 3 straight away, sign up to Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. Head to Apple Podcasts or www.patreon.com/PoliticalCurrency to find out more. Subscribers will also get exclusive access to 'The Inquiry' - our bonus episode where Ed and George give their reflections on the series.EPISODE 1: Gordon Brown had sat in Tony Blair’s shadow for over a decade. But suddenly, in the summer of 2007, he had his chance. As Blair stepped back, Brown stepped up - from Number 11 to Number 10 - without a single vote being cast. On the 27th June, he visited Buckingham Palace, and accepted the invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to form a government.His first three months were somewhat chaotic. Before his first PMQs, he was dealing with terrorism attacks in London and Glasgow. An outbreak of foot and mouth disease came soon after, as did flooding across the country. And then came the runs on Northern Rock, the canary in the coal mine of the impending financial crash.George and Ed go 'Inside The Room' with Deborah Mattinson, Gordon Brown’s chief pollster. Deborah and Ed were inside many of the same Labour war rooms together, as trusted lieutenants of the former Iron Chancellor, and they recall these positive early days of the Brown premiership. George, meanwhile, takes us inside the Tory camp of that era and David Cameron’s struggle to land effective blows against Brown. We also hear from Andy Coulson, the Tory head of communications during that period.Producers: John Rogers and Miriam HallTechnical Producer: Danny PapeExecutive Producers: Ellie Clifford and Dino SofosPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network

In this Easter special, Ed Balls and George Osborne meet a truly mythical creature: someone who wants to pay more tax, not less. And according to George, there’s actually a way to do it.They also discuss a big political what-if: what happens if a Prime Minister loses their seat? They've talked before about how someone can become PM without being an MP - think Mark Carney in Canada - but this week they flip the question: could one keep the top job if your constituents vote you out?Also in the mix: is a government running out of money about to come for your pension? Would scrapping the tax-free lump sum be a smart or desperate move? And is it time to give our big cities more power - and more room to grow?And a note, don’t miss our upcoming Inside the Room: The Election That Never Was - which is out tomorrow for subscribers and Monday for everyone else. Become a member of POLITICAL CURRENCY GOLD 🏅 to support the podcast, enjoy ad-free listening to all our episodes and receive early access to EMQs. Or, join Political Currency’s KITCHEN CABINET to enjoy early and ad-free listening, access to live EMQs recordings, and exclusive Political Currency merch.Subscribe now: patreon.com/politicalcurrency or on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/politicalcurrency. Please note Kitchen Cabinet subscriptions are only available through Patreon.Technical Producer: Danny Pape Producers: Miriam Hall and Silvia MarescaExecutive Producers: Dino Sofos and Ellie Clifford Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the US-China trade war heats up, Ed Balls and George Osborne ask: what if the Trump White House took the nuclear option… defaulting on its debts to China? Ed explains why that could be a catastrophic thing to do, while George points to the ‘Mar-a-Lago Accord’ as a way that the US in reality may negotiate its debt. Sticking with Trump, Ed and George also ponder ‘patrimonalism’ – a term coined by Max Weber to describe governance by personal loyalty and kinship… Is Donald Trump the first patrimonial President of the United States? Josh Simons MP, a rising star in the Labour Party, asks for advice on getting government backing for a new road in his Makerfield constituency. Is he right to lobby the Housing and Transport departments, and what sort of arguments will pique the interest of the Labour leadership?Right now, the UK has eight living former Prime Ministers. Ed and George conclude by comparing their behaviour upon leaving Number 10. Which PMs clearly can’t let go, and whose stock has risen over time? Technical Producer: Danny Pape Producers: Miriam Hall and Jarek ŻabaExecutive Producer: Dino SofosPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Become a member of POLITICAL CURRENCY GOLD 🏅 to support the podcast, enjoy ad-free listening to all our episodes and receive early access to EMQs. Or, join Political Currency’s KITCHEN CABINET to enjoy early and ad-free listening, access to live EMQs recordings, and exclusive Political Currency merch.Subscribe now: patreon.com/politicalcurrency or on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/politicalcurrency. Please note Kitchen Cabinet subscriptions are only available through Patreon.