The Why? Curve

Do we have the right to protest? What are we allowed to do, to show we don’t approve? And is it right to disrupt other people’s lives and businesses to make our point? The arrests during the coronation showed the new powers police have to deal with demonstrators, but are they too draconian, or just a reasonable response to the new disruptive ways protesters have found to draw our attention to their cause? David Mead, professor of human rights law at the University of East Anglia tells Phil and Roger what they now can and can’t do to make their point.This episode is supported by Wigmore Associates, who provide portfolio management services on both a discretionary and advisory basis, together with pension, tax planning and inheritance tax advice to Individuals, Trusts, Pension Schemes, Family Offices, and Charities.

Singalonga Europe - a festival of colour and music that unites a continent and spreads colour and joy to a dull and damp May? Or an orgy of naff tunes, high camp and absurd self-regard that shows up all the bitterest national rivalries Europe has nurtured? Does it even matter? It does, says Dr Dean Vuletic, author of “Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest,” and he tells Phil and Roger it provides an invaluable insight into modern Europe’s cultural and political history. This episode is supported by Wigmore Associates, who provide portfolio management services on both a discretionary and advisory basis, together with pension, tax planning and inheritance tax advice to Individuals, Trusts, Pension Schemes, Family Offices, and Charities.

What are the prospects for the man about to be crowned? As Charles formally receives the insignia of the monarch and the blessing of the church, how long can a thousand year-old principle of hereditary succession be sustained? Is Britain still not ready to elect the man or woman who is head of state? Or is continuity itself a measure of national maturity? And would we really prefer to have a ceremonial president who would likely be - on present form - a footballer or a reality TV star? Alice Hunt, associate professor of history at Southampton University, gives Phil and Roger guidance from the the time England did become a republic in 1649, and some thoughts about our monarchical future.This episode is supported by Wigmore Associates, who provide portfolio management services on both a discretionary and advisory basis, together with pension, tax planning and inheritance tax advice to Individuals, Trusts, Pension Schemes, Family Offices, and Charities.

What’s the problem with our water? Untreated sewage is pouring into our rivers and onto our beaches. Despite the wettest March for 40 years, a hosepipe ban has been imposed in Devon. Something is going badly wrong with the companies that run our privatised water system. Is it just a lack of investment? Dr Kevin Grecksch lectures in Water Science Policy and Management at Oxford University - he gives Phil and Roger the details on what has gone wrong and what needs to change.This episode is supported by Wigmore Associates, who provide portfolio management services on both a discretionary and advisory basis, together with pension, tax planning and inheritance tax advice to Individuals, Trusts, Pension Schemes, Family Offices, and Charities.

Bitcoin, dogecoin, etherium - cryptocurrencies are part of our world, and they seem to be a store of value, but are they actually WORTH anything? The price fluctuates wildly and there are plenty of stories of theft, fraud and criminality in crypto exchanges. They coins are largely unregulated and have no backing from states or central banks, so is their notional value a kind of mirage? Is it all a scam? Professor Brian Lucey of University College Dublin sets out the basis of blockchain and the cryptos based on it, and the likely future of this monetary innovation.This episode is supported by Wigmore Associates, who provide portfolio management services on both a discretionary and advisory basis, together with pension, tax planning and inheritance tax advice to Individuals, Trusts, Pension Schemes, Family Offices, and Charities.

How should Britain deal with migrants crossing the Channel in small boats? The government’s ideas include expulsion to Rwanda, and housing asylum seekers in barges moored off the Dorset coast. They have been accused both of failing to live up to promises to cut the numbers arriving on our shores, and also being cruel and vindictive towards those who are seeking safety or a better life. So is there a policy that is humane, effective, practicable and, at the same time, legal? Phil and Roger ask Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University.This episode is supported by Wigmore Associates, who provide portfolio management services on both a discretionary and advisory basis, together with pension, tax planning and inheritance tax advice to Individuals, Trusts, Pension Schemes, Family Offices, and Charities.