311. Why is the US debt crisis a big problem for Burnham?

More from The Rest Is Money

1. 

   16 Sep 2026 · 39 min

   314. Why do the tech bros really want more regulation?

   Why has the Al growth-at-all costs plan hit a credibility wall? Is this really about safety? Or are Al bosses trying to keep out more competition? Is pacing realistically enforceable across borders? And could this make tech companies like anti-competitive banks? Plus, where does all this leave presidents Trump versus Xi? After a dramatic week in the world of Al with apocalyptic warnings and stock market falls, Steph and Robert analyse Dario Amodei's essay on 'why we must pace the frontier' and look at what his proposals would mean for the future of Al. Plus they try to suss out whether the…

2. 

   E313 · 13 Sep 2026 · 35 min

   313. Ruth Curtice: middle earners need to be taxed more

   How much of a buffer does the chancellor have now? What taxes might we need to put up? How does the tax burden on UK workers compare to other countries? Why might middle earners need to pay more? Ruth Curtice from the Resolution Foundation is back to tell us about what the Rachel Reeves tax rises did to the UK tax wedge and where this leaves John Healey now. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain’s smart energy pioneer. Email:…

3. 

   E312 · 9 Sep 2026 · 42 min

   312. What's missing from Healey's growth plan?

   The chancellor says we're turning a corner, but into what? He wants ministers to take more risks, so what does that mean? Why was their nothing that directly addresses the UK’s vulnerability to a debt crisis? The North is getting a new fund for businesses to scale up - will it make a difference? And what can we learn from microchipping cats? Robert and Steph dissect the Chancellor's first big speech announcing plans to remove barriers for investment, cutting red tape, tackling risk aversion and getting PuFins to invest more in the private sector. The Rest is Money is brought to you by…

4. 

   2 Sep 2026 · 46 min

   310. Gordon Brown: ‘I’d tell Trump he’s unpopular’

   Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown says fixing broken communities is an economic emergency, but how do we do it? Burnham’s fiscal devolution? Could social impact bonds work? How do we extract more tax from the super wealthy? What about the shattered world order—can that be mended? What would he say to Trump now if he were PM? And as the man who gave independence to the Bank of England, does he think it’s still fit for purpose? Gordon Brown talks to Steph and Robert about his new book, The Future Starts With Us, looking at what needs to happen to rebuild our broken communities and fractured…

5. 

   30 Aug 2026 · 46 min

   309. Why we’re wasting our time predicting the future of AI

   Is it possible for us to shape how AI is used rather than have tech firms decide for us? Should the UK government be looking to create our own ChatGPT? Or would open source AI be better for public services? How do we make sure we don’t hand over all our valuable NHS data to a US tech firm? Dr Laura Gilbert CBE – senior director of AI at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change talks to Steph about why we should stop asking experts to predict the future of AI because they’re rubbish at it. She also argues for a National Open Source AI Lab. Plus, how she saved the government £40 million…

6. 

   26 Aug 2026 · 47 min

   308. The 4 challenges (and the biggest opportunity) facing the new PM

   Does Burnham’s government have a credible growth plan? Are the fiscal rules still fit for purpose? How can Whitehall be reformed for the AI age - and who will pay tax if AI leads to widespread job losses? Robert discusses the major challenges facing Burnham and Healey with Lord O’Donnell, former Cabinet Secretary under three British prime ministers. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain’s smart energy pioneer. This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify-UK Email:…

7. 

   E320 · 7 Oct 2026 · 57 min

   320. Can Britain lead the world in driverless cars?

   Is Wayve the start-up that could at last be a British global AI giant? Why does its boss Alex Kendall think the UK is the best place to grow a tech business? How soon will most of us be riding in driverless taxis and cars? Robert talks to the founder and chief executive of Wayve, the driverless car developer, about why most of the company’s finance comes from abroad, whether government understands business risk, and why his kind of “world” AI model poses less risks to us than Anthropic’s large language models. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain’s smart energy…

8. 

   E319 · 4 Oct 2026 · 37 min

   319. How to fill the Chancellor’s hole, with Dan Neidle

   Is a Smorgasbord of tax rises the best way to raise money? Should the capital gains tax rate be aligned with income tax? What about increased taxes on banks? Dan Neidle is back to tell Robert and Steph what he’d do in the upcoming Budget. Plus, how Reeves was punished by the ONS’s crazy estimates of how much holiday we take The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain’s smart energy pioneer. Email:…

9. 

   1 Oct 2026 · 35 min

   318. What’s the cost of Andy Burnham's big plans?

   Why was Burnham’s speech such an important economic and political reset? Is his promise of an NHS model for social care all it seems? Burnham has raised the possibility of rejoining the EU, but would European leaders welcome us back? Robert has been in Liverpool at Labour Conference. He and Steph break down the big moments from Andy Burnham's speech, and ask whether, behind the bold ambitions, the PM has a credible growth plan. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain’s smart energy pioneer. Email:…

10. 

    27 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

    317. Why the UK must not drop climate leadership

    How to win the net-zero argument with voters again? Why the transition will make us richer? Are the Paris warming targets irredeemably lost? How has China led the way?Robert discusses with world-leading climate economist Lord [Nicholas] Stern why so many voters have downgraded climate concerns, and what can be done about it. Nick's book is published by Open Access and is free to read and download from the LSE Press website in a variety of accessible formats, including from third parties including JSTOR, Project MUSE, and in physical format from bookshop retailers. The Rest is Money is…

Every episode of The Rest Is Money →