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PODCAST

Political Currency

Ed Balls and George Osborne take us behind closed doors into the rooms where decisions are made. Having battled it out across the despatch box, the former Chancellor and shadow chancellor now meet in the studio to discuss the decisions that affect the nation’s pockets. Our frenemies have the knowledge and experience to explain how good politics follows the economics - and expose how the powerful become powerless when faced with market forces and political currents they can’t control. Join us every

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All Episodes

36:16

EMQs: A Brit for Governor of California?

Political Currency ·

2025/05/05

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

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1:05:00

Trump’s tumultuous first 100 days, UK local elections...

Political Currency ·

2025/05/01

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

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51:44

Inside The Room: The Election That Never Was (Part 3)

Political Currency ·

2025/04/28

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…

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44:23

Inside The Room: The Election That Never Was (Part 2)

Political Currency ·

2025/04/24

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

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48:31

Inside The Room: The Election That Never Was (Part 1)

Political Currency ·

2025/04/21

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

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37:18

EMQs Easter special: Does anyone want to pay more taxes?

Political Currency ·

2025/04/17

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

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34:13

EMQs: How should PMs behave after they leave No 10?

Political Currency ·

2025/04/14

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

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57:32

Trump Vs the Bond Market: Inside the President’s...

Political Currency ·

2025/04/10

It’s been a rollercoaster few days for the world economy thanks to Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs announcement - and his dramatic U-turn a scant week later. With a 90-day pause for every country hit - aside from China - Ed Balls and George Osborne consider the significance of a hugely disappointing auction of US treasuries, and how it led to Trump’s Treasury Secretary warning him of a looming economic crisis.They ask: are we watching in real time the US tearing at the foundations of the

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37:18

EMQs: Is toxic masculinity a government problem?

Political Currency ·

2025/04/07

This week, Ed Balls and George Osborne mull museums and memes via bank holidays and pennies. With listeners telling us their locations of choice, funeral director Ross ranks highly with his admission that Ed and George are sometimes listened to in a hearse on the drive home. The pair consider: what are the merits of regulating the funeral industry?Should our cultural institutions be charging more for access?George calls upon his expertise as Chair of the British Museum to weigh it up. Meanwhile, Ed

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1:02:53

Trump’s tariffs: Is Starmer right to ‘keep calm and...

Political Currency ·

2025/04/03

In the wake of Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’, Ed Balls and George Osborne break down the economic thinking – or lack thereof –behind President’s tariffs. Rather than the numbers emerging from complicated analysis, Ed explains how they are merely reached through a simple formula. Will the Federal Reserve be able to cut interest rates as quickly as Trump would like in the wake of his tariffs?Back home, Keir Starmer is calling for calm and resisting a push to reciprocate, as he seeks to strike an

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37:26

EMQs: Who’s to blame for the state of the economy?

Political Currency ·

2025/03/31

A whole host of Treasury buffs have sent in their questions this week in wake of the Spring Statement, for Ed Balls and George Osborne to answer. Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt asks whether in the light of Labour’s announcing civil service reductions and welfare reform, the government is “stealing our clothes”?Lord Macpherson, Permanent Secretary to no less than three Chancellors, praises Rachel Reeves’ “courageous” claim of non-negotiability on her fiscal rules (which George translates as a

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1:05:08

Could Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ gamble pay off?

Political Currency ·

2025/03/27

Has Chancellor Rachel Reeves got it right? Ed Balls and George Osborne provide their immediate reaction to her Spring Statement, questioning whether she’s missed her big opportunity for a relaunch. George likens her approach to ‘staying at the Roulette table’, having failed to land on black the first time around…He also compares her inflexibility to fiscal rules to his own approach while Chancellor, before the pair turn their attention to the government’s own impact assessment on welfare reform. Ed

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34:55

EMQs: Should frozen Russian assets fund Ukraine?

Political Currency ·

2025/03/24

With talk of raiding pensions, George Osborne and Ed Balls consider how to increase the incentives for working people to save. As former Treasury insiders, the pair reflect on specific parts of their own previous pension reforms and ask: what approaches would they take if they were still setting policy today?They’re also pressed on recent arguments made by Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak that Russian assets held in European banks should be directly channelled towards the Ukrainian war effort. Is this

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57:05

Is Rachel Reeves risking her reset moment?

Political Currency ·

2025/03/20

They may have both been leading Brexiteers but Dominic Cummings and Nigel Farage were once fierce rivals, vying to be the top campaign of the referendum. As recently as last year Cummings accused Farage of ‘surrounding himself with useless characters’ –so why are we now hearing of a secret meeting between the two before Christmas? Ed Balls and George Osborne pick apart the significance of this rendezvous at a time when Reform are contending with a senior bust up, as well as an imminent by-election

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39:30

EMQs: Political Golf Buddies

Political Currency ·

2025/03/17

This week, Ed Balls and George Osborne complete the chancellor triptych with current shadow Chancellor Mel Stride ringing in to ask: how much space should a treasurer leave themselves against their fiscal target? And pressingly, does Rachel Reeves pass their test?They also consider if Nigel Farage will come to regret his close alignment with Donald Trump. Could the electorate turn against him if Trump continues on his rampage of tariffs and military aid halts against Ukraine? Speaking of, why has it

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1:02:39

Will welfare cuts be Labour’s undoing?

Political Currency ·

2025/03/13

A ceasefire in the Russian-Ukraine war is now on the table, with US and Ukrainian officials reaching a deal to stop the fighting. With US military aid to Ukraine and intelligence sharing now reinstated, the world is now turning to Putin’s next move. Will the Russian president agree to peace? George Osborne and Ed Balls consider the monumental shifts in the way the years-long conflict is now being viewed. And at what price?Meanwhile on both sides of the Atlantic, leaders are getting to grips with the

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47:50

EMQs: A post politics survival guide

Political Currency ·

2025/03/10

This week George Osborne and Ed Balls are taking questions in person, with a select few Kitchen Cabinet members joining the first ever live audience recording of the show.Is Fredreich Merz right to worry that the European Union will face a financial crisis thanks to government debt? Is AI data management the way forward for driving significant savings in both welfare and healthcare? And is Trumpian rhetoric having an adverse effect on centre-right campaigning?Plus, they turn their minds to an area

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58:00

Will Rachel Reeves be forced into an emergency budget?

Political Currency ·

2025/03/06

It’s been a week of political whiplash, including that infamous explosive meeting in the Oval office and renewed commitment from European leaders to back Ukraine. George Osborne and Ed Balls consider who - if anyone - has fared well in this wild week. Is Trump himself as the deft negotiator he claims to be?And with a rush to bolster arms on this side of the Atlantic, what is the fallout for Rachel Reeves? As the Spring Statement approaches, what choices does she have to limit the damage that may or

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47:28

EMQs: The art of parliamentary heckling

Political Currency ·

2025/03/03

This week, Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin asks for advice on how to keep a government report from sinking without a trace. Her review - released on Thursday - calls for a ban on degrading and misogynistic pornography. George Osborne and Ed Balls provide their views on how to make sure the findings reach the right people and make an impact.Speaking of influence and power, host of Politico’s Westminster Insider podcast Sascha O’Sullivan has a question regarding the relationship between the

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1:01:32

Europe’s security wake-up call

Political Currency ·

2025/02/27

As Keir Starmer meets with Donald Trump for the first time since the latter’s re-election, international order appears to be fragmenting around us. George Osborne and Ed Balls ask, are European leaders having to face up to a painful truth that their security is now at the whim of Trump’s? Could other countries even come close to providing the kinds of military forcepower the Americans can provide?All the same, Starmer made a big splash this week ahead of his momentous trip to the White House by

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