EMQs: Is there room for optimism in politics?
Political Currency
Persephonica
4.1 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 22 September 2025
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Richard Curtis, rom-com extraordinaire who put Notting Hill on the map is asking a question this week: he wants to know what areas Ed Balls and George Osborne are seeing progress and hope. Doom, gloom and cynicism are on hold - for a week, at least - for the pair to consider some more optimistic matters. Ed is hopeful about advancements on taking on diseases, while George considers the steps technology has improved people’s lives.
Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan asks about what they love most about London (spoiler: the tube gets a mention), and Seyi Akiwowo, the director of Glitch, a non-profit organisation campaigning to end online abuse, gets Ed and George thinking about hopeful advice for those casting their first vote and finding their political voice.
To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:
👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency
👉 Apple Podcasts
Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.
Credits:
Producer: Miriam Hall
Senior Producer: Silvia Maresca
Video Editor: Oliver Geraghty
Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford
Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is Lola Young, the brand new album, out now. |
| 0:31.6 | This episode is sponsored by Sage and their AI productivity assistant Sage co-pilot. Running a business takes |
| 0:39.8 | constant evolution and Sage has been helping British businesses do that for over 40 years. |
| 0:45.7 | Yes and according to Sage, their AI is designed to cut through the noise. No gimmets, no distractions, |
| 0:51.1 | just the tools business owners need to keep things running smoothly. |
| 0:59.4 | So whether it's filing VAT returns, chasing late invoices or flagging rising costs, |
| 1:06.0 | SAGE co-pilot brings real insight and includes HMRC know-how to help avoid mistakes and hit every tax deadline. That's why SAGE's promise of authentic intelligence will resonate with small businesses |
| 1:11.7 | across the country. It's AI built where there were 40 years supporting UK businesses |
| 1:16.3 | understanding their real needs, so you can stay focused on the really important jobs. |
| 1:21.8 | Sage also developed an AI trust label, giving users transparency on how the technology works, |
| 1:27.0 | how data is managed, |
| 1:28.2 | and what protections are in place. |
| 1:30.0 | So if you're a business owner looking to make better, faster decisions, search SAGE AI to |
| 1:36.0 | find out how you can transform your business. |
| 1:39.0 | This episode of Political Coency is sponsored by Indeed. |
| 1:42.4 | Okay, so Ed, Indeed is a trusted platform which connects people with jobs that are right for them. |
| 1:48.2 | What they do is interesting to me as we get so many questions in from listeners of the podcast |
| 1:52.5 | about the challenges of finding a job that's right for you, whether it's in politics, business or |
| 1:56.6 | whatever else you're passionate about. |
| 1:59.0 | I know, and speaking to people about the hiring process, |
| 2:05.1 | one thing I've always found really quite bizarre is the lack of transparency around salary. |
| 2:09.1 | Often the salary is never listed. You're sat in the interview and almost feel rude having to ask what the job pays. It's a crazy situation to put candidates in and there's got to be a better |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Persephonica, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Persephonica and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.