Shows / The Capitalist
The Capitalist
The Capitalist: where economics meets politics. New episodes every Wednesday.
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Episodes
The CapitalistDespatch: Economic nationalism is a myth
A Labour backbencher posts a forty-second video blaming Thatcher for Britain's economic woes — and the internet applauds. It's a familiar routine. But what if…
The CapitalistTim Leunig: Let's tap the North Sea for energy
When war in Iran doubled gas prices overnight, Britain's energy vulnerabilities were suddenly impossible to ignore. But what's the real fix — and who's…
The CapitalistDespatch: How to beat Zack Polanski
Under Zack Polanski, the Greens have quietly abandoned environmentalism in favour of something far more combustible: a coalition of economic grievance…
The CapitalistPierre Poilievre: Why free markets work
Why does it feel harder than ever for young people to buy a home? According to Pierre Poilievre, the answer lies not just in planning laws or slow construction…
The CapitalistDespatch: Farage v. Polanski?
A Green by-election victory in Greater Manchester may once have seemed unthinkable. Now it looks like a warning shot. In this essay, William Atkinson…
The CapitalistBuild, baby, build
Britain is in the grip of a housing crisis. And despite the promises of successive governments, we just can’t seem to build enough new homes. But this isn’t a…
The CapitalistDespatch: Generation Unemployed
As unemployment climbs and youth joblessness surges past 16%, ministers insist the labour market is merely adjusting. But in this essay, Andrew Griffith…
The CapitalistIf we don't own AI's future, China will
America has long liked to see itself as the world’s dream factory – from the birth of Hollywood to the moon landings, a belief in thinking bigger has been…
The CapitalistDespatch: Thatcher's ownership revolution isn't over
As younger voters grow disillusioned with a housing system that denies them real control over their homes, the battle over leasehold has become a test of…
The CapitalistIs small-state conservatism ready for a comeback?
When the Conservative Party last entered government, in coalition with the Liberal Democrats, the UK was still finding its feet after the global financial…
The CapitalistCould Keir Starmer be replaced?
Can a Prime Minister really be on borrowed time less than two years after a landslide election victory? Benjamin Wilson speaks to ConservativeHome's Henry Hill…
The CapitalistDespatch: Build up, not out
After decades of chronic undersupply, even modest housing reforms can feel like cause for celebration. But in this essay, John Penrose, Chair of the…
The CapitalistSpecial: Lessons from the Lawson boom
In this special live discussion, Mervyn King, Lord King of Lothbury, and Terry Burns, Lord Burns, reflect on the economics and politics of the Lawson boom…
The CapitalistDespatch: Should we ban rich people?
As calls grow louder to cap personal fortunes, a new philosophy – “limitarianism” – argues that no one should be allowed to be rich beyond a fixed limit. In…
The CapitalistSir Jacob Rees-Mogg: It's time for a Tory-Reform pact
As Robert Jenrick defects to Reform UK, pressure is mounting on the Conservative Party to chart a new course. In this episode of The Capitalist, Sir Jacob…
The CapitalistDespatch: More Tory turmoil?
Robert Jenrick’s dramatic defection to Reform UK has blown open long-simmering tensions on the British Right — and handed Kemi Badenoch a serious test as…
The CapitalistWill Trump strike Iran?
What happens when a regime shuts off the internet — and then turns its guns on its own people? For the IEA's Mani Basharzad, the question is deeply personal…
The CapitalistDespatch: Is Britain sacrificing a generation to unemployment?
As ministers insist the labour market is merely “normalising”, the numbers tell a more troubling story — especially for the young. In this essay, Damian…
The CapitalistThe Rage of Party with George Owers
Are today’s culture wars, party fractures and populist backlashes really something new — or are we simply reliving an old British story? In this episode of The…
The CapitalistSpecial: Sir Malcolm Rifkind on Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher remains one of the most consequential leaders in modern British history. Rising to power after the "Winter of Discontent," she steered the…
The CapitalistForecast 2026: Has Nigel Farage peaked?
With local elections looming in May, Labour collapsing in the polls, and Westminster rumbling with leadership intrigue, Marc Sidwell asks whether Sir Keir…
The CapitalistIs the political centre breaking?
Is Britain entering an age of permanent political fragmentation? As Labour falters despite its landslide victory, Reform UK surges, the Greens flirt with…
The CapitalistDespatch: Education needs more scrutiny
With nearly a million under-24s out of work, education or training, good intentions are no longer enough. In this essay, John Penrose, Chair of the…
The CapitalistIs the Online Safety Act doomed?
What happens when foreign governments try to police American speech? For years, UK and EU regulators have slapped massive fines on U.S. tech firms — but…
The CapitalistDespatch: All parties should be subjected to the OBR
What if every political party had to face real economic scrutiny? As Britain’s political landscape fragments and fiscal debate grows ever more chaotic, Joseph…
The CapitalistSir Malcolm Rifkind on the future of the Conservatives
Can Britain’s oldest political party reinvent itself for a new age? Former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind joins Marc Sidwell to discuss the future of…
The CapitalistDespatch: Labour need a new strategy
Faced with weak growth, mounting debt and global instability, Britain needed a bold, pro-enterprise Budget. Instead, says James Price, Senior Fellow at the…
The CapitalistBudget Day with Jeremy Hunt
Are higher taxes really inevitable — or just a political choice? Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt joins Marc Sidwell on The Capitalist to share a rare insider’s…
The CapitalistDespatch: Can Britain escape its economic doom loop?
After years of stagnation, high taxes and spiralling public spending, Britain risks locking itself into permanent decline. As Rachel Reeves prepares her second…
The CapitalistIs Britain at war with wealth?
Next week, former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will join Marc Sidwell for a special interview as Rachel Reeves delivers her much-anticipated Budget. Ahead of that…
The CapitalistDespatch: Could trillionaires actually save the world?
As Elon Musk edges toward an eye-watering new milestone, the idea of a trillionaire sparks more fear than fascination on the left. But what if extreme wealth…
The CapitalistCan the BBC survive its biggest crisis yet?
How does Britain’s most famous broadcaster recover from a crisis that’s reached the very top? In the space of a week, the BBC has lost two of its most senior…
The CapitalistDespatch: Tax treachery will cost us
Is Britain heading for another 1976 moment? With a £30 billion fiscal hole and few promises left unbroken, Rachel Reeves looks set to raise income tax — a move…
The CapitalistSpecial: Decoding the Chancellor’s pre-Budget signals
Rachel Reeves' speech on Tuesday gave every indication that tax rises are on the way — though she was careful not to name names. The challenge is clear…
The CapitalistDespatch: Why the Right should back the Oxford Cambridge Arc
Should the Right back Britain’s most ambitious science corridor? The Oxford–Cambridge Arc has long been dismissed as another government slogan in search of…
The CapitalistHow Britain could build enough homes
Labour’s New Towns Taskforce promised a bold vision for housing. But with only three modest sites selected, is this really the step-change the country needs —…
The CapitalistDespatch: Labour is scaring the wealth away
Welcome to the new Despatch — your Monday briefing for a sharper, more optimistic week. London’s super-prime property market has long been the world’s…
The CapitalistBrexit means... more taxes?
As Labour prepares its first Budget, can the party really blame Brexit for Britain’s sluggish productivity – and will voters be convinced? We also ask why…
The CapitalistDespatch: 21st century Thatcherism
Fifty years since Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party, her face, and even some of her iconic outfits, were all over this year’s party…
The CapitalistOfcom faces legal action over online safety
Can a British regulator really fine an overseas website under the banner of the Online Safety Act? In today’s edition of The Capitalist, host Marc Sidwell is…
The CapitalistSpecial: Does Britain need a chainsaw revolution?
Javier Milei’s Argentina has drawn the admiration of many British conservatives. But what would a “British Milei” really look like — and would the civil…
The CapitalistSpecial: Live at the Conservative Party Conference
“The Tory Party isn’t dead... yet.” Live from the Conservative Party Conference 2025 in Manchester, The Capitalist tests that claim with a frank post-mortem…
The CapitalistDespatch: Is Ed Miliband a threat to climate action?
Is Ed Miliband the greatest threat to climate action in Britain today? In this edition of Despatch, Sam Hall — Director of the Conservative Environment Network…
The CapitalistLabour's immigration challenge
Labour is playing a dangerous game on immigration – edging closer to Reform’s hardline rhetoric but risking alienation from their own base, while never going…
The CapitalistDespatch: Is Starmer on shaky ground?
With party conference season underway and Andy Burnham circling with a bolder agenda, former special adviser Callum Price asks the hard questions: Why is…
The CapitalistIs anyone being serious?
Nigel Farage and Sir Ed Davey may sit on opposite ends of the political spectrum, yet both share a flair for spectacle — deft at seizing headlines, even when…
The CapitalistDespatch: Steve Baker thinks a crash is coming
What if the real revolution isn’t coming from the Left — but from the forgotten champions of free markets and personal freedom? In this special edition of…
The CapitalistWho speaks for Britain’s centre-right?
Is the centre-right cracking? From Westminster defections to French fiscal chaos, this week has delivered a sharp shock to Europe’s conservative mainstream. In…
The CapitalistDespatch: Britain is becoming France
Is Britain sleepwalking into a very French crisis? In this Despatch, Joseph Dinnage argues that Westminster is starting to look uncomfortably like Paris: a…
The CapitalistSpecial: Steve Baker on Britain's Milei moment
Argentina's Javier Milei has defied critics by bringing sweeping economic reform to an economy many had written off. Former MP Steve Baker — the “hard man of…
The CapitalistDespatch: Is Angela Rayner on the ropes?
This week on Despatch, we ask whether Labour’s deputy leader is about to fall victim to her own class war. Once the scourge of Conservative ministers accused…
The CapitalistDoes migration hurt our economy?
Britain’s migration debate has reached boiling point. With migrant hotels sparking legal battles, border policies under fire, and trust in government eroding…
The CapitalistDespatch: The Online Safety Act is humiliating Britain
Britain’s new Online Safety Act was meant to protect children — but it’s becoming an international embarrassment. Not only is it pushing young people towards…
The CapitalistFix this tax mess
Britain’s tax system is overly complex and destroys our growth prospects. Should Labour follow Australia’s lead and convene a roundtable of business leaders…
The CapitalistDespatch: Just start building
Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly becoming more and more frustrated at the sluggish reality of government within the current system. Who can blame him? Government…
The CapitalistTrump, Putin and the price of peace
Donald Trump’s encounter with Vladimir Putin has raised fresh doubts over the prospects for peace in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Argentina’s dramatic economic…
The CapitalistDespatch: How Labour took your job
Labour’s economic policies are hitting Britain’s job market hard — from higher National Insurance and rising minimum wages to new employment regulations that…
The CapitalistOnline Safety Row: Wikipedia Vs. the Government
Wikipedia’s bruising encounter with the UK’s Online Safety Act has exposed why rules aimed at Big Tech are already having unintended consequences. Now, Silicon…
The CapitalistDespatch: The Conservative comeback begins
Is the Conservative comeback already underway? In this week’s Despatch, James Cowling from Next Gen Tories argues the vibe shift is real — and it’s arriving…
The CapitalistWill the UK be sued over the Online Safety Act?
Virtual private networks are often associated with dodging censorship in far-flung authoritarian states. But now, VPN downloads are surging in Britain — a…