Podcasts about obr

Brendan joins us once again for this go-round of the OBR release.  Enjoy!

Nezlomný, přímý a ochotný riskovat všechno!EisKingpedii přináší Nakladatelství Slovart a v této epizodě se podíváme příběh Nikiho Laudy – trojnásobného mistra světa, který přežil peklo Nürburgringu, vrátil se za 42 dní zpět do kokpitu a o titul přišel o jediný bod. Muže, který nebyl miláčkem davů, ale symbolem disciplíny, analýzy a neochvějné vůle. Od dluhů a odporu rodiny přes Ferrari a legendární souboj s Jamesem Huntem až po půlbodový triumf nad Alainem Prostem a roli v éře dominance Mercedesu.Obrázky k tématu dané epizody najdete zde:  https://www.instagram.com/za_horizontem_podcast/

This week on The Tax Factor, Malli Kini and Neil Insull begin with a roundup of the Top 3 tax stories making headlines, setting the scene for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking episode. They then turn to the Mark Glen vs HMRC case, examining the tax treatment of female hair loss businesses and the broader implications for medical expense claims. The discussion also covers the Miss Odina financial abuse story, highlighting the tax considerations involved and the wider issues it raises, before analysing why reports of an OBR document being accessed ahead of its official publication matters for transparency and public trust. The episode concludes with a look at the latest developments surrounding loan charge settlement terms, explaining what affected taxpayers should be aware of and how HMRC’s approach continues to evolve.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the latest in my series of podcasts explaining how economics works in the credit crunch and now virus pandemic era. This week I give my thoughts on DP is said to have grown only marginally (say 0.1-0.2%), is it possible that in fact it declined, because the ONS understated inflation by a margin greater than the claimed growth? what proportion of the increase in retail sales in the UK, as reported today, is down to gold purchases. Also previous month? What are your views on Robert Jenrick's appointment, Shaun, and in his speech this week? Reforming rather than abolishing the OBR, narrowing the BoE's remit but retaining its independence, reinstating the two-child cap, retaining the triple lock etc

It is Robert Jenrick's big day out today. The newly-minted Reform ‘shadow chancellor' made his first speech this morning, where he had the chance to show what kind of chancellor he would be and – sporting a snazzy pair of specs – he had plenty of soothing words to calm the jitters of the bond markets.The top news lines from his presser was his decision to kill Reform's two-child benefit cap – Nigel Farage's big offer to Labour voters last summer – and the announcement that he he would support the independence of the OBR and the Bank of England. Is this a missed opportunity for Reform UK? Oscar Edmondson speaks to Michael Simmons and Tim Shipman. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are live at the A.I. Impact summit in New Delhi where Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch tells CNBC that a large proportion of enterprise software could end up heavily disrupted by artificial intelligence. German chemicals giant Bayer settles a $7.25bn litigation deal regarding of thousands of lawsuits over the roundup weedkiller. The agreement has pushed shares up by more than 7 per cent at yesterday's market close in Europe. The Reform UK party is to launch its plans for the OBR and the BoE later today but the central bank's independence is not up for discussion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Opravdu jste si mysleli, že největší drama Formule 1 se odehrává v první zatáčce po startu?EisKingpedii přináší Nakladatelství Slovart a v této epizodě se vydáme na jízdy, které se neodehrály v ideální stopě. Podíváme se na vztahy pilotů Formule 1, které zasáhly do jejich kariér, výkonů i toho, jak byli vnímáni okolím. Od divokých časů Jamese Hunta, přes emočně složité období Lewise Hamiltona, až po milostný trojúhelník Maxe Verstappena.Lásky, rozchody, náhrady a tiché výměny, které bolely víc než ztracené místo na startu. Příběhy, které se odehrávaly mimo trať, ale jejich dopad byl na trati často velmi dobře vidět.Protože ve Formuli 1 se někdy nejezdí mimo ideální stopu jen v závodě, ale i v životě. A pokud Vás životní osudy zajímají ještě víc do hloubky, tak na stránkách Nakladatelství Slovart najdete knihy s příběhy, které přesahují hranice paddocku F1.Obrázky k tématu dané epizody najdete zde: https://www.instagram.com/za_horizontem_podcast/Staň sa našim PILOTOM na celú sezónu alebo MECHANIKOM na mesiac a využívaj množstvo benefitov. Viac na eisking.tv

Oh man, all the hype was well deserved. Midwinter Mayhem was a blast. Great friendships, great games. And the best part? Roma green lit my OBR side hustle.

5.Mojžišova 10,1-9 1 V tom čase mi Hospodin povedal: ‚Vykreš dve kamenné tabule, ako boli prvé, vystúp ku mne na vrch a urob si drevenú archu. 2 Ja napíšem na tabule slová, čo boli na prvých tabuliach, ktoré si rozbil, a vlož ich do archy.‘ 3 Urobil som teda archu z akáciového dreva, vykresal som dve kamenné tabule, ako tie prvé, a vystúpil som na vrch s oboma tabuľami v rukách. 4 Hospodin napísal na tabule to isté, čo bolo na prvých tabuliach, desať výrokov, ktoré vám Hospodin povedal v deň zhromaždenia zo stredu ohňa, a potom mi ich dal. 5 Obrátil som sa a zostúpil som z vrchu. Tabule som uložil do archy, ktorú som urobil. Sú tam, ako mi prikázal Hospodin. 6 Potom Izraeliti odišli z Beerót-Bené-Jaakánu do Mosery. Tam Áron zomrel a tam ho aj pochovali. Kňazskú službu namiesto neho vykonával jeho syn Eleazár. 7 Odtiaľ pokračovali do Gudgody a z Gudgody do Jotbaty, do kraja vodných tokov. 8 V tom čase oddelil Hospodin Léviho kmeň, aby nosil archu Hospodinovej zmluvy a slúžil Hospodinovi a požehnával v jeho mene, ako je to dnes. 9 Preto Lévi nedostal podiel ani dedičstvo ako jeho bratia. Sám Hospodin je jeho dedičným podielom, ako mu povedal Hospodin, tvoj Boh. Boh, ktorý obnovuje zmluvu. Biblický text z Piatej knihy Mojžišovej nás vracia k momentu obnovy zmluvy medzi Bohom a Izraelom. Mojžiš dostáva príkaz, aby zhotovil nové dosky Zákona a truhlu, do ktorej budú vložené. Ide o odpoveď Božej milosti na nevernosť ľudu – prvé dosky boli rozbité kvôli hriechu klaňaniu sa zlatému teľaťu (2M 32). Boh však Svojmu ľudu dáva druhú šancu. Zákon sa vracia ako znak obnoveného vzťahu medzi ľudom a Bohom. – – Truhla zmluvy, ktorú Mojžiš pripravil, sa stáva miestom Božej prítomnosti. Je to viac, než len schránka na dosky – je to svedectvo o vernosti Boha, ktorý je ochotný obnoviť Svoj ľud. A spoločne so službou Levítov, ktorých Boh oddelil na nesenie truhly a na požehnávanie v Jeho mene, vidíme, že Božia blízkosť je spojená aj so službou a oddanosťou. Levíti nedostali dedičstvo ako ostatné izraelské kmene – ich dedičstvom je sám Hospodin. – – Skúsme sa aj my spýtať samých seba: Čo je pre nás druhou šancou dnes? Čo je miestom a svedectvom o prítomnosti Božej? Je to majetok, uznanie, alebo je to sám Boh zjavený v Ježišovi Kristovi, ktorý nás pozýva do spoločenstva a služby Jemu? Modlitba: Pane, ďakujeme Ti, že si Bohom druhých šancí. Obnov v nás aj dnes túžbu niesť Tvoje slovo a stáť pred Tebou v službe aj v našich rodinách. Daj, nech si naším dedičstvom a zdrojom nášho požehnania Ty! Amen. Pieseň: ES 493 Autor: Matúš Korenko Izraeliti volali k Hospodinovi o pomoc a Hospodin im poslal záchrancu, ktorý ich vyslobodil. Sudcov 3,9 Nestrácajte dôveru, lebo bude bohato odmenená. Hebrejom 10,35 2.Korinťanom 3,(9-11)12-18 •  Modlíme sa za: Liptovská Porúbka (LOS) Otázky na rozjímanie: Ako dnes prežívam Božiu milosť, ktorá obnovuje zmluvu aj po mojom zlyhaní a rozbití prvých tabúľ? Čo pre mňa znamená prijať Boha ako svoje jediné dedičstvo, podobne ako Levítov, namiesto hľadania pozemských podielov? Ako môžem dnes byť nositeľom Božej prítomnosti v službe a požehnaní pre svoju rodinu a blízkych? Dnes som vďačný za tieto 3 veci: _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ Viac o vďačnosti, čo to je, prečo je dôležité byť vďačný, ako praktizovať vďačnosť nájdeš na blogu

FEBRUÁR Heslo mesiaca: Raduj sa zo všetkého dobrého, čo Hospodin, tvoj Boh, dal tebe a tvojmu domu. 5.Mojžišova 26,11  Nedeľa Deviatnik – SEPTUAGESIMA Nad tebou vyjde Hospodin a Jeho sláva sa zjaví nad tebou. Izaiáš 60,2b Zjavenie 1,9-18 9 Ja, Ján, váš brat a spoločník v súžení, kráľovstve a vytrvalosti v Ježišovi, bol som pre Božie slovo a svedectvo o Ježišovi na ostrove Patmos. 10 V Pánov deň som bol vo vytržení ducha a počul som za sebou mohutný zvuk ako hlas poľnice, 11 ktorý hovoril: „Čo vidíš, napíš do knihy a pošli siedmim cirkvám: do Efezu, Smyrny, Pergama, Tyatír, Sárd, Filadelfie a do Laodicey.“ 12 Obrátil som sa, aby som pozoroval hlas, ktorý ku mne hovoril. A keď som sa obrátil, videl som sedem zlatých svietnikov 13 a uprostred svietnikov akoby Syna človeka, oblečeného do dlhého rúcha a cez prsia prepásaného zlatým pásom. 14 Hlavu a vlasy mal biele ako biela vlna, ako sneh, a oči ako plameň ohňa. 15 Nohy mal podobné bronzu rozžeravenému v peci, jeho hlas bol ako hučanie mnohých vôd. 16 V pravej ruke mal sedem hviezd, z jeho úst vychádzal ostrý dvojsečný meč a jeho tvár bola, ako keď slnko svieti v plnej sile. 17 Keď som ho uvidel, padol som mu k nohám ako mŕtvy. On položil na mňa pravicu a povedal: „Neboj sa! Ja som Prvý a Posledný 18 a Živý. Bol som mŕtvy a hľa, žijem na veky vekov a mám kľúče smrti a podsvetia. Neboj sa! Apoštol Ján bol uväznený a vyhnaný na ostrov Patmos, aby sa oslabil jeho vplyv na cirkev. V deň Pánov bol v prorockom videní vtiahnutý za hranice reality a nazrel do nebeských tajomstiev. Videl sedem zlatých svietnikov a uprostred nich Pána v oslávenom tele zaodiateho Božou slávou. Dostal od Neho príkaz zapísať všetko a poslať siedmim cirkevným zborom. Tie sa nachádzali na okružnej poštovej ceste zo západu na východ. Každé mesto symbolicky odzrkadľovalo duchovný stav cirkvi v jednotlivých obdobiach dejín. Sedem cirkevných zborov predstavuje cirkev v jej plnosti. Posolstvo adresované Jánovým súčasníkom je aktuálne aj dnes. Platí pre teba, pre mňa, pre celú cirkev. Pán Ježiš hovorí: „Neboj sa! Ja som prvý aj posledný a živý na veky vekov.“ On žije i ja budem žiť s Ním teraz, v časnosti, aj potom vo večnosti. Neboj sa, len ver! Modlitba: Ďakujem Ti, Pane Ježišu, že si zomrel za mňa a za moje hriechy. Ďakujem, že žiješ a že s Tebou žije celá Tvoja cirkev. Prosím, daj, aby som žila podľa Tvojej vôle a aby som mala večný život s Tebou, v Tebe! Amen. Pieseň: ES 132 Autor: Milica Jozafova Vaše milosrdenstvo je ako ranný oblak alebo ako rosa, čo sa hneď stratí. Ozeáš 6,4 Ježiš hovorí: „Zostaňte v Mojej láske!“ Ján 15,9 Matúš 17,1-9 • 2.Korinťanom 4,6-10 • 2.Mojžišova 3,1-8a(8b.9)10(11-12)13-14(15) • Žalm 97 •  Modlíme sa za: Rimavský seniorát Otázky na rozjímanie: Ako dnes počujem Ježišov hlas „Neboj sa!“ uprostred mojich osobných Patmosov a súžení? Čo pre mňa znamená žiť v prítomnosti Osláveného Pána, ktorý drží kľúče smrti a podsvetia? Ako môžem dnes svietiť ako svietnik pre svoje okolie, keď viem, že Živý Pán je uprostred svojej Cirkvi? Dnes som vďačný za tieto 3 veci: _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ Viac o vďačnosti, čo to je, prečo je dôležité byť vďačný, ako praktizovať vďačnosť nájdeš na blogu

5.Mojžišova 9,7-21 7 Pamätaj na to a nezabúdaj, ako si hneval Hospodina, svojho Boha, na púšti. Odvtedy, ako ste vyšli z Egypta, až kým ste neprišli na toto miesto, priečili ste sa Hospodinovi. 8 Rozhnevali ste Hospodina na Horebe. Hospodin sa tak nahneval na vás, že vás chcel vyhubiť. 9 Keď som vystúpil na vrch, aby som prevzal kamenné tabule zmluvy, ktorú Hospodin uzavrel s vami, zostal som na vrchu štyridsať dní a štyridsať nocí. Chlieb som nejedol a vodu som nepil. 10 Hospodin mi dal dve kamenné tabule napísané Božím prstom a na nich boli všetky slová, ktoré vám v deň zhromaždenia povedal Hospodin na vrchu zo stredu ohňa. 11 Po štyridsiatich dňoch a štyridsiatich nociach mi Hospodin dal obidve kamenné tabule, tabule zmluvy. 12 Hospodin mi povedal: ‚Vstaň, rýchlo zostúp, lebo tvoj ľud, ktorý si vyviedol z Egypta, robí zle. Veľmi skoro odbočili z cesty, ktorú som im určil; zhotovili si liatu modlu.‘ 13 Ďalej mi Hospodin povedal: ‚Vidím, že tento ľud je naozaj tvrdošijný. 14 Nechaj ma, ja ich vyhubím a vymažem ich meno pod nebom. Z teba však urobím národ mocnejší a početnejší, než sú oni.‘ 15 Obrátil som sa a zostúpil z vrchu, kým vrch planul ohňom. V rukách som mal dve tabule zmluvy. 16 Zrazu som videl, že ste zhrešili proti Hospodinovi, svojmu Bohu. Odliali ste si sochu teľaťa. Veľmi skoro ste odbočili z cesty, ktorú vám určil Hospodin, váš Boh. 17 Schytil som obe tabule, hodil som ich na zem a pred vami som ich rozbil. 18 Potom som sa pred Hospodinom vrhol na zem ako predtým a štyridsať dní a štyridsať nocí som nejedol chlieb a nepil vodu pre všetky vaše hriechy, ktorých ste sa dopustili, keď ste robili, čo je zlé pred Hospodinom a hnevali ste ho. 19 Bál som sa totiž hnevu a rozhorčenia, ktorými Hospodin zahorel proti vám, takže vás chcel vyhubiť. Hospodin ma však i teraz vypočul. 20 Aj na Árona sa Hospodin veľmi nahneval a chcel ho zahubiť. Za Árona som sa vtedy tiež modlil. 21 Vzal som teľa, výtvor vášho hriechu, čo ste si zhotovili, spálil som ho, a dôkladne roztĺkol a rozdrvil na jemný prach. Potom som prach vysypal do potoka, ktorý tečie z vrchu. Pamätaj! Poučenie, varovanie, rada starších mladším, učiteľov žiakom, rodičov deťom. Aj Mojžiš tak hovorí k Izraelcom. Boží ľud označuje ozaj tvrdo – tvrdohlavý. Nedáva im však len zrkadlo, ale ukazuje aj na kľúčové Božie konanie a charakter. – – 1. Pamätať majú na Božie skutky. – Ľud totiž nebol Bohu verný. Hneval Ho, zabúdal na Neho a odvracal sa od Neho. Keď Mojžiša dlho nebolo, ľud uctieval zlaté teľa. Keď sa nasýtil manny a prepelíc, naďalej reptal. No Boh sa od nich neodvrátil. Staral sa o nich, viedol ich, aj ich vychovával. Veď zničené dosky Zákona boli obnovené a ľud sa do zasľúbenej krajiny dostal. Pamätať je teda nevyhnutné – na Božie činy milosť a vernosť – aj voči nám. – – 2. Pamätať na to, že všetko dobré je Boží dar. Ľud požehnanie od Boha podmienil svojou spravodlivosťou. Mojžiš ich uvádza na pravú mieru (5M 9,5-6). Božia milosť – to nie je odmena za naše skutky, ale dar milosti, ako píše i apoštol Pavol (Ef 2,8-9). – – 3. Nebáť sa spadnúť a vstať. Pády ich mohli odradiť. Mojžiš im však pripomína Božiu vernosť a Boh ju potvrdzuje zmluvou i činmi. Keď sme Bohu neverní, On zostáva verný. Dvíha nás, podopiera, ide nám prvý v ústrety vo Svojom Synovi i Duchu Svätom. – – Ako Boh konal v tvojom prípade? Pamätaj na Jeho milosť, lásku i vernosť! No pozor na tvrdohlavosť! Vyber si pokoru, vďaku a dôveru. Modlitba: Bože, ďakujeme Ti za trpezlivosť, ktorú máš s našimi tvrdými hlavami! Vkladám sa do Tvojich rúk, aby si mohol premieňať moje srdce, moje zmýšľanie a moju vôľu. Amen. Pieseň: ES 355 Autor: Gabriela Gdovinová Potešil si ma, Hospodin, Svojimi skutkami; plesám nad dielami Tvojich rúk. Žalm 92,5 Ochrnutý vyskočil, postavil sa a chodil; vošiel s nimi do chrámu, prechádzal sa, skákal a chválil Boha. Skutky apoštolov 3,8 Zjavenie 15,1-4 •  Modlíme sa za: Liptovská Kokava (LOS) Otázky na rozjímanie: Ako dnes spomínam na Božie verné skutky v mojich pádoch, aby som si vybral pokoru namiesto tvrdohlavosti? Čo ma láka zabudnúť na Božiu milosť a pripísať úspech svoje skutky, namiesto vďy za dar? Ako môžem dnes žiť vďačnosťou a dôverou, keď viem, že Boh dvíha a podopiera aj po mojom neposlušnosti? Dnes som vďačný za tieto 3 veci: _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ Viac o vďačnosti, čo to je, prečo je dôležité byť vďačný, ako praktizovať vďačnosť nájdeš na blogu

Ai slop as usual for shownotes. If HKJ pays me some of those HKDs then I'll maybe make an effort. Until then, eat your robot kibble and enjoy the show! Australia Day tensions at home and political shocks abroad drive this packed episode of The Two Jacks. Joel (Jack the Insider) and Hong Kong Jack unpack the Liberal–National implosion, leadership manoeuvring, hate‑speech laws and neo‑Nazi “martyrs” springing from Australia Day rallies and a near‑catastrophic device in Perth. They then cross to the US for the fallout from the ICE killing of Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretty, Kristi Noem's precarious future, Trump's political instincts, and Mark Carney's Davos warning that we now live in a world with “no rules.” Along the way they dissect Brexit's economic hangover, EU over‑regulation, India's Republic Day contrast with Australia's low‑key national day, and finish with sport: Premier League title nerves, Australian Open heat controversies, bushfires, and a final detour through film censorship trivia in Ireland.00:00 – Theme and intro00:25 – Welcome back to The Two Jacks; Joel (Jack the Insider) in Australia and Hong Kong Jack set the scene for episode 142, recorded 27 January, the day after Australia Day.​Australian politics and the Liberal–National implosion00:40 – Coalition “no more”: the decoupling of Liberals and Nationals, and whether Anthony Albanese is the Stephen Bradbury of Australian politics or a quiet tactician.​01:10 – How Labor's racial vilification moves and 18C history boxed the opposition in; Susan Ley's failed emergency‑sitting gambit on antisemitism laws.​02:00 – Firearms law changes and new powers to ban hate groups like Hizb ut‑Tahrir and the National Socialist Network, and the role of ASIO referrals and ministerial discretion.​03:10 – Canavan's “slippery slope” fears about bans being turned on mainstream groups, and what that reveals about the Nationals' hunger for anti‑immigration rhetoric under pressure from One Nation and Pauline Hanson.​Centre‑right parties in a squeeze04:00 – The Nationals as the “five‑percenters” who pull the coalition's agenda with a small vote share; listener Bassman calls them the “un‑Nationals.”​05:00 – Global “tough times” for centre‑right parties: the pincer between moving to the centre (and leaving a vacuum for far‑right populists) or moving right and losing the middle.​05:40 – Hong Kong Jack's argument for broad churches: keeping everyone from sensible One Nation types to inner‑city wets under one tent, as Labor did with its far‑left “fruit loops” in the 1980s.​07:00 – Decline of small‑l liberals inside the Liberal Party, the thinning ranks of progressive conservatives, and the enduring “sprinkling of nuts” on the hard right.​Leadership spills and who's next07:20 – Susan Ley's lonely press conferences, Ted O'Brien's silence, and the air of inevitability about a leadership spill before or by budget time.​08:20 – Why the leadership needs “strength at the top”: the Gareth Evans line to Hawke – “the dogs are pissing on your swag” – as a metaphor for knowing when to go.​09:20 – Conversation about Angus Taylor, Andrew Hastie, Ted O'Brien and even Tim Wilson as possible leaders, and why the wrong timing can make almost anyone opposition leader.​10:40 – History lesson: unlikely leaders who flourished, from Henry Bolte in Victoria to Albanese, once dismissed by his own colleagues as a long shot.​11:40 – Albanese's long apprenticeship: learning from Howard's cautious style and the Rudd–Gillard chaos, and his instinct for the national mood.​Listener mail: Nationals, Barnaby and “public bar” politicians13:00 – Listener Lawrence compares One Nation to Britain's Reform Party; asks if Barnaby Joyce's baggage (drought envoy rorts, “Watergate,” drunken footpath photo) undermines his retail skills.​14:20 – Debating whether Barnaby ever was the “best retail politician” in the country; why he works brilliantly in rural and regional pubs but is “poison in the cities.”​16:10 – The “public bar” politician ideal: Barnaby as hail‑fellow‑well‑met who genuinely likes the people he's talking to, contrasted with Whitlam and Fraser looking awkward in 1970s pub photo ops.​17:20 – John Howard scrounging a fiver to shout a round, Barry Jones dying in Warrnambool pubs, and why Bob Hawke and Tony Abbott always looked at home with a schooner.​Australia Day, antisemitism and street violence18:00 – Australia Day wrap: The Australian newspaper's “social cohesion crisis” framing after antisemitism, violence and extremist rhetoric.​19:10 – Perth's rudimentary explosive device: ball bearings and screws around a liquid in a glass “coffee cup” thrown into an Invasion Day crowd at Forrest Place; police clear the area quickly.​21:00 – Melbourne: small March for Australia turnout, scuffles between their supporters and Invasion Day marchers, arrests likely to follow.​22:10 – Sydney: March for Australia rally of around 2,000 ending at Moore Park, open mic session, and the selection of a man wearing a Celtic cross shirt who launches into a vile antisemitic rant.​23:20 – His subsequent arrest in Darlinghurst and the Section 93Z charge (publicly threatening or inciting violence on racial or religious grounds), with possible three‑year jail term and $11,000 fine.​24:40 – Why the speech appears to meet the elements of the offence, and how such defendants are quickly turned into martyrs and crowdfunding heroes by the extreme right.​26:10 – The psychology of self‑styled martyrs seeking notoriety and donations; parallels with “Free Joel Davis” signs after threats to MP Allegra Spender.​Australia Day vs India's Republic Day27:20 – Australia Day clashing with India's Republic Day: Joel only just realises the overlap; Jack has known for years.​28:00 – History recap: Australia Day as a 1930s invention, not a national holiday until Keating's government in 1995; its big cultural take‑off in the 1988 Bicentennial year.​29:10 – India's enormous Republic Day parade: 10,000+ guests, missiles and tanks on show, EU leaders in attendance, congratulations from President Trump and President Xi – easily out‑shining Australia's low‑key day.​30:00 – Why big military parades feel culturally wrong in Australia; the discomfort with tanks and squeaky‑wheeled machinery rolling down main streets.​30:30 – The 26 January date debate: protests by Invasion Day marchers vs “flag shaggers,” plateauing protest numbers, and the sense that for most Australians it's just another day off.​31:20 – Arguments for a different nation‑building day (maybe early January for a built‑in long weekend), and the need for a better way to celebrate Australia's achievements without performative patriotism.​32:40 – Local citizenship ceremonies, Australia Day ambassadors and quiet country‑town rituals that still work well in spite of the culture war.​Minneapolis outrage, ICE shootings and US politics34:20 – Turning to the United States: the shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretty by ICE agents in Minneapolis and the shock it has injected into US domestic politics.​34:50 – Video evidence vs official narrative: Pretty appears to be disarmed before being shot; the administration initially claiming he was planning a massacre of ICE agents.​35:40 – Trump's early blame of Democrat officials and policies, then a noticeable shift as outrage spreads more broadly across the political spectrum and the Insurrection Act chatter cools.​36:20 – Tom Homan's deployment to Minneapolis, the demotion of Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, and reports that Homan will now report directly to President Trump rather than Kristi Noem.​37:10 – Internal GOP friction: suggestions Noem relished confrontation, while Homan did not; speculation Noem may be the first cabinet‑level casualty.​38:00 – Use of children as bait in immigration operations, American citizens detained, and two civilians shot dead by ICE; discussion of likely multi‑million‑dollar compensation exposure.​39:00 – Allegations of bribery and “missing 50 large,” the checkered backgrounds of some ICE agents and rumours about extremist links and failed cops finding a home in ICE.​40:00 – A snap YouGov poll: 46% of respondents wanting ICE disbanded, 41% opposed, and how this feeds the narrative that Noem will be thrown under the bus.​Sanctuary cities, federal power and Pam Bondi's letter41:10 – Trump's boastful but error‑strewn talk on Article 5 of the NATO treaty, and his correction that still belittled allies' sacrifices in Afghanistan.​41:40 – Casualties by nation: US 2,461, then significant losses from the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Australia, Poland, Spain and others – disproving Trump's “America alone” framing.​42:30 – Sanctuary cities vs federal supremacy: recalling the 2012 Arizona case where the Supreme Court confirmed immigration enforcement as a federal responsibility, and how that collides with sanctuary policies.​43:10 – Pam Bondi's letter to Minnesota's governor after the second ICE killing: reported threat to pull ICE agents in exchange for electoral records, and the ominous implications of such demands.​Greenland, Davos and market games44:00 – Trump's Greenland obsession revisited: from bluster at Davos about tariffs on European allies to a supposed “deal” that no‑one, including the Danes, can define.​44:40 – How tariff threats knocked markets down, then his Davos announcement walked them back and sent markets up; Ted Cruz warning Trump that crashing 401(k)s and high inflation would make the midterms a bloodbath.​45:40 – Japan and the US bond market: a brief panic in Japanese bonds, a Danish super fund's sale of US Treasuries, and the longer‑term vulnerability given that Japan, China and the EU hold so much US debt.​46:30 – Trump's relentless pressure on the Fed for lower rates in an inflationary environment, and the comparison with Erdogan's disastrous low‑rate, high‑inflation experiment in Turkey.​Davos speeches and a world with no rules47:10 – Mark Carney's standout Davos speech: we now live in a geopolitical environment with “no rules,” and the post‑WWII rules‑based order has largely broken down.​47:50 – Carney's planned March visit to Australia and likely address to a joint sitting of Parliament, plus his reputation as a sharp, articulate central banker.​48:20 – Hong Kong Jack's scepticism about “international law” as more fiction than practice; non‑Western powers paying lip service while ignoring it in reality.​49:00 – The German Chancellor's more consequential Davos speech on EU failures, competitiveness, and the need to reinvent Europe, backed in by Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.​49:40 – The “Sir Humphrey” view of the EU: you can only reform Brussels from the inside, not from outside as Brexit Britain is discovering.​Brexit's economic hit50:10 – Chancellor Mertz's critique of EU over‑regulation and the “world champions at regulation” line; the EU as an anti‑competitive behemoth that lost its free‑trade roots.​50:50 – Why countries like Spain struggle alone but “pack a punch” within the EU's collective GDP; Brexit as a decision to leave the world's biggest trading bloc.​51:20 – UK Office for Budget Responsibility analysis: since the 2016 referendum, estimated UK GDP per capita by 2025 is 6–8% lower than it would have been, with investment 12–18% lower and employment 3–4% lower than the “remain” counterfactual.​52:10 – How these losses emerged slowly, then accumulated as uncertainty persisted, trade barriers rose and firms diverted resources away from productive activity.​52:40 – Jack challenges the counterfactual: notes that actual UK GDP growth is only a couple of points below EU averages and doubts that UK governments would have outperformed Europe even without Brexit.​53:20 – Joel's rejoinder that the OBR work is widely accepted and that Brexit has created profound long‑term impacts on Britain's economy over the next 5–10 years.​Sport: cricket, Premier League and Australian Open heat55:20 – Australian cricket's depth: promising leg‑spinners and other talent juggling Shield cricket with gigs in the Caribbean Premier League, Pakistan Super League and more.​55:50 – Premier League title race: Arsenal's lead cut from seven to four points after a 3–2 loss to an invigorated Manchester United that also beat City in the derby.​56:30 – The “sugar hit” of a new coach at United, reverting to a more traditional style and the question of how long the bounce will last.​57:10 – Australian Open “Sinner controversy”: oppressive heat, the heat index rules for closing the roof, Jannik Sinner cooked at one set all before a pause, roof closure and air‑conditioning – and then a comfortable Sinner win.​58:00 – Accusations about coach Darren Cahill lobbying tournament boss Craig Tiley, and why the footage doesn't really support conspiracy theories.​58:30 – Djokovic's soft run after a walkover, the emergence of 19‑year‑old American Tien with Michael Chang in his box, and Chang's devout‑Christian clay‑court glory at Roland Garros.​59:20 – Heatwave conditions in southern Australia, fires in Victoria and the Otways/Jellibrand region, and a shout‑out to firefighters and residents under threat.​Final odds and ends01:00:20 – Closing thoughts on Australia's weather extremes, hoping for a wind change and some respite for the fireys.​01:00:50 – Jack's trivia nugget: Casablanca was once banned in Ireland for not being “sufficiently neutral” and not kind enough to the Nazis, segueing to bans on Lady Chatterley's Lover and Australian censorship history.​01:02:00 – Sign‑off from Joel (Jack the Insider) and Hong Kong Jack, promising to track the Perth bombing case, hate‑speech prosecutions, Canberra leadership moves and the unfolding Minneapolis/ICE scandal in future episodes.

Late last summer, Darren Tierney stepped into the newly created role of Permanent Secretary at a pivotal moment for the organisation. In a new episode of Statistically Speaking our host Miles Fletcher sits down with Darren to talk about what happens next.    TRANSCRIPT   MILES FLETCHER Hello and welcome to another episode of Statistically Speaking, the official podcast of the Office for National Statistics. I'm Miles Fletcher.   Now, if you've followed the UK news much over the past year, you'll know the ONS has been under more scrutiny than at any point in its history, questions about trust, priorities, its core economic data and whether the organisation has simply been trying to do too much at once, have all been very publicly aired.   Today's episode is about what happens next. Late last summer, Darren Tierney stepped into the newly created role of Permanent Secretary at a moment when some of the UK's most relied upon statistics, especially those based on the Labor Force Survey, were under real pressure. In this conversation, we'll talk about Darren's background in government, running large, complex public services and helping to craft and enact key policies. We'll explore how data has shaped his career so far, and what he found when he arrived at the ONS. We'll also dig into some of the hardest questions facing the organisation, and what absolutely has to be fixed first, what may need to stop, how user expectations are being balanced with that and how full confidence in official statistics can be restored. This isn't just an internal reset. What the ONS does and how well it does it matters to policymakers, businesses and the public alike. So join us as we talk about focus, priorities, and the road ahead.   So then Darren, to begin at the beginning, you're not an economist or statistician by profession yourself. What motivated you to take leadership of what is the central organisation in UK statistics?   DARREN TIERNEY Sure, well look as a non-statistician you can imagine I was a little bit daunted when this prospect first came along for precisely that reason.  I was kind of worried that maybe not being a statistician or an economist might be a real drawback but as I thought more about the job, and more about what was needed for the organisation at the time, and with the split of the roles, I thought actually, I can really help. But what really drew me to the role was that although I'm not a statistician, Iv'e been an avid consumer of ONS products for the 25 years that I've been a policy wonk in Whitehall. And going from a good policy professional to a great one, requires both access to good data and also a real understanding of it and knowing how to use it. And it's that background that kind of helped me and really got me into it, and so I saw it as a real opportunity to come and help an organisation that really couldn't be any more consequential for the UK.   MILES FLETCHER The Devereux review said that what was needed was someone with really serious operational experience, having run serious civil service operations, and you bring plenty of that. Could you just detail some of that? You've had a very strong rise, you know, through the ranks of the civil service. Just trace that for us, if you would.   DT Yeah. So I started life in what was the old Prescott empire of DETR, which was environment and transport in the regions as a policy wonk working on aviation. I then went and joined the Ministry of Justice, where I spent three years in the private offices of Harriet Harman, Jack Straw and Ken Clarke, and that kind of real frontline policy making, as it were, is the thing that I did a lot of in the first half of my career.   The second half of my career, which is much more relevant to the ONS, was centred around transformation and change. And again, I spent about 12 years or so in the MOJ, and my senior career there was about transforming systems and running big programs. And I went from there to international trade, just after the Referendum, where like a lot of officials at the time, I was quite keen to run to where the energy or the fire was after Brexit. But I didn't fancy working DExEU, and this new department called Trade seemed quite interesting. So I went there, and again, this was a kind of brand new department, and it grew from a few hundred people to about four and a half thousand. And so that kind of building and running the department as a strategy director for investments and exports,  I guess those two experiences in justice and trade are the two that I rely on most in this role.   MF So you spent time in the corridors of power then, the ministerial heights of the civil service, but also having to try and make the machine run efficiently as well, and to deliver public services and achieve policies in the real world. What role has data played in that? And what sort of statistics were you using? What sort of insights were you getting? Can you share some experiences of how that's shaped your career, and your understanding, particularly of the job in hand here at the ONS.   DT Sure, I guess the job where it was most relevant was when I was in justice, where I worked in civil and family policy, Legal Aid and supporting on prison reform, and particularly on youth justice reform, and maybe that's a good example to pull out. Justice is one of those areas where people have very strong views about what the right policy prescription is, but there's often quite a lack of evidence that goes behind some of these strong policy positions, if I can put it like that, and one of the things that bedevilled us was trying to turn very strong ministerial desire for action across the human justice system into something that was evidence based, and where we could point to proof that these things would work, and we did that several times in the youth justice system.   Perhaps the one that I look back on most fondly in the youth estate...We were constantly telling ourselves, and indeed the world, that kids in the youth estate were getting thirty hours a week of education, and that was true in the sense that that's what we were buying. We were procuring thirty hours a week from providers, but the kids in the estate were not getting thirty hours a week and we didn't really know until we sent in a team of researchers from the MOJ analytical team to do some surveys, and then we also analysed some of the ROI coming out of that estate. And of course, what we discovered was that although we were buying thirty hours of education, it was always being disrupted by all the other services that these kids needed to access. So every dentist, every doctor, every lawyer that was coming in to interact with those kids, that was happening during what would otherwise be the school day, but we didn't really know that. And for years, we were kind of running this system and telling ourselves and indeed telling the world, that this was what was going on, but having analyzed that system and got ourselves some real data we were able to change that system so that it was education first, and all of those other ancillary services would take place outside of the school day. So sometimes it can be quite basic bits of analysis that can result in the biggest changes.   MF I guess the lesson there is, we always need to never totally trust the data we've got and find better insights and better ways of looking at things. And I guess that leads us into the challenge here at the ONS. What were your first impressions when you took the plunge in, suffice to say, quite interesting circumstances in the earlier part of 2025. What did you make of your earliest days here at the ONS and formulating what needed to be done?    DT  Your characterization of it is right. Before I even arrived, I was talking to a lot of the stakeholders, including Robert Devereux and others, and in doing that and in reading around the issues, I ended up getting quite a negative view of what was going on, perhaps understandably, because that was what was being reported. So I was expecting an organization that was perhaps much more kind of browbeaten than the one I found. And that's not to sound complacent at all, but the thing that I was surprised at when I arrived was just the desire for progress, for action, for us to kind of turn the page, and for us to get back to being a respected NSI. And that that sort of energy that I found amongst the senior team was great because I was expecting to have to do quite a lot of jigging up of the system to get us into that mode, but actually, when I arrived, people were already there. So that was my first impression. My second impression really was just the quality of the people here, the skills, the experience and the expertise here at the ONS is genuinely inspiring. And I said this to Civil Service World a few weeks ago. We abuse the phrase "world class" in Whitehall, we often claim things are world class when they're not, but we do have some genuine world class expertise in the ONS and I was genuinely inspired when getting to meet some of those people during the first few days and weeks.   MF It sounds as though people had a good idea of what needed to be done, what was coming out in the media, and of the various inquiries that took place last year, was that the general feeling was that ONS had become spread too thin, and needed to prioritize on those things that ONS is best known for. It does have a worldwide reputation for, crucially, what people most rely upon it to get it right, prioritizing those. Was that what emerged?   DT It really was. And that sense that getting back to the core business of an NSI (National Statistical Institute) was what people were people were really hungry for us to do. I think there is a danger when saying something like that, of sounding like no one valued that hugely innovative work that happened during the pandemic. And that's definitely not the case. I think the reputation of the ONS developed during the pandemic for innovation, for fleet footedness, and of doing some brilliant work in support of the country at a time when it was most needed, is genuinely well recognized across the system. But I think alongside that, there was a sense that perhaps the organisation took its eye off the ball on the core functions of an NSI. And certainly, in my first few weeks when I went to see the Governor of the Bank and the Chancellor, they were really clear that what they need from us right now, is a real focus back on those core economic statistics and population statistics. So yeah, that was a very strong sense in those first few weeks   MF But of course, that means stopping doing some things. What is being stopped so far? What do you think is going to have to stop? How is that process proceeding?   DT So alongside my arrival, and just before, the organization had done some useful internal things to prioritise. So we moved some money around from the IDP programme.   MF That's the Integrated Data Programe, bringing in data from other parts of government.     DT And as that programme was coming to an end, we moved some resource from that. We also moved some people from one of our specialist hubs, to get them behind the recovery plans. There was some kind of internal prioritisation as it were, that happened as I was arriving, which was essential really, just to get us on the front foot, to then begin the recruitment of 150 extra people to come and work behind the recovery plans, and we've got around one hundred of those in place, and in Q! This year we will hire the rest. But that wasn't sufficient, so alongside that we made plans for prioritizing our outputs and that resulted in the kind of engagement that we have been doing for the last few weeks. So that process is still underway, and we are hoping in the next few weeks to bring some of those elements to a conclusion. I mean, I think inevitably, as we've done that, there are lots of things that people would like us to keep doing, but I hope they understand, and in deciding what to de-prioritise, again, there's a risk that people think that no one values that work. And of course, that's not true. There are tonnes of people out there who really, really value the output that we might stop, but my message to them is that we really need to focus now, it's quite existential for us to focus on the recovery plans on economic and population statistics, to get those right. There won't be any new money coming our way, so we'll have to prioritize internally. None of that necessarily means that it will be forever, but it is important that we do it, so we're on top of what we need to be on top of for the next period.   MF It's clear that the pressure is ONS, particularly to get those core economic statistics right, and we'll talk a little bit more about the detail on that. But firstly, on this broad subject of user expectations. Parliament essentially asks the ONS to do two things; that's to provide the statistics to help policy makers, but also to inform the public as well on social and economic issues. Is there a danger in these circumstances, when demands from the bank and the Treasury are to get the first part of that right, is there a risk with the public interest, data which people access to form their own judgment. Is there a risk of that taking second place?   DT I think there is a risk of that, but we're very alive to it. And one of the good things that we did towards the end of last year is we were finalizing our mission statement. And in kind of doing that consultation on that mission statement internally, one of the phrases that we added at the end of our mission statement was to inform the public, and that was  a deliberate decision to remind ourselves about that statutory underpinning that we have, but also to remind ourselves that we can't just focus on one thing. So as much as we need to prioritize, I'm very clear that we have more than one function. We're not just an Economics Institute, we do far more than that, and we will continue to do more than that.  And that business to inform the public is absolutely core to what we're about. So your right to raise it as a risk, but I think it's one that we've clocked, and one that we're very clear about.   MF   Okay, let's focus on one aspect of the turnaround plans in progress at the moment, which has attracted more attention than any single issue facing the ONS currently, and that's the very important Labour Force Survey (LFS). That's how the employment figures for the UK essentially have been complied for some decades now. It's one of the biggest, if not the biggest, regular household survey in the country, depended on by policy makers, economic commentators and, of course, politicians as well. It got itself into a bit of a state, didn't it? The response rates, it's not too dramatic to say, collapsed during the wake of the pandemic. How important is getting that right among your priorities, and what is progress to date, and what still needs to be done?   DT You're right to raise that. I mean, I've been saying to people that there isn't one single thing that we will fix in the ONS where we will declare victory. This will be an ongoing effort and continuous improvement. But if there was one thing that is quite totemic in the recovery it will be the labour force survey and the transformed labour force survey. So there's a considerable amount of effort across the organization in getting behind both of those bits of work. So it is quite totemic. You're right. It's the single biggest thing that the bank and the Treasury would like us to get on top of, and it also does go to credibility, because of the credibility of the response rates. So it is hugely important. I've been really impressed by the quality of the work that's been going on to try and get on top of it. And the team that's there is absolutely laser focused, doing both of those things at the same time. So the first things is fixing the current labour force survey as far as we can, and they've made some real progress with that, so getting response rates back up to pre covid levels. We've now got a field force workforce at similar levels, and we're starting to see some real benefit from that. So the OBR at the budget included a reference to the LFS in their budget report where they said they now have more confidence in the survey and I think that's real testament to the amount of work that has gone into it. But alongside that, I think what we do recognize is that the current LFS isn't sustainable in its current setup, so that's why we are working, again, with laser like focus on the transformed survey, to make it more online, a bit shorter, a bit more focused. And I'm really hopeful that that, over the next year will prove itself to be a sustainable answer to this issue.   MF The long-term plan is to go out to people with a survey, which does take a lot less time to fill in. And that was one of the criticisms of the traditional one, that it represented a big time commitment for people and perhaps it wasn't surprising that there was a challenge around getting people to take part. But at the same time, we seem to have a particular problem in the UK, where we are on what evidence is available certainly, an outlier in terms of survey response rates. Have you got a sense of what the issue is there? Was it the ONS getting things wrong? Or is it something more profound about the culture now in the UK, that makes people suspicious about taking part in official surveys?   DT I think that you're right. We are a bit of an outlier now, because this kind of phenomenon happened everywhere across the globe in the pandemic but we seem to have been worse off than most. I think there is a kind of trust issue across our society in engaging with government agencies on data which is, I think, is more profound than some other societies. So I think we are fighting against that. I think it probably also suffered a bit from being quite a long-standing survey, having grown over time. I think one of the interesting things when you look across the globe though, where countries do this better than we do, at least in terms of response rates, is that most of those countries mandate their social surveys, and certainly their labour force survey equivalents. Now we don't do that here for our social surveys, but I think that's something that is a policy issue for ministers, something that we need to kind of resolve, to decide whether or not that is the long-term answer for a small number of social surveys.   MF So that's a conversation in progress at the moment, whether people might be required to take part in these surveys in future.   DT Yeah, it is. It was a recommendation in the Leivesley  review that we at least look at it,  so we're doing that to try and establish well what are the pros and cons of that sort of approach, so we can inform future policy decisions by ministers on this issue. I don't for a moment underestimate how tricky a policy issue that is, but I think we do need to confront it so that we can put it to bed, or we can progress it, because we are notable across the globe by not doing that.   MF So, there's a clear sense of urgency in the plan with action, as you've said already, to tackle really pressing issues like the Labour Force Survey. So we're getting more people into the field doing interviews and so forth. And in the meantime, a conversation about prioritizing core statistics. But what comes next in 2026, what should people who might be following the ONS look out for from the organization next?   DT I think 2026, I've been saying internally, is our year of delivery and action and recovery. So last year, we obviously had the crisis point in the summer. And since the summer, we've been doing a lot of work internally into our overall plans, our mission, how we want to lead the organization, what we want the culture to be, what are our plans for getting on top of the economic and population statistics, preparing for the Census...So there's been lots of planning, lots of strategizing, lots of structural changes, that sort of thing, that I think was absolutely necessary. But the focus for 2026 I think needs to be on execution and delivery. To spend this year delivering against the plans that we've made and that's going to be the focus of the top team for the next twelve months.   MF The ONS has enjoyed a reputation for innovation, and that really came out during the pandemic. Is there a risk that innovation will cease or are there new things happening on that front to really improve the overall offering?     DT So again, I think that is a risk, and it's something I've talked about within the organization. That because I've come in with such a sharp focus on the recovery plans, it could just be head head down and focus on those things for the next two years. And then wake up in two years time to realise we are vastly behind the times, on AI or some whizzy new ways of using admin data or whatever it might be, and that's why we've done some things internally to make sure we still have some space and some capacity to do that innovation. I'm really keen that we do that, it can't be at the expense of the recovery plans so that's still our number one priority, but we have carved out some expertise and some capacity to still challenge us on how we should be doing statistics in the future. A big part of that will be how do we learn from others on AI and on tech more generally. So watch this space, it's definitely still something that we're focussed on.   MF Yeah, the resistance that's out there on some people to take part in those surveys. What about all this data that government has been already it's been a persistent criticism that government collectively hasn't done enough to pool that data and to and to really get get value out of it and to make public services more efficient, policies more effective.   DT I think that is a legitimate criticism if I'm honest, you know, it's been a conversation live in Whitehall since I can remember - data sharing and the lack of it. Obviously, there's been huge advances in that recently, some really good innovation around data sharing, including in the ONS, but even more generally, but I still sense there's real risk averse culture around data sharing across government departments that I think we need to try and tackle. For me it's as much about culture and ways of working as it is about legislation and risk. And I'm quite keen that we play our part in pushing the rest of the system on that. I think it's going to be one of the benefits of the split of the role, so that we will have a National Statistician full time being the National Statistician who isn't worried about the running of the ONS. And I'm really keen that whoever that person is, in future, if they can help the system really galvanised around data sharing and data linkage, that will be a real benefit of the new approach.   MF What about the culture of the ONS itself? And as you just said, there are two people at the top of the system now, as it were, an incoming national statistician, a you as Perm Sec. Culture has got to be your department, hasn't it? And the Devereaux review talked about some really quite deep-seated cultural issues. What was the culture that greeted you on arrival? And what mechanisms do you think are going to help to create the right culture and deliver the dramatic changes that you're working towards?   DT Yes, I think what Robert set out in his report was accurate, and that's certainly what I discovered when I arrived.  I think it manifests itself in a range of ways, but perhaps the two biggest for me are probably a lack of trust across the organization. And that's trust as it was between the board and the executive team, trust between the senior civil service  and the rest of the organization, lack of trust between our trade union colleagues and management, lack of trust between some of the different teams themselves. And I think that that, having been left unchecked, is quite corrosive. I think it's led to some of the issues that Robert set out in his report. I think it also leads to a lack of collaboration, a lack of join up when that is the predominant culture. So we've spent quite a lot of time, of my personal time, has been focused on breaking through some of that. It's quite a hard thing to do within organizations - to change the culture. I've deliberately not had something called a cultural transformation program, I'm not sure they ever really work. I think what we can do instead is just start doing stuff differently, and that's what we've been doing. Some of that has been a bit managerial. We put in place a leadership statement, for example, something the organization could use to hold senior leaders to account. I 've started sharing performance panels for senior civil servants. We've put in place some slightly sharper performance management. We will start doing regular pulse surveys, just to try and instil some of that managerial approach to fixing some issues. But for me it's also about who do we reward and why. One of the things I've been banging on about since I arrived is the "three C's" - that's clarity, consistency and consequences, and these really speak to the culture. And just briefly for listeners, clarity is what are we for, does everyone know what that is, and does everyone agree with it. And that's why we've created a new mission statement. Consistency is, how do you apply that set of values to the things you do on a daily basis, and you don't let it go when times get tough. And then consequences...there has to be both positive and negative consequences for people in the organization for doing the right thing or not. And I think that that kind of framework has taken hold in the organization, and I'm quite keen that we keep using it keep using it as our bellwether for are we doing the right thing. Do we reward the right behaviours, are we all being held to account for how we want the ONS to be. I think that's how we are going to get the change here.   MF What would you say to someone who might be thinking of applying to a job at the ONS, they might think well what we do is really important and really interesting, but I've read this stuff in the news which suggests, well, they've got their challenges.     DT So this is a live issue. So we've been recruiting for some very senior posts in the last few months, and I've been really haertened by the response that we've had. So for example, we are interviewing later on this month for Director General for Technology in the organization, we had over 200 applications for that, and I spoke to quite a few people who were interested in advance. And, of course, the thing is that once you're away from the heat of the crisis that the organisation was in last summer, for people who want to come and work in this organization, if you're a technology leader, for example, coming to work at the ONS, which basically just does data, you know, we collect, analyse and publish data. That's hugely attractive if you're a senior leader in technology or data. And I think I've been able to persuade them that we've turned the corner on what it's like to work here. So I've been really kind of enthused by both the quality and the number of people who have wanted to come work for us for us in some of those senior roles that we've advertised, but similarly, at all levels of organization. So one of our campaigns to hire some junior analysts across the organisation attracted hundreds and hundreds of applications. So I still think that the core business of the ONSremains very, very attractive to lots of people out there. My job is to turn the page on the culture of the organisation and that remains the case.   MF And as we start 2026, what gives you the most confidence that ONS is now on the right path? And what are the main objectives ahead?   DT I think there were some emerging plans which were kind of credible, I think we've really strengthened those in the last four or five months. I think the quality of the people will take us a huge way in our transformation and I'm really enthused by that. I always think of Colonel Boyds aphorism of "people, ideas and machines. And in that order." And I think we have excellent people who are generating brilliant ideas, and I think we're getting on top of the machines, as it were, so that we can really transform ourselves. What I really want is for the ONS to be in the news for its outputs and not for the organisation itself, and this year is going to be all about making sure that's true.   MF Because of course some people might say, well, we've got AI that's going to revolutionize everything. We're not going to need the ONS anymore. Just how wrong, or indeed right, is that?   DT My sense is that AI will have a huge part to play, but it's not going to take over. So again, that aphorism of people, ideas and machines, in that order. And it's the "in that order", that I think is the most important thing. AI will be tremendously helpful to us, but it's never going to replace expertise. So I'm quite keen to harness it, and use it for our internal efficiencies and productivity of course. We should harness some of the great ideas that are emerging out there in the private sector on stats production and surveys, we should absolutely do that, but I don't think we should be naive in assuming that there's suddenly going to be this great fix, I just don't think that's true. So I'm quite keen to continue to kind of experiment with AI, and we've already been doing that in the organization with some success. We want to keep scaling that up, but I want to temper the enthusiasm with some reality, that at least for the foreseeable future, we're still going to be using surveys, we're still going to be using admin data from across the system, and then on top of that we will use some of our AI expertise to help us   MF And we're going to have a census in 2031, it survives for another time around...   DT It definitely does. The government's taken a very firm decision on that, and we're now ramping that up at quite some level, as we've got the senior team now firmly in place for the Census. This year will mark the ramp up phase in preparation for the test in 2027,  and it's obviously a hugely important thing for us, and I'm quite keen that we get the maximum benefit from ramping up the census at the same time as focussing on our recovery plans. So yeah, so I'm excited about the census     MF Darren, thank you so much for that fascinating tour of what you've been doing and what lies ahead. Just finally then, what's your message to everyone who relies on ONS data, or who might be interested in ONS statistics, for 2026?   DT My overall message is, work with us. This is a really important time for statistics in the UK. We need everyone's help. If you're a citizen, fill in the surveys that you're asked to fill in as that's hugely beneficial for your systems. If you work in the system, bear with us and lean in and help us, because we will need your help as we get through the recovery phase here. But I'm optimistic that we can turn the corner, and that the statistical system in the UK will be in good health by the time we get to the end of 2026.   MF And on that note, we come to the end of this podcast. I think it's fair to say we've heard a clear sense of direction, a renewed focus on the statistics people most rely on, a commitment to improving quality and resilience and the recognition that trust in official data has to be earned and re-earned over time.   My thanks to Darren Tierney for joining us, and to you for listening. You can follow developments on everything we've been discussing today by subscribing to future episodes of Statistically Speaking on Spotify, Apple podcasts and all the other major podcast platforms. You can also follow us on X, previously known as Twitter, via the at ONS focus feed and do check out the national statistical blog for updates on all things ONS. You can find that at blog.ons.gov.uk, all lower case.   I'm Miles Fletcher, and from myself and our producers, Julia Short and Alisha Arthur, goodbye.          

How has 2025 changed the outlook for Britain's political parties? George Osborne and Ed Balls reflect on the events that have defined public opinion and led to unprecedented changes in the polls. What went wrong for Keir Starmer's government? Why does Kemi Badenoch's leadership now look more stable? They also name what could potentially be the four most influential moments of 2026. Are losses in the Scottish, Welsh and local elections inevitable for Labour? Will the US mid-terms signal a resurgence or decline for Donald Trump? Could US-China state visits present an opportunity for a stronger relationship between the countries? And just how significant will the first OBR forecast since the Budget be, when it arrives in the spring?Finally, Ed and George crown their Politicians of the Year, and take a look back at some of the best, worst, and most surprising political moments of 2025.Don't forget to vote for us as the Political Podcast Award's People's Choice of the year. Follow the link to vote: https://politicalpodcastawards.co.uk/the-peoples-choice-award/ And we love hearing from you, so please don't forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question.Plus, why not give the gift of Political Currency this Christmas! Kitchen Cabinet members get a Christmas card from Ed and George, a Political Currency mug and even more exclusive perks including our newsletter and access to live events. Sign yourself or a loved one (or an enemy) up today: tr.ee/gift-pcPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/politicalcurrency Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!Credits:Research: Sam BurtonProduction: Paige Reynolds and Eve JonesVideo Editor: Maha Al-BadrawiExecutive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Šéf hnutí ANO Andrej Babiš se znovu dočkal premiérského křesla. A může začít dělat, co chce. Jenže co to vlastně je?„Babiš byl roky ministrem financí, vedl už dvě vlády. O tom, jaký bude premiér, toho ale víme překvapivě málo. Převládne u něj touha po pomstě a stane se z něj autoritář jako z Obrána a Fica? Nebo zůstane hlavně pragmatik?“ ptá se v podcastu Václav Dolejší.Babiš už v minulosti hodněkrát ukázal, že dokáže úplně otočit. „Do politiky vstupoval když ne jako pravičák, tak středopravičák. Aby později změnil úplně všechno - program, marketing i voliče - a stal se levičákem,“ popisuje Lucie Stuchlíková.Podobný obrat udělal přerodem z liberála vzývajícího nové technologie a průmysl budoucnosti v konzervativce, jehož program leží hlavně ve zvyšování důchodů. A teď se čeká, jestli a jak moc se odstřihne od západního politika a přiblíží se východu.„Nadějí v tomhle může být Donald Trump, k němuž Babiš vzhlíží. Trump požaduje větší investice do obrany. Jestli se chce Babiš podívat od Bílého domu, nemůže to brát na lehkou váhu,“ říká Stuchlíková.Jistota nemáme ani ohledně rozpočtu. Babiš v minulosti byl spíš jestřábem, který hlídal výdaje, dnes chce rozhazovat všude možně. „Ale nevím, jestli to nakonec bude tak horké, jak se všichni bojí. Pokud by v průzkumech vycházelo, že lidé se bojí vysokých schodků, Babiš klidně zase otočí. A v něčem už se to děje,“ dodává Dolejší.Komu všemu se chce Babiš pomstít? Za kolik jsou na prodej zbytky sociální demokracie a komunistů? A koupí je vůbec někdo? Poslechněte si čerstvé Vlevo dole!----Vlevo dole řeší politické kauzy, boje o vliv i šeptandu z kuloárů Sněmovny. Vychází každou středu v poledne.Podcast pro vás připravují Lucie Stuchlíková (@StuchlikovLucie) a Václav Dolejší (@VacDol), reportéři Seznam Zpráv.Další podcasty, ale taky články, komentáře a videa najdete na zpravodajském serveru Seznam Zprávy. Poslouchejte nás na webu Seznam Zpráv, na Podcasty.cz nebo ve své oblíbené podcastové aplikaci.Své názory, návrhy, otázky, stížnosti nebo pochvaly nám můžete posílat na adresu audio@sz.cz.Sledujte @SeznamZpravy na sociálních sítích: Twitter // Facebook // Instagram.Seznam Zprávy jsou zdrojem původních informací, nezávislé investigace, originální publicistiky.

It's nearly Christmas, but there is still lots of excitement to be had in Westminster, including Keir Starmer's trip to the Liaison Committee. This is where the Prime Minister sits in front of senior MPs and is grilled on various policy areas. Today's topics included the leaks (Wes Streeting and the OBR) and Keir Starmer's integrity more generally, as well as the farm tax, the House of Lords and the government's long-anticipated strategy to counter violence against women and girls. How did today's proceedings expose the ‘paucity' of Starmer's Labour?Oscar Edmondson speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Heale.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I sit down with Stan Hays CEO of Operation BBQ Relief. Stan and I talk all things OBR and Stan drew the curtains back on what it talks to organize and execute a mission in times of need. https://operationbbqrelief.org/

Wrapping up the stories of the week… Jacob Jarvis is joined by Rafael Behr to break down the stalled US–Russia peace talks, Putin's strong-arming, and what Trump's shaky negotiating team tells us about the state of American power. Back in Westminster, they dig into the fallout from the OBR's budget leak and what it all means for Labour's economic credibility. Plus: Trump's latest embarrassing moment caught on camera, Raf's heroes and villains, and the story that slipped under the radar this week.   • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Design by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Office for Budget Responsibility is supposed to be the calm, quiet body that keeps watch over Britain's public finances. But after it accidentally released its Budget analysis before Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her statement, its chair Richard Hughes resigned and the watchdog suddenly became the lead story. Today on The Bunker, Seth Thévoz is joined by economist and former Treasury adviser Giles Wilkes to ask: what exactly is the OBR, and why does this low-profile institution hold so much power over the UK economy?   • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio producer: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Design by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The drama rages on, one week after Chancellor Rachel Reeves stood at the dispatch box to deliver her second Budget. Richard Hughes has resigned as OBR chair following the catastrophic budget leak and calls for Rachel Reeves to do the same have not let up. Ed Balls and George Osborne look at the “shambolic” fallout of the budget, and how Labour have once again grasped defeat from the jaws of victory in yet another communications disaster for the party. Then, the pair discuss David Lammy's drastic measures to scrap juries for the majority of cases in England and Wales. Is this the biggest change to our justice system since the Magna Carta or a necessary step to solve the mounting backlog of cases, bringing the courts to the brink? And why on earth didn't anybody prepare the ground for it?Finally, Ed and George look across the channel to the rise of the far right in Germany and France. With the AfD and National Rally looking on the cusp of electoral victory and Reform's path to power looking inevitable, what lessons can Keir Starmer learn from his European allies to stop Nigel Farage securing the keys to No 10? Thanks for listening. To get episodes early and ad- free join Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. If you want even more perks including our exclusive newsletter, join our Kitchen Cabinet today:

In this week's show Patrick Gray and Adam Boileau discuss the week's cybersecurity news. It's a quiet week with Thanksgiving in the US, but there's always some cyber to talk about: Airbus rolls out software updates after a cosmic ray bitflips an A320 into a dive Krebs tracks down a Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters teen through the usual poor opsec… … as Wired publishes an opsec guide for teens. Microsoft decides its login portal is worth a Content Security Policy South Korean online retailer data breach covers 65% of the country This week's episode is sponsored by Nebulock. Founder and CEO Damien Lewke joins to talk through their work bringing more SIgma threat detection rules to MacOS. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Airlines race to fix their Airbus planes after warning solar radiation could cause pilots to lose control | CNN Congress calls on Anthropic CEO to testify on Chinese Claude espionage campaign | CyberScoop Post-mortem of Shai-Hulud attack on November 24th, 2025 - PostHog Update: Shai-Hulud and the npm Ecosystem: Why CTEM Must Extend Beyond Your Walls | Armis Glassworm's resurgence | Secure Annex 4.3 Million Browsers Infected: Inside ShadyPanda's 7-Year Malware Campaign | Koi Blog Post by @spuxx.bsky.social — Bluesky Meet Rey, the Admin of ‘Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters' – Krebs on Security The WIRED Guide to Digital Opsec for Teens | WIRED Perth hacker Michael Clapsis jailed after setting up fake Qantas Wi-Fi, stealing sex videos - ABC News Ed Conway on X: "The person who first downloaded the OBR's document at 11:35 on Budget day (I'm guessing someone at Reuters, given they first reported it) had already guessed the web address and tried and failed to download it 32 times so far that day(!) https://t.co/6iLm2uEUj2" / X Reuters accused of hack attack | ZDNET The Destruction of a Notorious Myanmar Scam Compound Appears to Have Been ‘Performative' | WIRED Microsoft tightens cloud login process to prevent common attack | Cybersecurity Dive Fortinet FortiWeb flaws found in unsupported versions of web application firewall | Cybersecurity Dive Cryptomixer platform raided by European police; $29 million in bitcoin seized | The Record from Recorded Future News Officials accuse North Korea's Lazarus of $30 million theft from crypto exchange | The Record from Recorded Future News Data breach hits 'South Korea's Amazon,' potentially affecting 65% of country's population | The Record from Recorded Future News NSA Contractor Groomed Teenage Girls On Reddit, DOJ Alleges Nebulock developed coreSigma for MacOS coreSigma repo:

This week: Rachel Reeves reels as Labour's Budget unravels – and a far-left Life of Brian sequel plays out in Liverpool.After a bruising seven days for the Chancellor, Michael and Maddie ask whether Reeves's position is now beyond repair. Did Keir Starmer's bizarre nursery press conference steady the ship – or simply confirm that the government is panicking? And is the resignation of the OBR chair a shield for Reeves – or a damning contrast with her refusal to budge?Then: the inaugural conference of Your Party delivers pure comic gold. As Zarah Sultana's collective-leadership utopians clash with Corbynite diehards and Islamist independents, Michael explains why the far left's civil war matters more than Westminster thinks. Could independents erode Labour's urban base? And with Jeremy Corbyn now looking like the centrist dad of the movement, what does this chaos tell us about the future of the British left?And finally: Christmas is coming. Maddie and Michael share their rules for 'sound' gift-giving and give their book recommendations.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to spectator.co.uk/quiteright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv US authorised second Venezuela boat strike, White House says OBR heads resignation leaves potential landmines for Reeves Newspaper headlines OBR chief resigns and Reeves clings on Twelve further prisoners mistakenly released, says David Lammy Italian town freezes Pavarotti statue knee deep in Christmas ice rink, angering widow British Fashion Awards 2025 Baby bumps and Traitors stars Whens the right time to put your Christmas tree up Car made famous by Bond was left to rust on a drive now its worth 1m Meningitis B vaccinations calls after Pontypool student, 18, dies Devastating toxic spill seen as test of whether African countries can stand up to China

The chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility has gone, the Chancellor is being accused of misleading the public.  So how did that budget go?  Richard Hughes has taken responsibility for the accidental leak of the budget and resigned. What does this mean for the OBR's future and political trust in it?  Meanwhile, the Chancellor has been accused of misleading the public over the state of public finances. So what did happen in the budget pitch-rolling and what does this tell us about how well the UK does budgets? Could we, should we, do them differently?  Plus - the Justice Secretary has revealed his plans for changes to jury trials. We dig into the latest news.  Hannah White presents With Gemma Tetlow, Alex Thomas and Cassia Rowland  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Another week at the despatch box, but this time Keir Starmer had to fight off attacks from the opposition on the fallout from the budget which led to the resignation of the head of the OBR over the weekend. Safe to say Kemi Badenoch made great hay off the decision.Grace Blakeley interview: https://youtu.be/LFVgYXfegkQClive Lewis interview: https://youtu.be/qc1E_t68ehsSubscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Devastating toxic spill seen as test of whether African countries can stand up to China Whens the right time to put your Christmas tree up Twelve further prisoners mistakenly released, says David Lammy Italian town freezes Pavarotti statue knee deep in Christmas ice rink, angering widow OBR heads resignation leaves potential landmines for Reeves Newspaper headlines OBR chief resigns and Reeves clings on Meningitis B vaccinations calls after Pontypool student, 18, dies US authorised second Venezuela boat strike, White House says Car made famous by Bond was left to rust on a drive now its worth 1m British Fashion Awards 2025 Baby bumps and Traitors stars

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Devastating toxic spill seen as test of whether African countries can stand up to China US authorised second Venezuela boat strike, White House says Car made famous by Bond was left to rust on a drive now its worth 1m British Fashion Awards 2025 Baby bumps and Traitors stars Whens the right time to put your Christmas tree up OBR heads resignation leaves potential landmines for Reeves Meningitis B vaccinations calls after Pontypool student, 18, dies Twelve further prisoners mistakenly released, says David Lammy Newspaper headlines OBR chief resigns and Reeves clings on Italian town freezes Pavarotti statue knee deep in Christmas ice rink, angering widow

Today we're going to be talking about David Lammy, and his brand new plans to drastically reduce the number of jury trials in the UK in an attempt to address the backlog. With the backlog of cases due to be heard in courts already at 78,000, and heading for 100,000, the Justice Secretary believes that only radical solutions can tackle the ‘courts emergency'. But is he being too radical? This comes on the same day that Lammy announced that 12 prisoners have been accidentally released in the last three weeks.But first, the Budget fallout continues and there has been a resignation but – crucially – it's not the Chancellor. After the OBR leaked the Budget early, its chairman Richard Hughes has taken the fall and resigned last night. Does this ease or increase the pressure on Rachel Reeves?Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean Farrington explores why Richard Hughes has quit as head of the OBR after a Budget-day publishing blunder, and what it means for trust in the watchdog's forecasts.Trainees at an accountancy firm will be sent on secondments at bars, pubs and restaurants to help develop their 'front of house' skills - Sean finds out why. And it's Christmas advert season; can local shops compete with the big brands? Small businesses in Hexham, in Northumberland, have banded together to have a go by creating their own Christmas Ad.

This week, we learnt that there was no black hole in the UK finances all along. We discuss Rachel Reeves and her doom and gloom pre-budget speech, the controversies that have followed and the stoochie caused by the Office for Budget Responsibility having already told the chancellor that she had some money in the kitty after all. The resignation of the head bummer of the OBR and calls for the resignation of the Chancellor.We discuss all things Saint Andrew's Day, planning nightmares in the Highlands over wind farm expansion.That and Barclays Hamden Stadium, whether anybody will ever call it that, and does it matter?LinksFind out more about the Birthplace of the Saltire and the new Saltire Monumenthttps://saltire.scot/ ★ Support this podcast ★

In this Mark and Pete Budget Special, our intrepid duo dive into the chaos, comedy, and quiet despair of Britain's latest economic rumblings. First up: the OBR leak that spilled early forecasts across Westminster like a carelessly opened hymnbook, revealing sluggish growth, stubborn borrowing, and a government hoping nobody notices the fine print. Then it's on to the endlessly controversial mansion tax, where homeowners panic, politicians posture, and Mark calmly explains why half the country is suddenly checking their Zoopla valuation with sweaty palms.Pete brings the theological lens, Mark brings the economic logic, and together they explore the growing maze of ISAs, the rise of salary sacrifice, and the lingering chill of the threshold freeze — Britain's favourite stealth tax. Along the way, expect dry humour, a touch of pulpit wisdom, and a brutally honest look at how ordinary people will fare as the nation stumbles forward.Finally, the pair unveil their fateful fiscal forecast: a wry yet hopeful prediction of Britain's economic future, mixing biblical perspective with British grit. Faith meets finance, wit meets wisdom, and listeners get a sharply insightful guide to navigating the quirks of the UK economy.

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Car sharing company ZipCar to end UK operations Trump releases fraudster executive days into prison sentence Teenage girl dies in minibus crash near Tadcaster Grammar School OBR chair Richard Hughes resigns over Budget day publishing error ORR reverses Avanti West Coasts Manchester London ghost train plan Zelensky says Ukraine territory most difficult issue, as US envoy prepares to meet Putin Police consider corporate manslaughter charges in Post Office scandal Doctors to stage five day strike before Christmas Luigi Mangione in court as lawyers seek to rule out notebook, gun and other key evidence Teen dies after getting out of ambulance on M5

November was a whirlwind month for cryptocurrencies, and it seems that volatility is carrying over into December with Bitcoin posting its worst single day decline since March yesterday. Meanwhile, the head of the U.K.'s budget watchdog resigned after the OBR accidently released its report ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget last week. And in an exclusive interview with CNBC, the Bank of England's Megan Greene laid out her outlook for the economy, and what she'd need to see in the labour market and inflation figures to prompt a rate cut.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Live from a new studio, Laura and Seán reflect on Rachel Reeves' autumn budget and the controversy surrounding the OBR.Watch our Paul Collier interview here: https://youtu.be/f51urcvWmsMSubscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Car sharing company ZipCar to end UK operations Teen dies after getting out of ambulance on M5 ORR reverses Avanti West Coasts Manchester London ghost train plan Teenage girl dies in minibus crash near Tadcaster Grammar School OBR chair Richard Hughes resigns over Budget day publishing error Zelensky says Ukraine territory most difficult issue, as US envoy prepares to meet Putin Police consider corporate manslaughter charges in Post Office scandal Luigi Mangione in court as lawyers seek to rule out notebook, gun and other key evidence Doctors to stage five day strike before Christmas Trump releases fraudster executive days into prison sentence

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Zelensky says Ukraine territory most difficult issue, as US envoy prepares to meet Putin OBR chair Richard Hughes resigns over Budget day publishing error Doctors to stage five day strike before Christmas Teen dies after getting out of ambulance on M5 ORR reverses Avanti West Coasts Manchester London ghost train plan Car sharing company ZipCar to end UK operations Trump releases fraudster executive days into prison sentence Teenage girl dies in minibus crash near Tadcaster Grammar School Police consider corporate manslaughter charges in Post Office scandal Luigi Mangione in court as lawyers seek to rule out notebook, gun and other key evidence

The fickle media and Conservative MPs are hailing Kemi Badenoch's recent performances, making her more secure in her role as leader. The Tories are still dominant in the media, so could they - not Reform - emerge as the main alternative at the next election?  Plus the furore over Rachel Reeves and the OBR, and why is it shocking for a Labour government to deliver a ‘Labour budget”? To find out more about the Common Ground Justice Project click the link here. Rock & Roll Politics -The Xmas Special is live at Kings Place on Dec 8th. Get your tickets here. Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free.  Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will Bain speaks to a former Treasury economist about the claims Chancellor Rachel Reeves misled the public over stronger OBR forecasts before her tax-raising Budget.Also, while there was disappointment this budget didn't have much to offer in the way of economic growth, there was a glimmer of hope for tech start ups hungry for investment. We speaks to a CEO on why the future may be brighter for her sector.And we find out from a former confectionery buyer on what it takes to get to Christmas chocolate on the supermarket shelves.

The Office for Budget Responsibility has attracted huge criticism, and anger from Chancellor Rachel Reeves, after mistakenly revealing the details of her budget hours before she delivered it. But the watchdog already had its critics. Liz Truss says she never realised how powerful the OBR was and that it should be abolished. And Sir Keir Starmer has criticised the OBR's assessment of his government's fiscal plans. So how will the budget leak affect the OBR's future? Niall talks to Ed Conway, Sky's economics and data editor about exactly what the OBR is, whether it has too much power and if it will survive. Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Wendy Parker

Tim Shipman sits down with Professor David Miles of the Office for Budget Responsibility the day after a Budget overshadowed by an extraordinary leak. David sets out what the OBR now believes about growth, headroom and productivity — and why the UK's long-term prospects look weaker than hoped. He discusses the political choices behind back-loaded tax rises, the decision not to score the workers' rights reforms, and why Britain is so slow to adopt its own inventions. Plus: what the OBR's new leak investigation will look like, and how confident we should really be in those fiscal forecasts.Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dixon Cox is back again! This week: -Rachel Reeves' disastrous budget makes life worse for hard-working Brits -Kemi Badenoch eviscerates Reeves in the House of Commons -The two-child benefit cap is scrapped, but who will it help the most? -The OBR leaks the entire budget in advance -David Lammy decides to undo Magna Carta by scrapping jury trials for most crimes Watch the full episode here: https://www.nickdixon.net/p/labour-punishes-workers-with-disastrous Sign up now to watch the full episode, with extra content not available anywhere else, and get full versions of all our previous Dixon Cox episodes, as well as the bonus podcast I do with Paul on non-political topics. Plus my new podcast with based vicar Jamie Franklin. You will also get access to the full versions of all my guest interviews with the likes of David Starkey, Carl Benjamin, Ben Habib, Andrew Doyle and loads more in the archive. And you can chat to me in the private chat group if you are so inclined. Sign up for £5 a month, or just over £4 with the yearly option, and allow us to keep producing all this work. Many thanks, Nick Nick's links Substack: nickdixon.net YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nick_dixon  X: https://x.com/njdixon  Paul's links X: https://twitter.com/PaulCoxComedy  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@paulcoxcomedy  Comedy clubs: https://www.epiccomedy.co.uk/ 

Contact us and share your opinionJoin Andy and Gandhi as they cover the impact of the budget, the BMA being out of GP negotiations and other plans for GPs by the DAUKAgendaWes Letter 27/11/25BMA lose exclusive negotiating role in GP contractBudget 25 - impact for GP?DAUK Your GP here for you campaignBMA set to lose exclusive GP contract negotiating role in Englandhttps://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/breaking-news/bma-set-to-lose-exclusive-gp-contract-negotiating-role-in-england/ Not our role to negotiate GP contract', says RCGPhttps://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/contract/not-our-role-to-negotiate-gp-contract-says-rcgp/ NHSE primary care director Dr Amanda Doyle: Patients deserve consistent online access - by Amanda Doylehttps://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/views/2025-26-contract/nhse-primary-care-director-dr-amanda-doyle-patients-deserve-consistent-online-access/ Budget 2025ContextLong waitLots of leaks and kite flyingNot least OBR leak on the dayhttps://www.nhsconfed.org/publications/autumn-budget-2025#:~:text=The%20overall%20budget%20for%20health,in%20the%20OBR's%20inflation%20projection. Wimslow practice videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zNQN8VJLVI Medics Moneyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0KEiv6cR8U Doctors demand new GP contract and £40-per-patient funding uplifthttps://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/contract/doctors-demand-new-gp-contract-and-40-per-patient-funding-uplift/Doctors' Association UK (DAUK) has demanded that the Government increase core GP funding per patient by £40 a year as part of a new ‘patient-centred' GP contract. The group's ‘Your GP, here for you' campaign proposes funding these changes by increasing per-patient funding by £40 a year to £209 – a move it says would bring the figure in line with inflation over the last decade. Advocate for a patient centred GP contracthttps://dauk.org/our-call-for-new-patient-centred-gp-contract/ Wes Letter 27/11/25Dear Colleagures… To GPs and bypassing the GPCFirstly, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to you and your teamsPatient satisfaction with general practice is improving, with 73.9% reporting a good overall experience, up from 67.4% in July 2024. This is a significant achievement, and the credit is all yours.Background to previous negotiation milestones with labour …We struck the first contract deal with the BMA GPCE in 4 years last year, backed by £1.1billion in 2025/26 (an 8.9% cash uplift), the biggest in over a decade.Within months of entering government, we invested an additional £82 million into the ARRS scheme and removed red tape to allow you to recruit over 2,500 extra GPs. I am now actively looking at ways I can introduce further flexibilities into the scheme to continue boosting GP employment.To ensure general practice is rewarded for the additional work you take on through advice and guidance, we have introduced a financial Boost your triage skills with our dynamic 5-session live webinar course, tailored for primary care clinicians. Led by Dr. Gandalf and Dr. Ed Pooley, this comprehensive training covers all facets of remote patient triage—digital, on-call, and more. Gain practical knowledge, exclusive tips, and direct access to our experts through open Q&A sessions. Elevate your ability to manage primary care challenges effec Subscribe and hear the latest EPIC episode. Join Dr Mike as he shares how to get started and fly using EMIS to make your life easier with this clinical systembit.ly/EMIScourse

It's the morning after the economic night before and the response to Rachel Reeves's Autumn Budget has been emphatically negative.On this edition of The Daily T, Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley reflect on the Chancellor refusing to apologise for breaking Labour's pledge not to raise tax, the chairman of the OBR offering to resign after the Budget was leaked and some of the commentary criticising Kemi Badenoch's response in the chamber as too personal.They're also joined by former Treasury advisor to Kwasi Kwarteng and Jeremy Hunt, Cameron Brown, who rails against the Chancellors plans that “dis-incentivise saving” and make you ask “what's the point in setting up a business?”We want to hear from you! Email us at thedailyt@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorProducers: Lilian Fawcett and Hugo Verelst-WaySenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanSocial Producer: Nada AggourEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There will be no growth in the UK.Chancellor Reeves' budget was designed to placate left-wing back benchers, who want greater spending, and the bond markets. In that, it has succeeded. For now.The ever-shrinking part of the country that actually builds wealth (and remember there are only 3 ways to build real wealth: you grow stuff, you mine stuff or you make stuff. Everything else is just pushing it about) is being further taxed to pay for it all. There are now extra taxes on property, dividends and savings, while fiscal drag means more people will pay higher rates of income tax (closing in on 25% of workers by 2030, apparently), further diminishing their chances of improving their lot. Never mind the currency debasement of the money they are being paid in.Stealth taxes, such as fiscal drag, get my goat because they are so disingenuous. But perhaps of greater concern are doors which have been opened to new sources of taxation. The extra levy on high value properties, for example, has been set at £2,500 per year for properties in the £2-£5 million bracket, and £7,500 for properties above.A £2 million house in London is not some decadent billionaire plaything: it is often a mere terraced house built 150 years ago for an ordinary working man and his family.My friend, who is uber successful and very left wing, has an expensive house in Hampstead. She was actually happy about this tax, because she thought it was fair - and because she thought she was going to get hammered for higher taxes elsewhere. What she doesn't realise is that this is just the beginning. The door is now open to further property taxes and the only way is up.What's more, as currency gets debased, fiscal drag means more and more properties will fall into this category.Income Tax began as a tax only on higher earners. Within a few decades, ordinary workers were hit. Now they're paying higher rates. These new property taxes will go the same way.Never mind that you bought the property with taxed income, and then paid stamp duty. It's endless.Between that, landlord taxes, extra tenant protection, Section 24 and the plethora of petty regulation, the age of the small landlord in Britain is now over. Renting, like so many other parts of the economy, will become the domain of larger corporations. And we will all lose because of it.It also means that real estate is over as an investment. All it really was was a shield against currency debasement, but those days are now behind us.Similarly, the door is now open for local authorities to charge a visitor levy. This tourist tax will start small and then rise, like every other tax in history. We already have the tax on moving that is stamp duty, now we have this. If you tax movement, people will move less. If you have no movement, you have no growth. It really isn't that difficult.They do not seem to understand that capital flows to where it is welcome. If you tax it, it will not come; it will go. What is the golden rule of the magnum opus? More taxes or higher rates do not equal greater revenue. But the reverse.We are now, as you know, taxed at the highest rate since the Second World War. What is the money going on? You don't need me to tell you how much is being spaffed. Waste, fraud, incompetence, misallocation. Government is the most inefficient means of spending money there is. As if to prove my point, they couldn't even make the announcement about how they're going to spend your money competently. They've spent the last few months leaking stuff. Leaking is a tool of government, so when it backfires, at least we have some karma. Meanwhile, the source of the leak, the OBR, rarely if ever gets a prediction right. How much is being drained from the productive to fund that thing? How many bad choices are made as a result of its utterances?The state is already disproportionately large and it is only going to get bigger Where do the salaries of those who work for the state come from? The ever-decreasing sector of the economy that actually builds wealth. Even if you are providing some essential state service and are being well paid to do it, you are still a dependent, because it is the shrinking part of the economy that actually builds wealth that is the ultimate source of your wages.Millionaires and billionaires, assuming they haven't made their wealth through crony capitalism or government subsidy, are not the problem - they are the solution. We want to attract them here, not frighten them away. They create employment. Our lives are better for likes of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, not worse. The same goes for investment, profit, saving, trade, growth. We want to attract them not deter them.The opposite applies to deficit spending, money printing, currency debasement, suppressed interest rates, high taxes, tax traps, welfare, dependency, regulation and bureaucracy. You want to deter them not attract them. Yet I am afraid all we are doing is the latter.If you pay people to be unproductive, you will get more unproductive people. If you tax people who are productive, you will get fewer productive people. What is so hard to understand?We can rant and rave. It won't do any good. This is the path we are on. We are following the template of South Africa. (It was actually me that coined the term “the South Africanisation of everything”, something I am quite proud of). We keep thinking that things can't get any worse. But they can and will. It is gradual and incremental. We are frogs being boiled while suffering water torture. The country is going to get even more socialist. All you can do is look after yourself and your family.If you are young and reading this, the best thing you can do is leave, as so many are already doing. It is just so hard to build a future for yourself when you are so heavily taxed, and then the money you are paid in is being debased. Leave, travel the world, have adventures, learn, become a Sovereign Individual. The world is a big place. There are better futures to be had elsewhere.It's all happening just as I said it would in Daylight Robbery, by the way, even the mileage taxMany of us, however, because of our circumstances, do not have the option to leave.So what to do?Real estate, as already mentioned, is now dead as an investment. It's too easy a target for taxes. UK companies are going to find life that much harder - the rising minimum wage will reduce employment (and thus increase the burden of dependents). It's also going to mean higher costs for you as this tweet demonstratesIf companies do well, they will face further taxes. Dividend taxes are a deterrent too. We are not quite at the point where UK companies are un-investible (in fact there is a wall of US capital that wants to buy the UK), but the foundations are not exactly enticing.The one compensation for saving in fiat was interest, but taxes here are going to go up too. So cash is crapAs we have long argued on these pages, you need to park capital where governments can't touch it, tax it or debase it. The best forms of non-government money are gold, if you want something physical, and bitcoin, if you prefer something digital.We are not yet at the point where they try to tax or confiscate your gold and bitcoin, but we are on the trajectory I'm sorry to say.All those horrible bitcoiners crowing about how much money they've made - do you honestly think taxing or confiscation of bitcoin won't meet with public approval? You're just another one of those loathsome rich people creating inequality.It's coming, but we are not there yet.Bitcoin is in one of its down seasons. But it is still the best performing asset class of the last 15 years. And if you don't like it, fine, own gold instead. There is plenty more gas in that particular tank.Reeves may have staved off a tantrum in the gilt markets, and a resulting fall in the pound, but she has created an even bigger problem for her successors.We need fewer taxes, lower taxes and simpler taxes. It all starts there. Reeves has chosen a path in the opposite direction, the road more travelled. And it takes us further along the road to serfdom. If you live in the Third World Country such as the UK, I urge you to own gold or silver. The bullion dealer I 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. More here.Sunday's thought piece has become the most viewed piece in this Substack's history. Take a look, in case you missed it:Until next time,Dominic 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

A £26bn tax rise, pension changes and an accidental OBR publication. There's a lot to unpack from the Chancellor Rachel Reeves's budget.US President Donald Trump has responded to the shooting of two national guard members who were targeted near the White House.There's been a fatal fire in Hong Kong with 300 people still missing.And the Prince of Wales has told John Cleese his children have just discovered his hit 1970s sitcom Fawlty Towers and "love it".Sophy and Wilf get you up to speed on all the day's news, in just 10 minutes.Follow Cheat Sheet here to never miss an episode: 'https://podfollow.com/cheatsheet/

As Budget days go, today was unprecedented. The complete list of measures announced by Rachel Reeves – along with their costings and economic impacts – was leaked by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) an hour before the Chancellor took to her feet. The OBR apologised and called it a ‘technical error'.The headline is tax hikes to the tune of £26 billion, income tax thresholds will be frozen again and the tax burden will hit a record high at 38 per cent of GDP. Was this the most farcical Budget in history?Michael Simmons speaks to James Heale and Tim Shipman.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The OBR may have mistakenly released Reeves' budget too early, but it was just in time for Prime Minister's Questions. Hugo Rifkind unpacks the exchanges with The Times' Chief Political Correspondent Patrick Maguire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Carl sits down with Stan Hays, co founder and CEO of Operation BBQ Relief, to talk about what it really looks like to feed people on the worst day of their lives. From the recent deployment to Jamaica after a massive hurricane to the emotional weight of serving their thirteen millionth meal, Stan shares the stories behind the numbers, including the moment a simple pulled pork sandwich became a symbol of love, humanity and hope.Joining the conversation in studio is champion pitmaster Tillman Lee Nelson III of Tillmans BBQ. Tillman rolls in with award winning brisket, his Perfect 200 rub and honest talk about the grind of the competition circuit, marriage on the road, barbecue family and why he still watches every face in the room when people take that first bite. Together, Stan and Tillman dig into why barbecue has such a deep emotional pull, how the barbecue community shows up for each other, and what it means to use food as a vehicle for comfort, connection and service.Key takeaways: • What it takes for Operation BBQ Relief to activate in places like Jamaica and why safety, dignity and cultural respect matter as much as the food. • How a pulled pork sandwich, a parking lot and one stranger's gratitude helped Stan find his “why” and changed how he sees the work forever. • Why competitive barbecue is a family sport for Tillman, how his wife Amy became the real secret weapon, and why the barbecue community feels like a second family. • Simple ways listeners can get involved, from volunteering with OBR at OBR.org to supporting the people doing the cooking in their own communities.About Walk-In Talk Podcast and Walk In Talk Media:Walk-In Talk Podcast is hosted by food industry veteran and storyteller Carl Fiadini, shining a light on the flavor, the hustle and the heart of the industry. Walk-In Talk is the official podcast for the New York, California and Florida Restaurant Shows and the Pizza Tomorrow Summit, and the on-site media partner for the US Culinary Open at the NAFEM Show. Walk In Talk Media is also the North American media platform for The Burnt Chef Project and regularly supports cause driven partners like Operation BBQ Relief and Hogs for the Cause. Recorded at Ibis Images Studios, where food photography comes alive and Carl gets the first bite. Learn more at thewalkintalk.com.Mentioned in this episode:Aussie Select - Fully cooked, premium Australian lambFully cooked, premium Australian lamb—ready to serve and packed with clean flavor.RAK Porcelain USA -Tableware We use RAK for all in-studio tableware—clean, durable, and designed for chefs. Metro Foodservice Solutions Kitchen and back-of-house systems for better flow and function.Citrus America Citrus America – Commercial-grade juicing systems built for speed and yield.

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves has been widely trailing this month's budget and the difficult decisions she'll have to make in just under two weeks time. This is being taken as code for tax rises and a possible break in Labour's manifesto pledge with a rise in income tax. She's said one of the key reasons for this is that the government's official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility or OBR, is likely to lower its UK productivity growth forecast for the coming years. So why is UK productivity a problem and what can be done to improve it? Guests: Chris Giles, Economics Commentator, The Financial Times Helen Miller, Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies Duncan Weldon, economist and author Greg Thwaites, Research Director, Resolution Foundation.Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Cordelia Hemming, Kirsteen Knight Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound engineers: Rod Farguhar and James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon

There are reports that the OBR will downgrade Britain's productivity growth forecasts, increasing the size of the black hole facing the Chancellor at the end of the month. This continues the spate of bad news for the Chancellor on the economy – but can we trust the figures? James Heale and Michael Simmons join Patrick Gibbons to talk about what this means ahead of the budget, whether anger over the money wasted on asylum hotels can be linked to the cost-of-living crisis and what Rachel Reeves is doing in Saudi Arabia this week.Plus: is a debate over the customs union really what Britain wants right now?Produced by Patrick Gibbons.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.