Episode · The Rest Is Money
303. Why making schools truly comprehensive is vital for our economy
9 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Episode · The Rest Is Money
9 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Why do secondary schools fail so many young people? Whose fault is it? What does good vocational education look like? He says the hard hat is just as important as the graduation cap, but does Andy Burnham really get it? With A-Level and GCSE results due out, Steph’s launched a day to celebrate the millions of people getting vocational qualifications. To mark this we take the show to a thriving business in Cornwall to look at how they’re solving their skills problem. Also, Robert and Steph unpick the crisis in British education and come up with bold solutions. The Rest is Money is brought to…
by Goalhanger · English · News
Robert Peston and Steph McGovern bring you insightful business and finance stories. Join Robert Peston and Steph McGovern as they delve into the key challenges and opportunities facing today’s business world.
19 Aug 2026 · 32 min
How do we revive living standards and restore confidence in liberal democracy? Is the link between productivity and wages permanently broken? What is working-class liberalism? Why should Andy Burnham’s first budget raise taxes on capital while cutting taxes on employment? And why are tech giants like Google and Amazon twice as wealthy as the British Empire at its peak? Robert investigates how to safeguard our way of life with Nobel Prize–winning economist Daron Acemoglu. Together, they discuss whether the prescriptions in Acemoglu's influential new book are practical enough to prevent…
16 Aug 2026 · 45 min
Why is it taking so long to get people trained in AI? Should we be devolving education powers to employers instead of Mayors? Is the replacement for the Apprenticeship levy any good? Why is it so hard for companies here to raise money from British investors? Steph talks to Euan Blair, CEO of Multiverse - the UK’s first British EdTech business valued at over a billion - about the future of work. Plus some spicy chat on Multiverse’s Ofsted rating and why Euan’s dad was wrong to push for 50% of young people into university when he was PM. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy,…
12 Aug 2026 · 50 min
How can the government persuade UK companies and households to invest and spend their record cash holdings? Why is Donald Trump’s unpredictability failing to destroy economic growth? Why is it so difficult to assess whether a lethal AI bubble currently exists? Robert discusses the risks and opportunities in today’s world of extreme financial, technological and political risks with Karen Ward, chief market strategist for JP Morgan in EMEA. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain’s smart energy pioneer. This episode is brought to you by Accenture.…
5 Aug 2026 · 38 min
How fixable is the schism between the rich developed countries, led by the US, and the faster-growing BRICS+ group, led by China, Russia, and India? Can these emerging powerhouses truly detach themselves from the dollar-dominated financial system? And on which critical issues must we work collaboratively with them to avoid global disaster? Robert and Steph chat with Lord Jim O’Neill, the former Goldman Sachs chief economist who coined the influential BRIC concept 25 years ago. He has recently launched a new strategy platform and think tank, BRICS+ Thinking, designed to encourage pragmatic…
2 Aug 2026 · 52 min
Are we in an AI bubble? Does it matter that Chinese AI firms are banned from using American chips? How big is the chance of an AI crash? Can an AI business survive without energy generation capabilities? Azeem Azhar – the founder of the leading research platform Exponential View – joins us to tell us about his report on the state of the AI economy. Plus, Robert and Steph find out what Azeem learnt about AI from a visit to a Chinese night club with the Moonshot gang. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain’s smart energy pioneer. This episode is brought to you by…
29 Jul 2026 · 43 min
What parts of AI does the UK have to control to secure ourselves against enemies? Does Burnham understand how important AI is for growth and security? Are entrepreneurs less welcome in the UK now? Why should the government support a ‘freedom to fail’ funding and business culture? Matt Clifford wrote Starmer’s AI action plan. He is a tech investor and co-founder of the billion dollar business Entrepreneurs First. He talks to Robert and Steph about UK AI policy and chairing the organisation ARIA that hands out government funding for fundamental tech research. Plus find out what re-freezing the…
E321 · 11 Oct 2026 · 45 minNew
After Burnham said one option for the UK is to rejoin the EU, would this be best for Britain? How do the alternatives to full membership measure up? And how does the emotional immigration debate fit into the evaluation? With France in a fiscal mess and the threat from Putin intensifying, Robert and Steph debate whether the UK is or should be on a path to become an EU member again with Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College London. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain’s smart energy pioneer. Email:…
E320 · 7 Oct 2026 · 57 min
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…
E319 · 4 Oct 2026 · 37 min
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:…
1 Oct 2026 · 35 min
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:…