Art Laffer Has a Prescription for Britain’s Economic Woes
US economist Arthur Laffer — the man behind the famous “Laffer Curve” — joins Merryn Talks Money to explain why he thinks Western economies, especially the UK, have pushed taxes too far. As Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares for her next budget, Laffer warns Britain is heading for stagnation, not growth. He makes the case for a radical rethink: lower taxes, less red tape, and a return to pro-growth policies inspired by Reagan, Kennedy, and Thatcher. Tune in to hear why he believes the UK could be on the brink of an economic revival — if it dares to change course. Sign up for the UK Budget event: https://go.bloomberg.com/attend/invite/post-budget-merryn-talks-money/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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UK Renters’ Rights Act: What Tenants and Landlords Need to Know
Host John Stepek and author of the Money Distilled newsletter is joined by Bloomberg reporter Helen Chandler-Wilde and Stuart Trow, author of “Young, Poor and Totally Screwed” to unpack one of the Labour government's key reforms; the Renters’ Rights Act. The act, which has just received Royal Assent, aims to moderate rent increases, ban “no-fault” evictions, and end fixed-term tenancies. But without any meaningful supply side reforms, there are questions over how effective the new policy will be. Indeed, there are risks that it could do more harm than good, particularly to those already struggling to find accommodation, as tighter regulation and higher costs encourage more landlords to leave an already overly-tight market.Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/explainers/how-to-uk-landlord-new-renters-rights-bill?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=copy Sign up for the budget event: https://go.bloomberg.com/attend/invite/post-budget-merryn-talks-money/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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When Gold Loses Its Shine
On this week’s market wrap, host and author of the Money Distilled newsletter, John Stepek is joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Marcus Ashworth to dissect the latest market moves. The pair discuss the pullback in gold and other precious metals, falling bond yields amid expectations of rate cuts from the Federal Reserve and Bank of England, and consider how the election of Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, could shape the country’s markets and investor sentiment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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How the US-China Rivalry Is Reshaping the Global Economy with Neil Shearing
Neil Shearing, group chief economist at Capital Economics and author of The Fractured Age, argues hyper-globalization is giving way to a world split into US- and China-centric blocs, reshaping trade, technology, and security. He explains why de-risking will likely be concentrated in strategic sectors (chips, batteries, biotech), bringing more volatile inflation and new portfolio implications—from being cautious on China exposure to watching critical minerals and long-run AI-driven U.S. tech.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Outbreaks of Reality: Markets Catch Up to the Warnings
On this week's markets wrap, hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek unpack a series of headlines that seem to confirm their long-standing warnings — from fiscal cracks and risky lending to energy costs and gold’s sudden rise. They connect the dots between market anxiety, political inaction, and the “outbreaks of reality” shaping the UK economy.Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-15/uk-s-top-energy-suppliers-warn-bills-will-surge-on-grid-upgrades Check out that video: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/b8c78c69-0d5b-46eb-8692-68ce2c5cf274Listen back: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/why-new-rules-are-needed-to-avoid-war-in-space-pippa-malmgren/id1654809850?i=1000638621310 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Merryn Talks Money with Bloomberg senior columnist Merryn Somerset Webb is your key to understanding how markets work – and how you can make them work for you. Every episode features a relaxed but in-depth conversation with a fund manager, a strategist, a Bloomberg expert or just someone Merryn finds particularly interesting in any given week. Listen in for the kind of insights and explanations everyone can use to help them make better saving and investing choices.
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