The best economics podcasts to listen to ahead of the budget
With Rachel Reeves looking to find £40bn in her first budget, we’ll be all ears come 30 October. In the meantime, find out what’s likely coming our way, with our pick of the top economics podcasts.
Conversations with Tyler
American economist Tyler Cowan veers towards what he calls ‘the most underrated thinkers’ in today’s world to explore their worldview. But by no means does that mean you’ve never heard of them: huge names across industries feature on Conversations with Tyler, such as Margaret Atwood and Malcolm Gladwell, as well as leaders in the business and economist worlds, such as Kyla Scanlon and Sam Altman. All of whom are subject to Tyler’s explorative interview style that get to the heart of the most pressing issues today.
More or Less
In this BBC podcast, Tim Harford - the journalist behind the FT column, The Undercover Economist - investigates the truth behind the statistics we hear in everyday life. Will the pension credit / winter fuel payments actually cost the exchequer more than it saves for instance, and are companies really marking-up their products by 59%? By really delving into the numbers that make up impactful headlines, More or Less offers a more detailed, nuanced look at what’s really going on.
New Economics
The goal of the New Economics Foundation is to transform the economy so it works for the people and the planet, with a particular focus on helping those at the lowest rung of the ladder fighting for change. As such, the New Economics podcast delves into the overlap between economics and social justice, looking at issues such as whether we really should be continually striving for ‘economic growth’; fixing the housing crisis with social homes and whether we need to fight for the right to protest.
The IMF podcasts
It will come as little surprise that the International Monetary Fund’s podcasts really get into the nitty gritty of todays’ economics debates, from ‘The case for a global corporate minimum tax,’ to ‘When sovereign debt breaks its promise.’ With each IMF podcast episode sitting at around just 20-25 minutes though, you can listen to leading economist minds hashing out the most complex of issues during even the shortest commutes.
The Economics Show with Soumaya Keynes
This is fairly new podcast-on-the-block involves FT economics columnist talking to policymakers, professors and her journalist colleagues to break down complex economics problems into an engaging, digestible listen before discussing the most sensible solutions to solving them. Topics on The Economics Show with Soumaya Keynes really go across the spectrum, from the economics of parenting; whether pay transparency really works; and how - even with a PhD to your name - your social class can hold you back.