Growth – and damn the consequences?
Political Fix
Financial Times
4.2 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 31 January 2025
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has sought to place rocket-boosters under the UK economy this week – with a vow to prioritise growth over the environment or nimbyism. But how long will her plan take to work, is it too concentrated in the south of England, and what cabinet splits will it spark? Host Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars Robert Shrimsley and Miranda Green, as well as the FT’s public policy editor Peter Foster, to dissect Labour’s strategy. Plus, the panel looks ahead to Sir Keir Starmer’s first meeting with EU leaders in Brussels next Monday as he seeks a fresh defence and security pact with the bloc. Will Britain acquiesce to the EU’s key demand for a youth mobility scheme?
Follow Lucy on Bluesky or X: @lucyfisher.bsky.social, @LOS_Fisher, Robert @robertshrimsley, @robertshrimsley.bsky.social, Peter @pmdfoster @pmdfoster.bskyb.social and Miranda @GreenMiranda @greenmirandahere.bskyb.social
Want more? Free links:
Labour is facing two ways on growth
The contradictions at the heart of Rachel Reeves’ growth plan
How five years of Brexit reshaped Britain
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Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Laurence Knight. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | growth's been the big theme of the week. |
| 0:02.6 | Are you optimistic, Robert? |
| 0:04.4 | No more than I was last week. |
| 0:06.4 | We'll see. |
| 0:07.0 | A lot of words. |
| 0:08.2 | Let's see where it amounts to. |
| 0:09.7 | Miranda. |
| 0:10.3 | I'm very optimistic because I got the memo. |
| 0:12.3 | We're all optimistic now, right? |
| 0:14.0 | There's no more gloom and doom, Lucy. |
| 0:15.8 | It's not allowed. |
| 0:17.3 | Peter. |
| 0:18.4 | Not in the short term. |
| 0:19.7 | But I think there are reasons potentially for optimism in the longer term |
| 0:24.1 | if some things that haven't happened in a very long time do happen, which is a reason not to be optimistic. |
| 0:33.3 | Welcome to Political Fix from the Financial Times with me, Lucy Fisher. |
| 0:37.6 | Coming up, Rachel Rees has a plan to kickstart the UK's economic growth, |
| 0:42.0 | but will it also kickstart battles within the Labour Party? |
| 0:45.5 | Plus, the Prime Minister heads to Brussels to discuss an EU-packed on security and defence next week. |
| 0:50.7 | We'll examine what to expect. |
| 0:52.9 | I'm joined in the studio by my FT colleagues Miranda. |
| 0:56.0 | Hi, Miranda. Hello Lucy. And Robert Shimsley. Hi, Robert. Hello, Lucy. And the FT's public |
... |
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