EMQs: Is toxic masculinity a government problem?

Political Currency

Persephonica

Business, Economy, George Osborne, Westminster, Politics, News, Money, Ed Balls

4 • 855 Ratings

🗓️ 7 April 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, Ed Balls and George Osborne mull museums and memes via bank holidays and pennies. With listeners telling us their locations of choice, funeral director Ross ranks highly with his admission that Ed and George are sometimes listened to in a hearse on the drive home. The pair consider: what are the merits of regulating the funeral industry?

Should our cultural institutions be charging more for access?

George calls upon his expertise as Chair of the British Museum to weigh it up. Meanwhile, Ed shares his own research into the economics of a bank holiday… do we really stand to lose billions if the government was to introduce another?

Toxic masculinity and online safety are in the spotlight in the wake of Netflix’s hit show Adolescence, with research indicating that young people in the UK are particularly worried about these issues. Ed and George look at the role of government in addressing their concerns, before assessing whether the humble penny should remain a staple of British life.

And a touch of nostalgia … a listener reminds the economic duo of the ‘Budget Rap Battle’, put together by Sky News when the pair were on opposite sides of the dispatch box. Ed expresses scepticism that such memes can make a political difference, although both agree that Nick Clegg’s I’m Sorry remix was a damaging – albeit amusing – moment in the Lib Dem leader’s career….

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Technical Producer: Danny Pape

Producers: Miriam Hall and Jarek Żaba

Executive Producer: Dino Sofos

Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Acast recommends.
0:02.0	Hi, my name's Paloma Faith and this is my new show.
0:06.0	One, two, three, four!
0:07.0	I'm really mad, sad and bad.
0:10.0	I've been called mad and bad my whole life.
0:13.0	I've also had some real moments of sad, so I decided to make a podcast.
0:17.0	This series, I'll be speaking to my favourite actors, comedians, musicians and thinkers to find out what makes them mad, sad and bad. Out now.
0:27.3	This is like free therapy for you, wouldn't it?
0:34.7	A-cast is the home of podcasting, including such shows as,
0:38.5	The Logbooks, the High Performance Podcast and the one you're listening to right now.
0:47.8	This episode is brought to you by South by Southwest London.
0:51.7	This is exciting because for the first time ever, the famous South by Southwest Festival is coming to London and I think you'll really want to be there.
0:59.9	It's a convergence of creativity, culture and technology. The conference will cover everything from how to navigate business in a changing world to what the creator economy will look like.
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1:16.4	with over 37 countries represented. Yes, you can meet potential clients, investors, partners
1:21.7	and peers. You'll be immersed in new technologies and emerging talent from around the world.
1:26.9	It's the first time that South by Southwest has been in Europe, so be the first around the world. It's the first time that South by
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1:33.1	more than 25 venues here in Shorwich and London, running from the 2nd to the 7th of June 2025.
1:39.7	Search South by Southwest London and use code PC20 at the checkout to get 20% discount off all passes.
1:47.3	The Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	...

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