Podcast appearances and mentions of Alistair Darling

I've been viewing houses this past fortnight, so I thought I'd share my anecdotal 2p on the state of the London property market.I'm looking in Brockley, SE4, which, if you don't know it, used to be rough AF, but is now where all the cool kids are. The area has benefited from the various London rail line extensions – you can be in Shoreditch or Canary Wharf in 15 minutes; the Jubilee and Elizabeth lines are a similarly short step away – and that has attracted the slay crew to the area. The road links though are still horrendous though, made worse by 20mph speed limits and bus lane misallocation of essential road space. The drive to west London is interminable.Brockley has a good stock of beautiful detached, semi-detached and terraced Victorian houses. For example: With its proximity to Greenwich and the river docks, it was once a wealthy area, though, like most of south-east London, it got bombed to heck in the war.There are plenty of nice parks too. One of them, Hilly Fields, was modelled on Hampstead Heath, and there are many gorgeous houses in the roads running off it. Not quite Hampstead gorgeous, but getting there.Brockley also has the highest density of cemeteries in London, if you fancy dying any time soon, it's highly convenient. It is, I gather, London's most haunted area.It is only a bit stabby. Nothing like as bad as neighbouring Lewisham. (Maybe “only a bit stabby” will one day become part of estate agents' jargon, perhaps to replace “vibrant”. I can't believe how normalised stabbing now is that I'm talking like that.)The stabbiness is offset, however, by the plethora of nice restaurants, cafés, bars, craft ale breweries, the farmers' market, mini-festivals, pilates studios et al. I understand, in Browns, the area boasts London's best coffee and, in Babur, its best Indian restaurant. (Technically Babur is in Honor Oak, but, like England and many of its foreign sporting greats, we'll claim it as our own.)I shot this vid from the steps up to the station.Brockley feels younger and more up-and-coming than the once-cool areas to the west like Queen's Park, Kensal Rise, Clapham and so on, probably because of its easy access to east London. (A lot of people from Hackney move down here.)I moved here begrudgingly and skint in 2015 and have grown to really like it.But what about the housing market?I've known markets in which estate agents don't give you the time of day, there are so many prospective buyers, but – perhaps because they know I am an unencumbered buyer – the agents are maybe not quite all over me, but certainly on my case: lots of emails, phone calls and the rest of it. That indicates it's more of a buyers' market.But, while I would describe the housing market here as slow, it is not dead. Stuff has been going under offer in the two weeks I've been looking, though rarely at asking.With the costs of moving – Stamp Duty is 10% above £925k, and 12% above £1.5m, plus an extra 5% if you own another property – buyers have got to really want to buy.Sellers, meanwhile, have to really want to sell, which often entails reducing their asking prices. Stuff which is unrealistically priced is staying on the market a long time. Look at this one (actually up the road in Honor Oak):This is a 5,000-square-foot property, not so nice inside, but with access to a 2-acre private garden behind with its own tennis court – quite something in London. From £2.5 million to £1.75 million and they still can't shift it. (It needs a lot of money spending on it.)On the other hand, there don't seem to be many forced sellers – people who can't make their payments – and we won't get any house price crash, long-awaited or not, until that is a reality.I imagine Brockley, as a young, trendy area, is busier than other parts of town, but that is my overall feel: slow, but not dead.I've looked at a few family houses. I can't really comment on flats, but I gather there is an oversupply of 2-bed flats across London, and it is really hard to shift them. I'm not sure if this applies to Brockley or not.It doesn't feel as expensive as it did around 2019–2022 (realised sales prices are a fraction lower, but there is obviously currency debasement to consider too), but nor does it feel super cheap. We're a long way off where we were in, say, 2013, even though grander parts of London – Kensington and Chelsea, for example – are back at those 2013 levels.Where does the housing market go from here? It all depends on two things: interest rates and Stamp Duty.Britain's zombie housing market, brought to you by Stamp Duty.If rates go lower, the market will not collapse. There won't be the forced sellers. We'll continue as we are: stagnant. If rates go higher, the market is in trouble.But get rid of Stamp Duty, and you'd have a flurry of activity across the country tomorrow. People aren't moving because of the amount of dead money involved. Stamp Duty has immobilised the country.If you're buying a two-million-pound house, you will pay £153,750 in stamp duty. Cash. Money you've already paid tax on once. You can't borrow the money. You have to be extremely rich, or extremely desperate for a home, to be willing to pay a £150k one-off tax of this kind. Most would rather avoid paying it, so they don't move.You will pay more if you are not a UK resident.If you happen to own another property – which most people in that wealth bracket will, either their first flat they never sold, a property they inherited, or a home in the country – and the house you are buying is not your main residence, the tax rises to £253,750. A quarter of a million quid.That's why houses in Kensington and Chelsea no longer sell. EDIT: My mate, whose kids have now flown the nest, sent me this: "We live in a 4 floor house, 2 floors we don't use, I haven't been to the top floor for about 5 years (seriously). We would love to move and downsize but makes no sense as the costs of buying a new house would use up all the gain on downsizing . IE We just end up with a smaller house."This happens all the way down the scale. Kirstie Whatsit off the telly was tweeting about it the other day.My mother's friend, who is in her 70s, lives in a 2-bed flat two floors up in Wandsworth worth maybe £700,000. She is worried about climbing the stairs at her age, and wants to move to another 2-bed flat. She will pay £25,000 in Stamp Duty on top of all her other moving costs. She doesn't have 25 grand to throw away.The result is this nearly dead market. Britain's zombie housing market.Stamp Duties were one of the taxes the ignited the American Revolution. If only we had muskets today …The biggest villains in all this are former Chancellor Gordon Brown for first raising Stamp Duty on property transactions (before him it just one per cent on all properties over £60,000), and, worst of all, George Osborne for raising the rates to today's ludicrous levels. Rather than address the root causes of unaffordable housing – fiat money, artificially low interest rates, improper measures of inflation and dumb planning laws – he blamed the market, and attacked it with Stamp Duty. But all of Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Sajid Javid, Philip Hammond and Alistair Darling must take their share of the blame for failing to do anything about it, when they had the chance. (We'll give Kwasi Kwarteng and Nadhim Zahawi a pass on the grounds they didn't have the gig for long enough).Osborne, Brown et al have given birth to the zombie situation we have now. They have immobilised the country in the process. Government. Yet again. 0 stars. Would not use again.It's enough to make you a libertarian. Until next time,DominicPS If you enjoyed today's article, please like, share and all that stuff. It really helps.PPS If you missed this week's market commentary, here it is:As always If you are buying gold to protect yourself in these times or relentless currency debasement, the bullion dealer I use and recommend is the Pure Gold Company. Pricing is competitive, quality of service is high. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe or you can store your gold with them. Find out more here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

With Keir Starmer recently forced to promise his Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, would stay on until the next election, Westminster Insider Host Sascha O'Sullivan talks to former Chancellors and advisors who have worked in No 10 and No 11 Downing Street over the last 30 years to find out how to survive one of the toughest gigs in politics. She talks to former Chancellor Norman Lamont about the aftermath of the Black Wednesday financial crisis in 1992 and what lead to John Major sacking him less than a year later. Former advisor to Blair and Brown Theo Bertram tells Sascha the Chancellor-turned-PM Gordon Brown struggled to relinquish control over the Treasury to his new neighbour in No11, Alistair Darling. Sam White, who worked for Darling during his time as Chancellor, explains how an ideological wedge pulled the two apart before and after the 2008 financial crash. George Osborne, former Chancellor and now host of the Political Currency podcast, explains his unusual closeness with David Cameron through their shared belief in the merits of austerity. But he tells Sascha how their closeness may have risked a form of 'groupthink' during their time in office. Osborne also sets out why he thinks Rachel Reeves current economic plans have more in common with his economic agenda in the 2010s that people might realise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catherine MacLeod, former Political Editor of The Herald and Special Advisor (SPAD) to UK Chancellor, Alistair Darling, joins Bernard and Alex to preview Rachel Reeves first budget of the new Labour Government. Catherine's insights into how the Treasury and Chancellor prepare for a budget. PONSONBY - "This is the real day one of the new Labour government."MASSIE - "The most keenly anticipated budget since Geoffrey Howe's first budget"MACLEOD - "I think Rachel Reeves has boxed herself in" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We look back at the pro-independence campaign in a two-part special featuring the leading figures from both sides. In this interview, we hear from Blair McDougall, the chief strategist of pro-UK group Better Together. He recalls working with the late Alistair Darling, political rivals, and considers if they took the right approach for a more definitive result.  Look out for our second interview, published at the same time, with Yes Scotland chief Blair Jenkins.

Just how much power do the economists of Threadneedle Street really wield? As the Bank of England grapples with whether to keep interest rates at an all time high, host Sascha O'Sullivan goes on a mission to find out.In this week's episode, she speaks to those who have been at the very heart of Westminster's relationship with the Bank for the last three decades.Former Prime Minister Liz Truss tells Sascha exactly why she believes Bank of England economists were attempting to pull apart her mini-budget and "take her down."Former shadow chancellor and Gordon Brown adviser Ed Balls explains how the Bank's independence came about in 1997, and suggests some of the people sitting on the Monetary Policy Committee have developed a spot of group think in their decision making.Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation and former adviser to Alistair Darling, talks about how the 2008 global financial crisis changed the powers the Bank could deploy in times of emergency.And Andy Haldane, the former chief economist for the Bank of England for more than 30 years, reveals how close to a political intervention the then-Governor Mark Carney came during the Brexit years and how, after the pandemic, the Bank's economists missed inflation coming down the track. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did history ever go away? For the former BBC Russia correspondent, Martin Sixsmith, there was a few euphoric years, in the early 1990's, when history promised to end. That time, of course, was the post-Soviet Russia of Boris Yeltsin and the promise that “they” could become like “us” and embrace both democracy and a Chicago school market capitalism. In his new book, PUTIN AND THE RETURN OF HISTORY, Sixsmith tells the story of the transition from this euphoria about the end of history into the Ukraine fueled pessimism of today. But Sixsmith doesn't blame everything on Putin, who he describes as a Russian Zelig, a Machiavellian opportunist who simultaneously was made by and has made history. Yes, he argues, the Kremlin has rekindled the Cold War. But we in the West also have some responsibility for not understanding the historic Russian paranoia about being invaded by western powers. Martin Sixsmith is a bestselling author, television and radio presenter and journalist. He began working at the BBC in 1980 as a foreign correspondent, reporting from Moscow during the end of the Cold War, the era of Perestroika, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1997, he went to work for the government of Tony Blair as Director of Communications and Press Secretary to Harriet Harman and then to Alistair Darling. He then served as Director of Communication at the Department for Transport, Local Government, and the Regions. Sixsmith is the author of two political novels, Spin and I Heard Lenin Laugh. He has also published an account of the Litvinenko murder, The Litvinenko File, and made a documentary film in 2008 exploring the legacy of the KGB in today's Russia and the FSB. His book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee was turned into a hugely successful film in 2013, starring Judi Dench.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

If the polls are right, Rachel Reeves could be the next chancellor. But after a Budget that confirmed money is tight (and stole some of her flagship ideas), what will she be able to do in office? Matt speaks to former advisers to Keir Starmer and Alistair Darling, and Times Radio's Patrick Maguire.Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Parris discuss what the Budget means for the Tories, how much trouble Science Secretary Michelle Donelan is in, and how far is too far when it comes to running with your dogColumnist Panel (06:01)Rachel Reeves' First Budget (25:31) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BUY YOUR TICKETS FOR OUR 25 YEARS OF DEVOLUTION SPECIALAnnounced guests so far: Jack McConnell, Alex Salmond, Henry McLeishClick: https://holyroodsources.com/liveAfter weeks of speculation, briefings and headlines the Chancellor's budget is here. And with it the windfall tax on profits for oil and gas firms has been extended for another 12 months, despite opposition from Scottish Conservatives. The former Political Editor of The Herald and former Special Advisor to Alistair Darling, Catherine Macleod, joins us to assess the budget, what it means for Scotland and just how tenable the positions of Douglas Ross and Andrew Bowie are. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/holyroodsources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Damazer says we need to find a different vocabulary to define political leadership and achievement. 'The rhetoric that accompanied Alistair Darling's death,' Mark writes, 'raises some age-old questions about the way we think and judge our political masters'. He questions why 'this torrent of respect, admiration and affection' can only happen when a politician dies. 'You simply don't talk this way about any living politician', he says, 'unless you're a cultist'. The present way of judging politicians, he believes, gives us little idea who is any good at getting the job done. Producer: Adele Armstrong Sound: Peter Bosher Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

A morbid episode this week, as Jack and Yair pour one out for the dearly departed trinity of Henry Kissinger, Shane MacGowan and Alistair Darling. PLUS cuts to the BBC's Newsnight, the resumption of violence in Gaza, & Starmer saying the best thing about Thatcher was the Thatcherism.

Matthew Bannister onShane MacGowan the lead singer of The Pogues who was famous for his song writing but also his abuse of drugs and alcohol. His sister joins us to discuss the roots of his talent and his excesses. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to be appointed to the US Supreme Court.Lord Darling, the Labour politician who was Chancellor during the financial crash of 2008.Joan Jara, whose husband, the singer Victor Jara was killed by the Pinochet regime in Chile. She campaigned for justice on behalf of thousands whose relatives died or disappeared.Interviewee: Siobhan MacGowan Interviewee: James Fearnley Interviewee: Justice Ruth McGregor Interviewee: Alan Day Interviewee: Catherine MacLeod Interviewee: Almudena BernabeuProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Shane MacGowan interview, BBC Two, Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, BBC iPlayer, First broadcast 16/03/2021; Sandra Day O'Connor , 60 Minutes, YouTube uploaded, 01/12/2023; Sandra Day O'Connor nomination to the Supreme Court by President Reagan, CBS, 19/08/1981; Sandra Day O'Connor interview, PBS Newshour, 04/04/2013. Supreme Court Ruling Bush v Gore, BBC Newsnight, 08/12/2000; Alistair Darling interview ,10 Years After the Financial Crash with Alistair Darling, RBS Events, YouTube uploaded, 25/09/2017; Chile News report. The World at One, BBC Radio 4, 19/09/1973; Joan Jara interview, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4, 04/09/1988; Joan Jara interview, Weekend Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4, 20/09/2003; Sandra Day O'Connor Retires, BBC News, BBC Radio 4, 01/07/2005;

In this conversation, the hosts discuss various topics including the legacy of Alistair Darling, education standards in Scotland, and an emergency cabinet meeting to address a budget black hole. The hosts reflect on Alistair Darling's political achievements and the consensus of sympathy and affection for him. They express concern over the decline in education standards in Scotland and the need for a serious plan of action. The emergency cabinet meeting is seen as a significant event, with speculation about the issues to be discussed and the potential impact on the SNP's political fortunes. The conversation discusses the upcoming budget year and the challenges faced by the current Scottish government. It highlights the lack of experience in losing for many government officials and the difficulties they now face. The conversation also explores the issue of trying to please everyone and the impact it has on budget decisions. Additionally, it touches on the lack of a clear government identity and how it may be affecting budget discussions. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/holyroodsources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time, we're heading north of the border with special guest Alex Hynes (Managing Director, Scotland's Railway) to find out why they seem to keep getting it right on railways in Scotland when the rest of the UK struggles. We talk alignment of track and train, the Sleeper, and rolling stock. Richard Bowker puts his cynical accountant's hat on to question the gamble Scotland has taken to scrap Peak fares for a six-month trial period. And we find out how Scotland is responding to one of its biggest challenges – resilience in the face of climate change. Away from Scotland, we pay tribute to the late Alistair Darling, Baron Darling of Roulanish and former Secretary of State for Transport, who died shortly before we recorded this episode.

Former chancellor Alistair Darling passed away this week, aged 70. To discuss his career, life and legacy, Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and Catherine MacLeod, former political editor of the Herald, and later a special adviser to Darling.

The Observer's Sonia Sodha and guests look back on the political week. Conservative MP Danny Kruger and executive co-chair of the National Care Association Nadra Ahmed discuss migration and social care. Labour MP and former culture secretary Ben Bradshaw and Conservative MP and chair of the British Museum APPG Tim Loughton talk about the row over the Parthenon sculptures. PMQs is dissected by Ayesha Hazarika, former political adviser to Ed Miliband and Harriet Harman, and Sir Craig Oliver, former director of communications at No 10 under David Cameron. And the late Alistair Darling is remembered by Catherine MacLeod and Torsten Bell, who were both his former advisers.

Iain and Jacqui discuss COP28, the row over the Elgin Marbles, the death of Henry Kissinger, Alistair Darling, Shane MacGowan and Dean Sullivan, Royal troubles, Ursula von der Leyen's comments on Britain rejoining the EU, strife in the Lib Dems, Jonny Reynolds, Christmas Number Ones and their appearance in Northampton. Smut quota: Very low unless you find Iain's sniffles a turn-on.

Was it a huge fit of pique or a genuine desire to protect the Elgin Marbles that prompted Rishi Sunak to cancel his date with the Greek prime minister? Lucy Fisher unpicks the row with the help of the FT's Robert Shrimsley and Stephen Bush. They also consider, in the wake of record legal net migration figures, whether immigration is tearing the Tories apart. The FT's Delphine Strauss weighs in to explain the particular plight faced by some migrant workers in the care sector. Plus, the group reflects on the legacy of Alistair Darling. Follow Lucy on X, formerly Twitter : @LOS_FisherFree links:Long hours and large debts: care workers stranded by UK's migration policySketchy politics: Sunak sets out his stall for the electionSign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 Best Newsletter award. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comPresented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Philippa Goodrich. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT's head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair has called Lord Darling "a rarity in politics".

We read the papers so you don't have to. Today: Day of the dead. The papers are filled with obituaries to Henry Kissinger, Shane MacGowan, Alistair Darling and Dean “Jimmy Corkhill” Sullivan. Hancock-up. Former health secretary Matt Hancock's embarrassing day at the Covid inquiry. Plus – Snoop dogging. A private investigator tells the i how to tell if your partner is cheating. Miranda Sawyer is joined by New Statesman columnist Jonn Elledge and Rob Hutton of The Critic. Support Paper Cuts and get mugs, t-shirts and extended ad-free editions: back.papercutsshow.com Follow Paper Cuts: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/papercutsshow • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papercutsshow • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@papercutsshow • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@papercutsshow Illustrations by Modern Toss https://moderntoss.com  Written and presented by Miranda Sawyer. Audio production: Alex Rees. Assistant Production: Adam Wright. Design: James Parrett. Music: Simon Williams. Socials: Jess Harpin. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Exec Producer: Martin Bojtos. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. PAPER CUTS is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And Eurozone inflation falls by more than expected.

This week's episode begins by paying tribute to Alistair Darling, the former Labour Chancellor who has died aged 70. Emma recalls working with a thoroughly decent man. Charlotte and Emma then discuss Rishi Sunak's unseemly spat with the Greek Prime Minister over the Elgin Marbles before returning to the Covid enquiry. Matt Hancock was back on the stand and trying to paint himself as the hero of the hour. You can now support the show on Patreon and get access to both Charlotte's and Emma's newsletters. Former chancellor Alistair Darling dies aged 70 - Guardian PMQs: Rishi Sunak accuses Greek PM of grandstanding over Elgin Marbles - BBC News Matt Hancock at COVID inquiry: Dominic Cummings evidence 'inaccurate' and UK 'should've locked down three weeks earlier - Sky News Charlotte Henry on Threads Charlotte Henry's newsletter, The Addition Emma Burnell on Twitter Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left House of Comments on Twitter House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.

Adam chats to Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan about Alistair Darling, COP28, Ulez and the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree. And as Matt Hancock faces the Covid inquiry, Chris and former civil servant Jill Rutter give their analysis.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhereToday's Newscast was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Gemma Roper. The senior news editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Sam Bonham.

The team share thoughts on former Labour chancellor Lord Darling, who has died aged 70. From steering the UK through the 2008 global financial crisis, to his work on the Better Together campaign during the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum, the team look back on the former Edinburgh MP's long career, and the tributes that have poured in from fellow politicians across the spectrum.

Palace considers legal action after Piers Morgan names ‘royal racists'Lee Anderson tells Ursula von der Leyen to ‘shut up' about BrexitFormer Labour chancellor Alistair Darling dies aged 70Microsoft hands Britain £2.5bn digital boostRead all these articles and stay expertly informed anywhere, anytime with a digital subscription. Start your free one-month trial today to gain unlimited website and app access. Cancel anytime. Sign up here: http://bit.ly/2WRuvh9See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On 15 September 2008 the world changed forever. The collapse of Lehman Brothers Bank heralded the financial crash and the worst recession in 60 years. It would change our politics - perhaps forever. One man predicted the scale and depth of what was to come - the chancellor who fought to stabilise the UK economy on the brink of collapse. That was Alistair Darling, whose death was announced this afternoon. Today we look at the impact that extraordinary time and his critical interventions had on this country - and we talk to his mentee - the shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves about the man he was. Later we reflect on the death of a statesman and foreign affairs titan - Henry Kissinger - at the age of 100 and ask if the man who witnessed an entire century will be better remembered for good or ill.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickPlanning Producer: Alex BarnettSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Rory SymonYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://www.TheNewsAgentsStore.com

In this bonus edition of All Talk, we look back to 2011 when former Chancellor Alistair Darling joined Iain on his radio show to talk about his book BACK FROM THE BRINK. They also discuss his relationship with Gordon Brown, the financial crash and the fate of the Eurozone. We remember Alistair Darling, who died today at the age of 70.

Calum and Kirsty discuss Alistair Darling. Both have personal memories of him and stories about him. And Calum was reporting from the Covid Inquiry today as Matt Hancock gave evidence. So we discuss him too. Support the podcast by becoming a member at: https://plus.acast.com/s/whitehallsources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former chancellor Alistair Darling has died at the age of 70. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar pays tribute to a titan of the political stage. Elsewhere, Alistair Grant and Rachel Amery discuss First Minister's Questions in Holyrood, and Alexander Brown has the latest from Westminster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Hutcheon, Anna Burnside and John Ferguson discuss Alistair Darling's legacy in Scottish and UK politics, as Michael Matheson's expenses scandal drags on, Humza Yousaf appears in Dubai at COP 28 and Kate Forbes makes questionable remarks about 'silent prayer' outside abortion clinics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Chancellor Lord Alistair Darling has died, Ian King is joined by David Smith, Economics editor of The Sunday Times to discuss his work. The trading app Robinhood launches in the UK, its co-founder anc chief executive, Vlad Tenev discusses the move.Scott Douglas, Director at the corporate finance advisors Centrus joins Ian to speak about the markets.

Are you interested in learning our one man's passion for investing changed the footprint of a city and the history of the Investment industry? With that in mind, welcome to the 50th episode of the Investing Matters series with me Peter Higgins @conkers3 on Twitter. As a global Investing Matters audience, you are all in for an absolute treat because this interview is with one of the true Scottish, UK and global heavyweights of the independent asset management industry. None other than the multiple award-winning Martin Gilbert FRSE, co-founder and former CEO of Aberdeen Asset Manager and the Executive Chairman of AssetCo Plc. Martin Gilbert, the humble and proud Chartered Accountant, was educated at Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen, he then attended the same Law School as Alistair Darling (the former Chancellor of the Exchequer) at the University of Aberdeen, where is gained his law degree and his master's degree in accountancy. After university, he joined Deloitte and qualified as a chartered accountant. In 1982, he joined the investment department of local law firm Brander & Cruikshank, and a year or so later, with two others undertook a management buyout of its investment department. The new entity was called Aberdeen Fund Managers and had initial share capital of just £10,000 with £70m of assets under management, because as Martin now describes it in the 1980's asset managers were a “small cottage industry” Martin co-founded Aberdeen Fund Managers / Aberdeen Asset Management PLC in 1983 and was Chief Executive Officer from 1991 to 2017 (making him one of the longest serving CEO's at the time). During that period Aberdeen Asset Management PLC grew, through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisition, to become one of the world's leading independent asset managers with £308 billion of AUM. In 2017 Aberdeen Asset Management PLC merged with Standard Life plc, to become Standard Life Aberdeen plc. On merging, Standard Life Aberdeen plc was the biggest UK-based asset management company and the second biggest in Europe. Martin was co-chief executive officer and subsequently vice chairman until he retired from Standard Life Aberdeen plc in September 2020. Martin is chairman of Revolut Ltd and Toscafund, deputy chairman of River and Mercantile Group PLC and senior independent director of Glencore plc, Chair of Scottish Golf, alongside several other directorships. Please listen now to learn how Martin Gilbert FRSE, the shrewd dealer maker grew Aberdeen Fund Managers into the global investment firm that we knew as Aberdeen Asset Management. Martin shares lessons learnt from encountering significant lows, including his now dislike of geared investing products/ structures and his huge successes as a CEO and leader. He explains how he identifies transformational deals, the very best fund Managers and how he retains them. Why recurring revenues are vital, the successful straits required in order to achieve long-term investing success as a CEO, fund manager and an investor. Why ESG is important, being Chairman of The Net Zero Technology Centre and its role in the energy industry. His current favourite investing markets, plus why he sees huge value in UK mid cap and even more value in the UK small cap. Martin shares an overview of Assetco Plc, a holding company for a group of wealth and asset management companies, for which he has a goal of growing into a FTSE 250 listed company. Given what Martin achieved with Aberdeen Asset Management and with the wisdom given to him by none other than Sir Alex Ferguson, I'd say that with the foundations already laid across, Active Equities, Infrastructure Asset Management, Exchange Traded Funds and Digital Platform that there is every possibility that Assetco goes onto achieve significant success. We hope you enjoy this podcast, and we look forward to hearing your feedback. Please subscribe to this podcast on your platform of choice and follow the @InvMattPodcast on Twitter.

Blair McDougall was the Chief Executive of the Better Together campaign during the independence referendum in 2014. Listen to his reflections on the campaign, and whether he thinks there will be a second referendum. He remembers the night of "the poll" which showed Yes Scotland taking a lead - he'd left his phone in a taxi and so couldn't call anyone. Blair talks at length about the strengths of Alistair Darling as a campaign spokesperson. Email your thoughts to hello@holyroodsources.com. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/holyroodsources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second part of our series on Northern Rock, Neil and Jonathan pick over the lessons from the 2007 collapse of the world's most famous ex-building society with former chancellor of the exchequer Alistair Darling, Stanford finance professor Anat Admati, and bank expert Dan Davies. As interest rates rise, and tremors course through financial markets, how much more robust is our banking system, and could the same meltdown happen again? Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.With Alistair Darling, Anat Admati and Dan Davies.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Additional editing by Ewan Cameron.Sponsored by Briefcase.News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For a few weeks in 2007, a small ex-building society in Newcastle became the world's most famous bank as TV news cameras showed customers queuing at branches for their cash. Initially seen as a Victorian throwback, it later became clear that the collapse was a warning of much wider problems to come. As worrying tremors again strike our financial system, Neil and Jonathan ponder the lessons of Northern Rock's failure in the first of a two part series with former chancellor Alistair Darling, ex regulator Howard Davies and banking expert Dan Davies. Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.With Dan Davies, Alistair Darling and Howard Davies.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.Additional editing by Ewan Cameron.Sponsored by Briefcase.News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Isabel Hardman presents the best bits from Sunday morning's political interview shows, with highlights today coming from Nadhim Zahawi, Nicola Sturgeon, Alistair Darling, Nadine Dorries and Jonathan Ashworth. 

13th July

Catherine MacLeod was a special adviser to Alistair Darling when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer and is a former political editor of The Herald. Andrew Dunlop was chief adviser to David Cameron and played a key role in the Government's response to the Independence referendum. In this week's podcast, they chat to Eddie Barnes about how we can tackle the social, economic and political disenfranchisement being felt across the UK - and compare Downing Street drinks cabinets.Thanks for listening! Get the latest by following @scottish_future

When we think of politics we probably think of the grand halls of Westminster Palace or the postmodern structure of the Scottish Parliament. With that, we also likely think of key political figures in the main parties. The First Minister, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Presiding Officer. Cast your mind back to the 2014 referendum, which figures stand out? Probably high-profile people such as Alex Salmond, Alistair Darling, Nicola Sturgeon, Ruth Davidson etc. But it was in the grassroots in which the bulk of the work was done. The leaders' debates in 2014 did very little to change people's minds. Of course, they served a purpose, but a major swing wasn't recorded after any event of this nature. What was recorded, however, is the polling on opinions on independence in the run-up to the 2014 referendum. In January 2012, 32% of people polled supported independence. This rose to 45% in the final vote. Many factors were at play, but the activists pounding the streets and knocking on doors certainly did a lot to change people's minds. Here, we've assembled a group of 3 activists from different walks of life and from different parts of the country to explain why activism is so important. How can one get involved in signing up? What's it like the first time you knock on someone's door? How do you politely disagree with folk? And, most importantly, how can this brand of grassroots activism win people over? All of these issues are discussed in Part 2 of this special episode of Scotland's Choice. Follow our activists on Twitter: Marcus, Danielle, Alan. Listen to other Scotland's Choice episodes here.

Grassroots activism has an extremely important part to play in politics. When we think of politics we probably think of the grand halls of Westminster Palace or the postmodern structure of the Scottish Parliament. With that, we also likely think of key political figures in the main parties. The First Minister, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Presiding Officer. Cast your mind back to the 2014 referendum, which figures stand out? Probably high-profile people such as Alex Salmond, Alistair Darling, Nicola Sturgeon, Ruth Davidson etc. But it was in the grassroots in which the bulk of the work was done. The leaders' debates in 2014 did very little to change people's minds. Of course, they served a purpose, but a major swing wasn't recorded after any event of this nature. What was recorded, however, is the polling on opinions on independence in the run-up to the 2014 referendum. In January 2012, 32% of people polled supported independence. This rose to 45% in the final vote. Many factors were at play, but the activists pounding the streets and knocking on doors certainly did a lot to change people's minds. Here, we've assembled a group of 3 activists from different walks of life and from different parts of the country to explain why activism is so important. How can one get involved in signing up? What's it like the first time you knock on someone's door? How do you politely disagree with folk? And, most importantly, how can this brand of activism win people over? All of these issues are discussed in this special episode of Scotland's Choice. Part 2 will be released in a few weeks' time. Follow our activists on Twitter: Marcus, Danielle, Alan. Listen to other Scotland's Choice episodes here.

I was joined again by Professor Tim Bale for the last episode in 2020 of Never Mind The Bar Charts. We took a look back at Tim's five lessons for opposition parties and discussed how both Labour and the Liberal Democrats are doing on each of them.Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.Show notesTim Bale's five lessons for opposition parties.The Liberal Democrat record in coalition.Alistair Darling promising bigger cuts than Margaret Thatcher.The Thornhill Report into what went wrong for the Lib Dems in 2019.What are the possible Lib Dem target seats like?The Politics of Competence by Will Jennings and Jane Green: Bookshop / Amazon.*Photo courtesy of Tom Jeffs / Parrot of Doom, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.Tim Bale on Twitter.Theme tune by Hugo Lee.New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts.Enjoy the show? Spread the wordFollow the show on Twitter.Like the show on Facebook.Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com. * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

Decca Aitkenhead is chief interviewer at the Sunday Times. Beginning her career at The Independent in 1995, she then spent 21 years at The Guardian, winning ‘Interviewer of the Year’ at the British Press Awards in 2009. In 2018 she joined the Sunday Times where she has profiled the very biggest names including Hillary Clinton, JK Rowling, Oprah Winfrey and most recently made headlines talking to Tony Blair. She has also written her memoir ‘All At Sea’ which reflects on the tragic death of her husband and coming to terms with her grief. In this in-depth interview, Decca reveals some of the methods behind her successful technique, reflects on her explosive 2008 interview with then chancellor Alistair Darling where he inadvertently revealed “the country was facing the worst recession in 60 years”, and discusses how she has been able to write about the devastating events in her personal life with such honesty.

In the first episode of his new Times Radio show Matt Chorley talks to former Chancellors George Osborne and Alistair Darling about what you no when there's no money and debt is spiralling. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview with former Chancellors George Osborne & Alistair Darling, an extended interview with Sadiq Khan and more.

Following Policy Exchange's first public webinar on the Coronavirus and the UK Economy, panellists Rt Hon Lord Darling of Roulanish, Former Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Lord King of Lothbury, KG GBE, Former Governor of the Bank of England, are interviewed by Juliet Samuel Telegraph Columnist and Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange

Dan Edelstyn and Ann Pettifor discuss the economic impacts of the coronavirus on the day the new unemployment numbers came out in the US. Ann's feeling is that capitalism cannot cope with a crisis like this and it will lead to a very deep recession if  not a depression. Below are some excerpts from the conversation. Ann Pettifor:What's happening is, I don't know if there's a word for it, because it's more than momentous, really, it is extraordinary. I have to say that I've always prided myself on my predictive qualities, but I did not predict a pandemic, and I hadn't really thought about pandemics enough. There's a wonderful professor at Oxford, Professor Ian Goldin, who did. He wrote a book six years ago saying this was a big threat to globalization. To be fair to him, Bill Gates also, in 2015 did a Ted Talk in which he warned about pandemics. I missed that. But nevertheless, the principle I was arguing was that it would take a shuddering shock to get politicians to sit up and think about, and change. And that's what we've had. We've had a shuddering, an extraordinary shock. Actually we're about to have what I think would be a catastrophic great depression.Ann Pettifor:Today, the US unemployment numbers came out. They have made 3 million people unemployed in a week. This is unprecedented in history. If you look at the unemployment claims, the graph, the chart, it goes like this, dah, dah, dah, dah, then occasionally bumps up in 2007. Today it went like that. That is huge, and that's just the United States.The thing that that is good about what's happening is that airlines are being grounded, companies who are not sustainable are being closed down, and we know, for example, that China's emissions were cut by a quarter. Over the last quarter, Chinese emissions were cut by 20%. So, we can see emissions coming down as a result of the collapse in economic activity. That's the good news. The closure of airlines is also going to contribute to that good news. The bad news is the cost of the destruction of the economy.Ann Pettifor:The other bit of good news is the suspension of capitalism. Capitalism can't cope with a crisis. Capitalism can't cope with a pandemic. That's how pathetic capitalism is. Instead, so what do we find? The state moves in, and the state bails us all out, and by the state, and I want to stress this so emphatically, that's me and you. So, when we think about the state, we think about bureaucrats and big government departments, and politicians, and we feel it's not part of us. That is not at all the case. Without 30 million British taxpayers regularly paying their taxes, PAYE at the end of the month, or once a year if they were freelancers, and so on, there would be no state, there would be no Bank of England, there would be no quantitative easing, there would be no bailouts. The fact is that the Bank of England is backed by this collateral, because we have a sound tax collection system, and the joy of it is that we had one 30 years ago, and a hundred years ago, and we will have one in 30 years time, and in 100 years time, because we have the public institutions that underpin it.Ann Pettifor:That's why the state has been able to intervene. I really want to stress that, because we don't understand our role in all this. But you need to understand that the British state is backed by 30 million taxpayers. It has immense powers to create the credit in exchange for collateral that the Bank of England can create, and it's called quantitative easing, but you can just call it Central Bank money if you like. The Federal Reserve has got backing the Federal Reserve, 60 million American taxpayers, because it's twice the size or more. I don't know if it's 60 million, I think it's even more than that. So, the dollar and the Federal Reserve is more powerful. So, they've been able to act. What we've seen is that we've seen capitalism collapse, in a nervous jitter, and the state, and the taxpayer, and society, come to the rescue of capitalism.Ann Pettifor:The crucial thing for me now is that we set terms and conditions for these bailouts for these bastards who've paid themselves bonuses, who've bought back the shares on their companies. I was reading about McDonald's today, whose stock market prices went up like that. Why? Because they were buying their own stocks, and who was buying? The managers were buying them, and who was making the money out of it? The managers were making the money out of it. Now the stocks are going like that. Who's going to pay? The workers will all be sacked, or whatever. So, I want us to understand really importantly, our role in all of this, and how vital we tax payers are, and how much leverage we have.Ann Pettifor:Anyway. So, that's what's happening. And the question is whether it's happening at a fast enough pace, whether or not our politicians have got a grip on what's going on. Yesterday, the Bank of England, to my astonishment, said they thought the GDP was going to fall by 4.3%. 4.3%, can you imagine? We'd be lucky if it doesn't fall by 50% really. The idea that the Bank of England, there's some nerd in the Bank of England working out some model, and saying 4.3, just shows you they have no idea. 3 million people made unemployment in the United States in a week, is on a scale that we don't know of, and unheard of. And that's going to happen.Dan Edelstyn:That's crazy.Ann Pettifor:The thing about it is that it has a, what is the word, a ripple effect. Because when you're made unemployed, you don't pay your mortgages, you don't go shopping. You still haven't got anything. You may get $1200 out of the Congress, if you're lucky. You're sick and you go to hospital, you might even die, but you're certainly too sick to work, et cetera. This affects the finance sector, and what the finance sector is realizing is that it is screwed, basically. So, we're seeing Wall Street collapse. We're seeing stock markets have still got further to fall. This is because, a simple thing, Dan, which is that, I don't know, I always feel I have to go back to square one in these conversations, and talk about money. All money is created by me promising to pay. When I apply for a credit card, I don't put any money in my credit card account. I simply promise to pay the £150 for that washing machine, or whatever it is I'm buying, and I promise to pay it in the future. And I do, I pay it over months in the future.Ann Pettifor:But that promise to pay gives me purchasing power. It's money, it gives me a washing machine. That's a wonderful, wonderful thing. But, for it to work, my promise has to be upheld. I've got to pay in the future. Who's going to check on that? The bank checks on that, but also the criminal justice system. I've signed a contract saying I'm going to pay. If I don't pay, ultimately, if I'm a poor person, I'll probably go to jail. If I'm rich, I'll probably be bailed out. But anyway, if I don't pay, there's a criminal justice system there to sort.Ann Pettifor:In the financial system, at the level of Central Bank and the QE, when they apply for credit, when they want something on their overdraft, they have to post collateral. Just as when you take on a mortgage, you have to offer another property as collateral, in case you default. The collateral that they're offering in exchange for cash from the Federal Reserve, in exchange for liquidity, could be stocks and shares, it could be a pension, it could be an insurance contract, all those kinds of things. These are financial assets. An insurance contract is an asset, because it's a contract, it's a promise to pay, and you know that in future you're sitting on the contract, and there's premiums coming into your bank account every month. In that sense, it's a wonderful asset, and some of us wish we had more of those sorts of assets. Anyway, what's happening now, as I speak, is that people are saying, "Hang on a minute, that pension, that mortgage, that insurance contract, is it really worth $100000, 503 million dollars? I'm not sure it is. I think it's worth a third of that."Ann Pettifor:I have a friend who's a trader, who's a big, big trader, and he said to me, "Ann, I'm going into the market, and I'm bidding $6 for a security, and the ask, which is what the holder of the asset is asking for, is saying $16," he said, "I've never seen such a divergence in valuation." That teaches us that the way in which a crisis unfolds is by the wrong valuation of an asset, or the changing valuation of an asset which is acting as collateral to leverage additional finance here. If you say, "I'd like a mortgage of 3 million pounds on my house, because I know my house is worth more than a million pounds, and I'd be able to repay over time," And then suddenly the value of a house falls to 500, and you've borrowed 3 million bucks, 500000, and you've borrowed, you're in deep, deep trouble. That's what's happening to Wall Street at the moment. So, that's a big one.Dan Edelstyn:So, you think it will collapse. Because, I've just been reading this again, and in the introduction, or the first chapter, you talk about the 2008 crisis. There was a moment in the 2008 crisis, I think, where people knew there was a problem, and the governments all came in with their stimulus packages and stuff, initially for a few months, until Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, and then that put everything into a big spin, didn't it? It feels as if there's a moment when the... I use this metaphor, and Hilary hates it, but I sometimes think of it as like a duck that's just been shot, and it's still trying to fly, and it thinks it can carry on flying, and doesn't actually realize it's about to crash into the trees with a thump. Is that where we are now? Are we in a duck hunt?Ann Pettifor:No, I think that's a jolly good analogy. The duck is floundering, but then what happens, the state comes along, the Central Bank or the Federal Reserve comes along, and it provides it with a new set of wings. So, what happened in 2007-8, was that exactly that happened. I remember vividly, because I don't know if you remember, Dan, but I wrote a book predicting the crisis. So, when it happened, I never thought it would wait as long as August 2007 to blow. I thought it was going to blow up in the September 2006, and my book was going to be out of date. And even then, neither Central Bank governors, or economists, or politicians, or officials in the treasury, understood what was going on properly, and therefore the public didn't understand what was going on. The left certainly didn't understand what was going on, as you say, only in 2008.Ann Pettifor:In that period, I remember vividly, I even remember, I've got a photograph somewhere of an Evening Standard headline, in which the bankers declare contrition, when they say, "Mea culpa, we're terribly sorry. We done wrong. We done wrong. Will you please punish us?" And to their absolute astonishment, far from punishing them, we gave them a stronger set of wings. We turned them into Eagles. They weren't even little ducks anymore. Now they were Eagles. They were bigger, badder. They could go further. They could speculate even more. They couldn't believe their luck.Ann Pettifor:This had been provided in the first instance, think of RBS. RBS was the biggest bailout in British history. The bailout was set by Labor government, Alistair Darling, And he said, "Please don't anyone give the faintest impression that this is nationalization. We would like you to go on just as before. We're not asking your shareholders to take a big hit. We just want you to pretend you are where you were before, and here's a load of taxpayer's money to help you do that."Ann Pettifor:And to be fair, RBS had to do a lot of restructuring afterwards, and they messed up, and they've had huge problems. I'm not saying that they had just a good time, but we didn't say to them, "Sorry, sweetheart, you can have this money, but the condition is that, number one, you're going to lend money to Britain's SMEs, and you're going to help them get through this crisis. Number two, you're going to lend money at very low interest rates, so that they can afford to borrow." We could've said that. "Number three, if you're going to invest in anything, we want you to invest here in Britain. And number four, will you please pay your taxes." If we just said that, God, we would have had a different world. We never said any of that. We said, "No, we'd like you to be globalized. We want you to be a global bank. We think it's good to have a global bank that's British. And yes, take your money if you like, and don't put it in an Irish or a Delaware tax haven. Who cares? We think everything's hunky-dory.Ann Pettifor:So, what we did was, we strengthened the system, which is why today, the level of debt is twice what it was in 2006-7. In other words, they went out and said, "Right, let's splash, let's create loads of credit, and lend crazy money at very high rates of interest, and get very rich very quickly. Why don't we do that? Why don't we gamble, and make even more money?" And they did. And we've had all these agonizing arguments about how unfair the world is, because we're unequal, and everything. But we created the conditions in which those guys could go and do that.Ann Pettifor:Anyway, so the thing is, but chickens, ducks are coming home to roost, and they're discovering that all of these assets that they created don't have value, and so it's all unraveling. I feel I'm rambling, Daniel.Dan Edelstyn:No, you're not. So, are we about to experience a second shock, I suppose is the question. We've got these stimulus packages which have been approved, and to most people, they think, "Okay, well I've got 80% of my income. Hopefully this is going to go on for, what was it, eight weeks, the official line, or 12 weeks, and then everything will get back to normal." Ann Pettifor:"Then everything will be hunky-dory, and then I'll go shopping."Dan Edelstyn:That's our official account, effectively, I think, which is being managed in the daily press briefings, and then which is being distributed by, let's call them the press, or whatever we're going to call them. The people who just spout the same thing that they're told to write. But my question is, how close to reality do you feel that account is, or what's going to come from this? I'm mindful of the time, because I said 20 minutes, because I know your time, and you've got 15 minutes, you need to get ready for your next one, don't you? When we come out of this, where are we going, and can we get a Green New Deal out of this? Those are two questions.Ann Pettifor:The bottom line. Two things. I think if this is badly managed, and in the United States is being badly managed, it's going to get a whole lot worse. I know we've only got 15 minutes, but I want to quickly say to you, Dan, that it's going to be really hard for us to manage this crisis within the existing international financial system. The real channels for the Green New Deal isn't getting the money. Honestly. We've all seen how easy it is for governments to promise to pay, basically. That's not the problem. The problem is going to be changing the international financial system to enable us to mobilize the finance, and spend the money. And what that means is, right now, and one of the things I'm really angry about at the moment, it just makes my blood boil, is the international system is so designed as to prioritize the interests of capital, over, in the broader sense, labor and the ecosystem.Ann Pettifor:Right now, capital, which is given freedom to roam around the world, without any friction whatsoever, well, virtually without any friction, is rushing out of poor countries, and heading straight for the United States, pushing up the value of the dollar, and investing in what they think is a safe haven. They may not think that after today's unemployment numbers, but nevertheless. What that's doing is it's absolutely sacrificing, crucifying emerging markets, Argentina, South Africa, which is the country of my birth, and where I have family, Turkey, and so on. That is happening as a result of capital flight, and capital flight is enabled by the current system.Ann Pettifor:Secondly, the current system is based on the notion that there should be a reserve currency for the whole world, and that reserve currency should be the currency of the United States of America, and it should be run by the Federal Reserve. So, the dollar is now absolutely fundamental to the global economy. If a poor country like Zambia wants to buy soya beans from Brazil, it cannot do that with the Zambian Kwacha, which is their currency. It has to get holds of greenbacks. It has to get hold of dollars, and then it goes to Brazil and buys soya beans. If South Africa wants to buy oil, or copper, or whatever, similarly. There is currently a shortage of dollars, and the Fed realizes that, because money is all gravitated to the US, because dollars have all fled to the US, the rest of the world doesn't have dollars, can't buy oil, can't buy copper, can't buy soya beans. The Fed has decided to engage in a process called swap lines, whereby they give dollars to, for example, the ECB, to be given to European businesses, and to other OECD countries, but they're not giving dollars to poor countries, and above all, they're not giving dollars to China, because they, they don't believe that China is entitled to dollars, because her currency is not convertible, her government manages the currency.Ann Pettifor:So, China is short of dollars. China is recovering from this initial crisis. This coronavirus, she's beginning to want to buy copper, soya beans, and oil. She doesn't have enough dollars, and the Fed is not going to help. Then we have Mr Pompeo yesterday saying, "We've got to call this flu, the Wuhan flu." The Americans want to make war with these guys. But the very fact that China can't get hold of the currency it needs to buy it's essentials is going to be an issue of huge tension in the world.Ann Pettifor:Hang on. This says a new version of Java is available, would you believe?Ann Pettifor:Anyway, so this is a really big problem, and it's a result of the system. The system was set up under Bretton Woods, and the Americans grabbed the role of the reserve currency. Keynes, at the time, said, "No. We need a currency that doesn't belong to any nation state. That is like an independent Central Bank, and it's not attached to anybody's interests, and, like any old commercial bank on the high street, it manages your assets, and your liabilities, your credits, and your debts and so on, and it takes in deposits in it, and it lends out money." And Keynes was defeated at the Bretton Woods conference by the Americans, who said, "No. We've got to have the dollar, and we demand the dollar because after all we're bailing out the world economy," et cetera. And now we're in this incredibly unbalanced financial system, which benefits the US, and penalizes, especially the poorest countries, and China. Creates enormous political tensions, the potential for war, but also enormous economic imbalances and instabilities.Ann Pettifor:So, China will no doubt, number one, she might sell all her American debt to US treasury bills, and that would be damaging for the Fed, but she may even then just become more protectionist, and more self-sufficient. That's probably going to have to happen to emerging markets as well. I'm hoping they'll impose capital controls, and stop that money from moving around.Ann Pettifor:So, these are conditions in which we want to talk about the Green New Deal, and that's what's going to be hard, because to do the Green New Deal, to mobilize the finance we need to transform the economy away from its addiction to fossil fuels, we have to change this international system. I'll tell you why, Dan. The key thing about the system that Keynes designed post war, was that it was based on international coordination and cooperation. The current system is based on every man for himself. Every state for itself, and the biggest status of bulliest of them all. It's there to create tensions. It's there to split and divide.Ann Pettifor:We now face a major global pandemic, and the United States, Britain cannot cooperate with the Europeans and the Chinese to tackle this because they're so engrossed in their own nationalistic, individualistic, America first kind of attitudes. It's disastrous. We have to change that system just in order to get a new system, a new international system.Ann Pettifor:I have so much trouble with my friends in the green movement and even in economics, who only want to look at the British economy. The British economy is fascinating let's face it, and lots of things happening here. But the British economy is part of this global system, and we have to change that in order to be able to, A, manage our own finances so that we can fulfill our own carbon budgets here at home. We will be given a carbon budget and told you've got to live within that mate, or else your [inaudible 00:26:37]. And then there's a global carbon budget that we need to all work together with to ensure that we achieve the global budget. It might mean we've got to help poor countries. It might mean there's got to be give and take. That's absolutely essential to the Green New Deal. We can't do that within a system that currently is designed to divide and rule. It's designed to break up international coordination. It's designed to attack the World Health Organization, and United Nations that had been set up to help us coordinate. That's the challenge we face with the Green New Deal.Dan Edelstyn:So, should we also set up a new international currency in your opinion, like the HOE Street Central Bank currency?Ann Pettifor:I think we should, definitely.Dan Edelstyn:But it would have to be underwritten, wouldn't it, by taxpayers across across the world?Ann Pettifor:It could be. The thing is what would happen, for it to be international, you'd have to have governments underwrite it, and governments are therefore taxpayers. They're having this row at the moment in Europe, should the ECB be a central bank for the whole of Europe? [inaudible 00:27:48] saying, "No, we don't trust the ECB, you're going to cause inflation." They suddenly realized they need a central bank. Governments need to have to be backed by Central Bank, and central banks have to be backed by governments. We can see, as we speak, Europe fighting over whether or not to be united under the Central Bank that they've created.Ann Pettifor:If they hadn't created the ECB, and they all had their own central banks, they could perhaps then talk about collaborating in a different way. But no, they've set up this monster, and now they're having to agree that it becomes something that enables them to coordinate, and work together around, and cooperate. That's quite heartening to see that today. We need to do that at a global level. The Central Bank would then, it wouldn't be a central bank. What it would be, it would enable states, for its clients, it would have states. The High Street Bank, the HOE Street Bank has locals as its clients, individuals and firms.Ann Pettifor:So, that's for all commercial banks. Central banks don't have high street people, you and me as their clients, and it's not possible for them, because they're organize differently. They have big banks, the banks are their clients, and big financial institutions are their clients. Then you'd have another layer of your global independent bank, and that would have states as its clients. Germany has got a massive surplus, and Portugal's got a deficit, say, and that bag would act as, "Come on, let's balance this out, guys. Germany, you can have your surplus, but you can't have it for long, because I'm going to penalize you, because it's imbalancing the economy, and hey, Portugal, fix your books, and improve your economy, and pay your debts." So, the job of that bank would be to manage those finances across the world.Ann Pettifor:That's what we should have. It shouldn't be linked to any single individual state. That's the point about it. We have something like that, and the IMF was a kind of independent central bank, but it turned out not to be that. Then there's the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, and that was actually originally the model. So, we do have institutions in which states participate, like the IMF, but we would need this to be a bank which would balance out surpluses and deficits across the world. [crosstalk 00:30:24] have the Green New Deal.Dan Edelstyn:That's great. I'm just thinking that I should probably get you to stop, because you have another call in three minutes, and you need to prepare for it, don't you? It was really lovely to speak to you. Just to sum up, basically, what it looks like, possibly a depression, and international chaos on the cards in the wake of the coronavirus, unless people can stop squabbling, and get an actual plan together. Fingers crossed. I'll keep watching.Ann Pettifor:I don't think we can say possibly a recession. There is going to be a deep, deep recession. The question is how deep. And yes, definitely, it's about time that we got together and we worked internationally, and coordinated.

When Sajid Javid resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer in February rather than accept Boris Johnson's reported demand that he dismiss his own team of special advisers and accept a new one drawn up in 10 Downing Street, many saw the episode as a crude attempt by the Prime Minister to wrest control of economic policy from the Treasury. But would such a reform necessarily be a bad thing? Edward Stourton considers the case for economic policy being driven from the very top of government. If decision-making, in arguably the most important government department, took place on the prime minister's terms rather than having to be negotiated with a powerful colleague leading a vast bureaucracy, would that make for quicker and more streamlined decision-making that gave clearer direction to the government overall? And has in any case the time come to clip the wings of the Treasury which too often determines policy on narrowly financial grounds rather than properly allowing for the potential benefits of government spending - and which has recently signed off such alarmingly over-budget projects as HS2 and London's Crossrail? In seeking answers to those questions, Edward speaks to the former Chancellors, Alistair Darling and Norman Lamont; to former Chief of Staff to Tony Blair in Downing Street, Jonathan Powell; to former Treasury minister, David Gauke; and and to ex-officials, including former top Treasury civil servant, Nic Macpherson. Producer Simon Coates

This week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid resigned.   A few hours after the announcement, Gary sat down with Lord Nick Macpherson, who ran the Treasury as its Permanent Secretary for 11 years under Labour, the Tories and the Coalition.   He was also joined by Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, who was once a Treasury civil servant himself and then special adviser to Alistair Darling when he was Chancellor.   Producer: Rachel Evans

In this episode, we talk to Labour MP, Alistair Darling, about how his Aberdeen law degree helped to shape his political career (spoiler alert: lawyers should be lawyers, not politicians). Although Alistair does admit that law is a solid discipline that enables you to ask critical questions, which are useful skills for politicians. Alistair gives us his thoughts on the deeply divisive nature of referendums, including his take on Brexit and the inherent problems with a hard border. He talks about the success of his memoir, ‘Back from the Brink', which spent 1,000 days at number 1. He also divulges why he wouldn't write another book for fear of picking fights. Now away from frontline politics, we pose the question: would you be quick to return if there were to be another Scottish referendum? His answer may surprise you. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

In the latest volume of his diaries, out this week, Alastair Campbell (former Director of Communications for Tony Blair) looks back on Gordon Brown's time in office between 2007 and 2010. Ben met Alastair to discuss among other things the art of political leadership, Brexit, the state of the Labour Party and policies to combat mental illness. Listen from 5:17. This month marked 10 years since the 2008 financial crisis, an event that still weighs heavily on political systems across the world. Agnes visited London's Guildhall to discuss the aftermath of the crash with Alistair Darling (former Chancellor of the Exchequer), who was speaking at an event organised by Chatham House's Global Economy and Finance Department. Listen from 35:47. Read the book: Alastair Campbell Diaries Volume 7: From Crash to Defeat 2007-2010 Find out more about the event: A Decade on from the Financial Crisis: the Legacy and Lessons of 2008 We apologise for the sound quality at the start of this episode, please stick with it - it improves!

In the latest volume of his diaries, out this week, Alastair Campbell (former Director of Communications for Tony Blair) looks back on Gordon Brown's time in office between 2007 and 2010. Ben met Alastair to discuss among other things the art of political leadership, Brexit, the state of the Labour Party and policies to combat mental illness. Listen from 5:17. This month marked 10 years since the 2008 financial crisis, an event that still weighs heavily on political systems across the world. Agnes visited London's Guildhall to discuss the aftermath of the crash with Alistair Darling (former Chancellor of the Exchequer), who was speaking at an event organised by Chatham House's Global Economy and Finance Department. Listen from 35:47. Read the book: Alastair Campbell Diaries Volume 7: From Crash to Defeat 2007-2010 Find out more about the event: A Decade on from the Financial Crisis: the Legacy and Lessons of 2008 We apologise for the sound quality at the start of this episode, please stick with it - it improves!

This event was recorded live at The RSA on Monday 11th September 2017 As UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling was involved at the highest levels from the outset of the financial crisis, through the heart of the storm, and played a leading role in restoring stability to global financial markets. 10 years on from the collapse of the Northern Rock bank, an early signal of the global crash to come, he reflects on what we have and haven’t learned from the crisis, how vulnerable we remain, and what we have to do next to shape a fairer future prosperity. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2017/09/10-years-after-the-crash

In a special episode recorded at the Edinburgh festival, Matt is joined by former Chancellor Alistair Darling. Alistair was Chancellor of the Exchequer during the most turbulent period since the war, and also at the centre of another major event – leading the campaign against Scottish independence referendum of 2014. For tickets to Matt Forde's Live dates go to www.mattforde.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Alistair Darling, talks about the current economic and political climate at the 2017 Henry Grunfeld Lecture.

What makes a former Labour Party spin doctor make the decision to support Scottish independence? Simon Pia, once close to Better Together leader Alistair Darling and other leading party figures, has concluded that Scotland must take the leap, and he is ready to support a second referendum. He visited our podcast studio to explain the reasoning behind his decision to host Derek Bateman, citing Labour’s disengagement from its voters and supporters. Simon, former journalist and now a regular broadcast pundit, believes Labour has no-one to blame but itself for the predicament. He explains the dilemmas facing many Labour members and supporters, both at UK level and in Scotland. He reflects on some of his work for the party, and what happened as its support went into decline. And he admits he voted “no” in 2014 with a heavy heart. This is an open and forthright chat that reflects the heart of a Labour supporters unease with Scottish politics, and the journey that many are on, one way or another on the constitutional road. To play the interview, press the audio file above, or download it from your usual podcast service.

Our correspondents are joined by Alistair Darling and Michael Dobbs, the creator of "House of Cards", to consider the aftermath of Britain's general election See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our correspondents are joined by Alistair Darling and Michael Dobbs, the creator of "House of Cards", to consider the aftermath of Britain's general election See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Social media companies have tried to stop the distribution of the video of James Foley's execution by blocking the accounts of those who shared it. The clip, posted by the group IS, sparked a debate about the ethics of sharing the content. To try and stifle the message, hashtags like #ISISmediaBlackout emerged to starve IS of coverage, and it quickly gained traction. Steve Hewlett talks to Hend Amry, the Syrian activist who instigated the hashtag, and Professor Peter Neumann, the director of the International Center for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London, about the role social media is playing in the spread of jihadist activity.A report has found how at least 1,400 children were subjected to appalling sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. In September 2012, Andrew Norfolk, a journalist on The Times newspaper, published an investigation which revealed a confidential 2010 police report had warned thousands of such crimes were being committed in South Yorkshire each year by networks of Asian men. We speak to Andrew about the challenges he faced in covering the story. Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Better Together leader Alistair Darling went head-to-head in their second televised referendum debate this week on the BBC. It's been been criticised by some for descending in to a slanging match, with poor moderation and too much audience response. Steve Hewlett talks to John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde about whether such debates influences voting behaviour. And he discusses challenges of staging events with John Mullin, the BBC's referendum editor, and John McAndrew, who was in charge of the first ever live Sky News Leaders' debate in 2010.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

We're joined this week by Alistair Darling, Benedict Brogan and Janet Daley

Former chancellor of the exchequer Alistair Darling talked to Property Week about the 2007-08 banking crisis, his conversations with US treasury secretary Hank Paulson, and what it was like to be woken up with an “unbelievable” call about the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. In a 25-minute audio interview at Portcullis House (listen below), marking the […] The post Recovery Special Podcast: Alistair Darling on dark days at Downing Street and Lehman Brothers’ “unbelievable” collapse appeared first on The Property Week Podcast.

After almost three years of scraping along the bottom, the United Kingdom seems to be showing signs of an economic recovery from the deep recession that followed the financial crisis in 2008-09. Hardtalk is in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, to talk to Britain's former Chancellor Alistair Darling. His Labour Party was in charge when the crisis hit. Can he admit that the government's economic plans might be working? And can he stop Scotland voting to leave the United Kingdom next year, as he takes charge of the No To Independence campaign?Picture: Alistair Darling, Credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Lesley chaired sessions at the 2013 COSLA  Conference in St Andrews. She reports back from a conference where the architect of the ‘Bedroom Tax’, Lord Freud delivered a presentation and where Nicola Sturgeon ‘debated’ with Alistair Darling; in the first clash of the political heavyweights. She gives you some of the colour and atmosphere of these particular sessions. You may well get annoyed as Lesley by some of the attitudes. Finally, Lesley and Andy Wightman were invited to take part in a ‘Comrie Conversation’; a community that came together to talk about ‘independence’ at the grassroots.

For the 17th episode of the For A' That podcast, Andrew and I were joined by Lynda Williamson from the Newsnet Scotland site, and whom you may know as snowthistle.Up for discussion were Alistair Darling's problems with constitutions, why Lynda is considering going Green or not and the call for election observers to be brought in to observe the Scottish Referendum. We also talked about what difference it might make if they do come.This led on to a discussion of how the media influences people in their political opinions.We talked about our hopes for making Richard Branson just go away. This was part of a wider discussion on the oft-repeated (and not just in Scotland) claim that higher taxes would make business leaders leave the country.Andrew also had an interesting question as to whether or not public figures should be held to higher moral standards than mere mortals such as you and I. Finally, we talked about something silly we all got in our mailshots this week.

Alistair Darling takes a tour of the University's

UK specific: 1. ITV won't partner with Hulu and YouTube - http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/itv-has-no-plans-for-youtube-and-hulu-6778842. Virgin Media subscribers love the iPlayer - http://www.cable.co.uk/news/virgin-media-subscribers-embrace-the-iplayer-19678506/3. Sky Announces 3D TV Channel open date - http://www.cable.co.uk/news/sky-confirms-3d-digital-tv-launch-date-19679171/4. Sky coming to Freeview? - http://www.cable.co.uk/news/sky-could-offer-digital-tv-channels-via-freeview-19680569/5. UPDATE: 200Mbps virgin media broadband within a few years - http://www.cable.co.uk/news/virgin-media-to-launch-200mbps-broadband-in-a-few-years-19681744/6. Alistair Darling promises broadband for everyone with 2010 budget - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8584873.stm7. Freeview live in Western UK - http://www.dtg.org.uk/news/news.php?class=countries&subclass=0&id=3704General news:1. Apple opens the floodgates to iPad Apps, March 27th deadline - http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/191957/apple_sets_march_27_deadline_for_first_ipad_apps.html2. XP won't support IE9 - http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2259724/xp-support-ie-microsoft3. Google stops censoring in China. China censors Google. - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/technology/24google.html?ref=technology4. Opera mini coming to an iPhone near you - http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/opera-mini-browser-coming-to-an-iphone-near-you/5. Kindle App coming to the iPad - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000490441Email us! Our email address is at the end of the podcast!

With an election looming, and little fiscal room for manoeuvre, the FT analyses Alistair Darling's 2010 Budget. With Chris Giles, Nick Timmins and Chris Cook. Presented by Robert Shrimsley See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Three FT experts give their views on Alistair Darling's pre-Budget report. With Chris Giles, Nick Timmins and Patrick Jenkins See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Who are the winners and losers from the new measures announced by Alistair Darling in today's pre-Budget report? Matthew Vincent talks to three tax experts about the tax increases for high earners, pension contributions, tax credits and the benefits available to small businesses See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.