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PODCAST

The Expert Factor

The EXPERT FACTOR is the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts. Each week the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, debate and explain the big questions and themes that will shape the upcoming General Election, and the political landscape for years to come.

government

All Episodes

31:17

What will be in Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget?

The Expert Factor ·

2024/03/01

Jeremy Hunt will reveal his 2024 Spring Budget on Wednesday March 6th. So what can we expect from the chancellor? Has the fiscal situation improved – or worsened – over the last few months? Are tax cuts really plausible given the state of public service performance? How will Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves respond? Will this be the last budget before the general election? And could this be the moment that Rishi Sunak turns around his government’s fortunes? On this week’s Expert Factor

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32:34

What does an era of global instability mean for the UK?

The Expert Factor ·

2024/02/23

On the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Expert Factor team assemble to examine what an era of global instability means for the UK, for our government and for British politics. What would the return of Donald Trump to the White House mean for whoever wins the general election? How is the conflict in the Middle East impacting British politics – and the decisions that British politicians need to take? Does the UK have the resources to meet its foreign policy aims and defence

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35:11

What does the power-sharing deal really mean for...

The Expert Factor ·

2024/02/16

With Paul Johnson away on holiday, Hannah and Anand are joined by Katy Hayward, professor of political sociology at Queen's University Belfast, for a deep dive into recent dramatic political developments in Northern Ireland.A deal has finally been struck and power-sharing has been restored in Northern Ireland. So how will it work? What has been the human cost of an absence of government at Stormont? How will this impact Northern Ireland's relationship with the EU? And what could the deal mean for

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31:01

Is there any hope for the UK’s economy?

The Expert Factor ·

2024/02/09

Guess what issue tops the charts of voter concerns? It’s the economy, stupid. Interest rates have soared. We've had high inflation. Mortgage rates have hit eye watering levels. And tax rates are at record highs. So just how unhealthy is the UK's economy? How might things change in the run up to the next election – and will Rishi Sunak’s pledges work out? Will whoever forms the next government be in for a nightmarish fiscal inheritance – and what does this mean for public services? And what, or who,

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36:43

What is the state of Brexit?

The Expert Factor ·

2024/02/02

It is four years since the UK left the EU – and nearly eight years since that referendum. So what have we learnt? How has Brexit worked out – and what changes could yet be introduced? What is the current state of UK/EU relations? How might they develop in the future? And could a future government try and renegotiate the UK’s deal with the EU? This episode of The Expert Factor is a deep dive into how Brexit is working out – and how it might develop in the months and years ahead. -------- THE EXPERT

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39:41

The Expert Factor Live!

The Expert Factor ·

2024/01/26

Adam Fleming, presenter of the BBC’s daily Newscast on BBC Sounds and Antisocial on Radio 4 joins us for this special live recording of The Expert Factor! What is the best way to hold politicians to account? Does it matter if a minister is given an official warning for making inaccurate claims? Who reads manifestos and do manifesto pledges actually matter? How can we find out what voters are really worried about? And what is the best way to be an expert in a general election year? This episode of

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27:58

How do opposition parties prepare for power?

The Expert Factor ·

2024/01/19

Power changes hands overnight following a general election. Shadow ministers go from running small offices to being in charge of thousands of civil servants. Their advisers become all-powerful special advisers operating at the heart of government. And the leader of the opposition moves from an office in Parliament to 10 Downing Street, instantly handed the levers of power and a Rolodex of the world’s most important people. So how can oppositions prepare for such a massive change? What goes wrong if

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42:27

Your expert guide to UK politics in 2024

The Expert Factor ·

2024/01/12

This could be a pivotal year for British politics. A general election is set to take place in 2024. Rishi Sunak is urging voters to stick with the plan. Keir Starmer is pitching this as a year of change. So when might the general election be held? What is the most likely outcome? How will the economic outlook shape the next government’s options? Will the March Budget shift the dial? What are the big moments to look out for in Parliament before polling day? What could we learn from local and mayoral

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42:16

The Expert Factor: 2023 Year in Review

The Expert Factor ·

2023/12/21

Spectacular by-elections. The Covid Inquiry. The privileges committee report into Boris Johnson.. War in the Middle East. An outbreak of civil war in the Conservative party. It has been quite some year. So how did Rishi Sunak's pledges work out? Has Keir Starmer done enough to convince the electorate? Is the economy on the mend? Are public services on the decline? Is Brexit still getting done? And how will global affairs impact on British politics? For this final episode of the year, the Expert

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31:08

What have we learned from the Covid Inquiry?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/12/16

Matt Hancock, Dominic Cummings, Rishi Sunak, Patrick Vallance, Chris Whitty and, of course, Boris Johnson have all relived – and tried to justify – the decisions taken by government during the pandemic. So as the year draws to a close, The Expert Factor takes stock of progress in the Covid Inquiry and whether the questions being asked – and the answers being given – are helping to explain how Johnson’s No10 functioned during this crisis. What have we learned so far? Who has given a good account of

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33:51

What can be done to fix the NHS?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/12/09

Satisfaction with the healthcare system is at its lowest level since 1997 – but the issue has been consistently rising as a priority for voters over the past two years. Waiting lists are at record levels. The damage caused by the Covid pandemic continues to be felt across the NHS. More money has been thrown at staffing, but productivity continues to lag. So what is the answer to the NHS’s problems? How do you pay for a bigger workforce – and how can it be done while simultaneously reducing

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43:49

What do the public really think about British politics?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/12/01

This month marks four years since the 2019 general election, when Boris Johnson bulldozed his way to a Conservative majority with his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ – and Labour sank to its worst election result since 1935. But so much has changed since then. We’ve had a global pandemic. The partygate scandal. Two changes of prime minister. A huge economic downturn. War has returned to Europe. And for the last two years, Labour has held a poll lead over the Conservatives of around 20 points. So what

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32:07

Is our education system getting good results?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/11/24

Education. Education. Education. General election slogans often zero in on education, and now Rishi Sunak has made building a “world class education system” as one of his top priorities. But just how well are English schools performing? Has enough to been done to make up for learning lost during the pandemic? Do Labour and the Conservatives disagree on education policy? And what can be done to fix our crumbling schools and recruit more teachers? In this episode, the Expert Factor take a deep dive

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34:09

What can we expect from the Autumn Statement?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/11/17

Rishi Sunak and his chancellor Jeremy Hunt have spent weeks poring over the books, squinting at the balance sheets, and crunching the numbers in the hope of sharing good economic news with the country – and setting out some policies – which excite Conservative MPs and entice the electorate. Yes, the wait for the Autumn Statement is nearly over. So what might the numbers reveal? How much room for manoeuvre do Sunak and Hunt have? Are tax cuts likely – and should they be? And how much do these fiscal

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33:38

What is the truth about immigration?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/11/10

For decades governments have grappled with immigration – arguably it was one of the key reasons for the 2016 Brexit vote. But what has “taking back control” meant for the UK’s immigration statistics? How might numbers change in the years ahead? To what extent does the UK need immigration to bolster its labour market? Where does the row over small boats fit in? And where are we in terms of voter attitudes? In this episode, the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into one of the most controversial

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33:33

What next for Net Zero?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/11/02

Climate change used to be that rarest of things in British politics – an issue over which there was broad interparty consensus. That consensus saw Ed Miliband oversee the passing of the Climate Change Act in 2008, committing the UK to an 80 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; Theresa May enshrining of the target of net zero in law; and Boris Johnson going further still, increasing the target for 2030 reductions to 68%. But recently we have seen a divergence from this consensus, with

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41:39

What can be done to fix standards in public life?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/10/27

Do you remember when politics was the domain of good chaps and a time when politicians could be trusted to stick to the rules? Ok, so maybe there was never quite such a rose-tinted age – but from lobbying scandals to accusations of minsters bullying their staff, standards in politics seem to have been slipping in recent years. So this week the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into standards and ethics in public life – and how they are meant to be uphold. Why have standards been on the slide

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31:57

Why is the UK so bad at infrastructure?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/10/20

From HS2 cancellations to Heathrow’s still unbuilt third runway, the over-budget Elizabeth Line to the repeated delays to the Hinkley C nuclear reactor, why is the UK so bad at infrastructure projects? This week, the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into what goes wrong when the UK wants to build big things. How did the costs for HS2 get so high? Is there the right level of government expertise to see through big infrastructure projects? Does the UK have a bigger NIMBY problem than other

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41:06

Is there any money left?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/10/13

Rising inflation, a cost-of-living crisis, striking public sector workers, the NHS facing another winter crisis….costs on the public purse are spiralling and government borrowing is being pushed still higher. So is it true to say there is no more money left? This week the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into the state of Britain’s public finances. What would it mean if we stick to current tax and spend policies? What choices are facing this country’s politicians and its public services? What

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34:20

What is Britain’s place in the world?

The Expert Factor ·

2023/10/06

Some politicians are keen to talk up global Britain. Others boast that the UK is world leader in, well, just about everything. But some say this is a country in non-stop decline. So what’s the true story? This week the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into Britain’s place in the world. How do other countries view the UK after a tumultuous time in Westminster? What is the state of the UK’s post-pandemic economy compared to other countries? Just how special is the ‘special’ relationship with the

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