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The Rest Is Money

The Rest Is Money

Goalhanger 286 episodes Latest May 31, 2026

Robert Peston and Steph McGovern bring you insightful business and finance stories. They delve into key challenges and opportunities facing today's business world, from tech investments to political decisions affecting global markets. Each episode offers expert analysis on market regulations, economic recovery, and the future of work, featuring insights from influential leaders and entrepreneurs.

Episodes

286. Dan Neidle: Pubs don’t deserve a VAT cut Jun 10, 2026 1963 Why is cutting VAT for specific sectors a bad idea? Should there be a flat rate on everything, including the things currently exempt? Why does cutting business rates only benefit landlords? Are we keeping too many inefficient businesses going? Dan Neidle from Tax Policy Associates is back to explain why he thinks no one deserves special treatment when it comes to VAT and business rates. Plus why
285. Can Europe escape American tech dependency? Jun 7, 2026 2532 Why did Nick Clegg quit Meta, and what does he really think about Silicon Valley? Why are tech bosses so greedy? And how can Europe catch up in the AI race? Robert sits down with Nick Clegg (former UK Deputy Prime Minister and Meta's ex-President of Global Affairs) to discuss how the UK can once again become a tech and economic powerhouse. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy,
284. Is it time to smash the economic consensus? Jun 3, 2026 2866 Should it be about the pre-distribution, rather than re-distribution, of wealth? Will that create an economy with fewer billionaires? How would it work in practice? Is it even possible given the balance of power lies with the rich? Leading economist Professor Mariana Mazzucato is back to tell us why her theory on ‘The Common Good’ is a game changer for Western economies. Plus does she think Gab
283. Does the UK need to be rich? May 31, 2026 3414 Is the UK stuck in a debt and tax doom loop, and how do we get out? How do we cut welfare spending? How important is it to give regional mayors more agency over tax and spending? And what can we learn from Mississippi? Robert and Steph talk to former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt about his take on the economy now he's not running the Treasury, as detailed in his new book 'Can we be rich again?'. Plus
282. Are politicians living in a tax-and-spend dream world? May 27, 2026 2821 Are the government plans to help low income households hitting the right spot? Is there too much focus on symptoms and not causes? Could fiscal devolution happen too quickly? Why does the IMF often give the UK a rough ride on forecasts? Paul Johnson - former director of the IFS - is back to give us his take on the economic reforms being discussed across the political sphere. Plus Robert puts hi
281. How to tax billionaires May 24, 2026 2632 How many billionaires are there in the world? How much has their wealth grown by? Why do lots of billionaires pay almost no income tax? How much of a problem are tax havens? Would a 2% global wealth tax (on people with over $100million) work in practice? Robert and Steph talk to prominent economist Gabriel Zucman about his decades long research on wealth inequality and discuss the pros and cons
280. Should the government set food prices? May 20, 2026 2193 Would a voluntary agreement between supermarket bosses and the Chancellor to cap the prices of food basics help those struggling on low incomes? Is the biggest threat to the UK now higher inflation or higher unemployment? And could Andy Burnham, as Prime Minister, take control of water and energy without destroying the public finances? Steph and Robert discuss Rachel Reeves’ plans to protect livi
279. Why SMEs want more than verbal enthusiasm from politicians May 17, 2026 3092 Is the government doing enough to prioritise British SMEs in its defence spending plans? Should price always come first or should more expensive British made goods be the priority? Or are we in danger of propping up zombie business? And with rising energy and employment costs, how hard is it to be a UK manufacturer now? With the government aiming to increase UK SME defence spending by fifty pe
278. Can any Starmer rival rescue the economy? May 12, 2026 2685 Has Labour got what it takes to deliver growth? Is a change in leadership going to help? How might Rayner, Burnham or Streeting fair against the bond markets? Could a plan to shift the tax burden away from working people and on to assets be the answer? As the chaos in Westminster continues, and government borrowing costs reach a 28 year high, Robert and Steph discuss what it will take to get th
277. How to make green energy a vote winner May 10, 2026 2988 Why is the UK’s energy pricing system so broken? Why must the transition to green energy be accelerated? And how can we make clean, renewable power the most affordable option for those on low incomes? Robert joins Emma Pinchbeck, CEO of the Climate Change Committee, to discuss the misunderstood parts of our energy system and what the UK’s shift to renewables actually looks like. The Rest is
276. Will bond market vigilantes see off Starmer’s rivals? May 6, 2026 3204 Could the government’s creditors protect Starmer and Reeves, even if Labour is humiliated in the elections? How high are UK interest rates going to rise because of Trump’s Iran war? Has monetary policy stopped working? Could AI actually lead to the creation of millions of new jobs? And is coal consumption in the 19th Century a good way to predict this? Steph and Robert dissect the Bank of Engl
275. The Debt Paradox: Britain’s Hidden Credit Crisis May 3, 2026 2568 If household debt as a percentage of GDP is at its lowest since 2002, why are debt charities seeing record levels of demand? Is this a temporary problem because of the cost of living crisis or about much bigger structural problems in the UK economy? Plus, what is ‘co-erced debt’ and why is it a growing problem? Steph talks to Vikki Brownridge the CEO of the debt advisory charity StepChange abo

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