As Parliament heads into summer recess, the EmploymentRights Bill continues its journey through the House of Lords, having reached report stage. Meanwhile, the government has released its implementation roadmap, offering a clearer, though still evolving, picture of how these reforms will roll out in practice. With the potential to reshape key aspects of employment law and practice, this Bill is one of the most significant developments for UK employers in recent years.In this episode, host Ben Walker sits down with Alex Hall-Chen, IoD Principal Policy Advisor for Employment, and Jim Wright CDir, International employment law partner at Knights, to unpack what the Employment Rights Bill means for businesses and business leaders across the UK.Together they explore how the Bill has been received by employers so far, what concerns have been raised by IoD members, and whether those concerns have been reflected in the government's approach. And from a legal perspective, they dive into the most impactful changes on the horizon and what organisations, particularly SMEs, should be preparing for now.
--------
31:54
--------
31:54
The relaunch of Director magazine
On the 19 June, we were delighted to publish the first edition of the new Director magazine.The Summer 2025 edition of Director – HIGH OR DRY: Can Reeves’ growth plan win back business? – features articles including:Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds on the government’s plans to boost the British economyAn interview with TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak on productivityIoD Chief Economist Anna Leach on whether the economy is a game of chanceProfessor Andrew Scott on the silver generation and the need for businesses to have an ageing strategyProfessor Margaret Heffernan on the trouble with AIDr Tim Hames on why geopolitical ignorance will wreck your businessIn this episode, the podcast’s host and Director magazine Editor, Ben Walker, is joined by Dr Roger Barker, Hugo Legh and Anna Leach. As members of the IoD Policy Team and the magazine’s Editorial Board, they discuss the contents of the first edition and the thinking that shaped its direction.
--------
31:33
--------
31:33
In search of growth
As the government prepares to unveil its Spending Reviewthis week, “growth” remains the political buzzword of the moment. But with the UK still struggling to regain economic momentum more than a decade after the financial crisis, are ministers pursuing the right kind of growth—and do they even understand what drives it?In this episode, host Ben Walker is joined by Anna Leach (IoDChief Economist), and Daniel Susskind (Author of ‘Growth: A Reckoning’ (2024), ‘A World Without Work’ (2020) and Research Professor in Economics at King's College London), to explore what growth really means in today’s economy: why it matters, what’s holding the UK back, and whether our current model is fit for a future shaped by AI, automation, and global competition. From the legacy of 2008 to the transatlantic growth gap, we unpack the forces shaping prosperity—and ask whether perpetual growth is even a realistic or desirable goal.
--------
38:52
--------
38:52
The outlook for listings in the UK
Investor confidence in London’s stock market has hit aworrying low, with fund managers warning the government that sentiment is at “rock bottom.” In a recent Downing Street meeting, industry specialists raised concerns over the state of UK equities - highlighting key challenges such as declining IPOs, a widening valuation gap between UK and US companies, and increasing acquisitions by private equity and foreign buyers. With pension funds consistently reducing their UK equity holdings, a growing number of voices are calling for policy intervention to help revitalise public markets.In this episode, Ben Walker is joined by Mark Austin CBE (Partner, Latham & Watkins and Capital Markets Industry Taskforce member), Julie Shacklady (Director of Capital Markets, UK Finance) and David Trenchard (Founder and CEO, David Trenchard Consulting Ltd) to unpack the state of public listings in the UK – and what this means for businesses, investors, and the broader economy.Together they answer: How can investor confidence berestored? Are UK companies undervalued compared to their global counterparts? And what role could pension funds play in revitalising domestic markets?
--------
36:18
--------
36:18
100 days of President Trump
On the day of his inauguration, President Trump promised todeliver the “most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history”. True to his word, the first 100 days of his second term have been labelled as some of the most destabilising in the country’s recent past.In our latest Directors’ Briefing episode, the author of ‘Trump II: Why He Won – What It Means For the World’, Tim Hames, and Overton Advisory founder, Michael Martins, join host Ben Walker to discuss how the first 100 days of President Trump's second term are shaping the future of business globally.Together, they examine the implications of tariffs, the restructuring of federal bureaucracy, and the strategic decisions facing UK businesses in this evolving landscape.
UK