Hung parliament or thumping majority? And why do we all feel so skint?
Radical with Amol Rajan
BBC
4.5 • 917 Ratings
🗓️ 9 May 2024
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Amol asks what the local elections results really tell us about what might happen in a general election and why so many Britons feel skint.
Pollster James Kanagasooriam is back in The Today Podcast studio to give his verdict on whether the local election results point to a Labour majority at the general election or a hung parliament.
In a week where Britain could come out of a recession Amol asks whether an improving economic picture may pay political dividends in the general election. Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation - a think tank focusing on people on lower incomes – explains why so many millennials are still feeling the pinch.
And retail guru Mary Portas joins Amol to give her thoughts on how the high street has been affected by Britain’s struggling economy – and shares her moment of the week.
Episodes of The Today Podcast land every Thursday and watch out for bonus episodes. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories of the week, with insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme. If you would like a question answering, get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us Today@bbc.co.uk
The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the UK’s most influential radio news programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.
The senior producer is Tom Smithard, the producers are Hazel Morgan and Joe Wilkinson. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Mike Regaard and digital production from Elliot Ryder.
Note: this podcast has been re-edited.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:04.9 | All right, so this is a big week for Britain's economy. |
| 0:08.5 | We could get numbers saying that we're out of a recession. |
| 0:11.8 | The Bank of England might well be indicating that interest rates come down, |
| 0:15.4 | and it looks like inflation is falling too. |
| 0:17.5 | This is all a massive relief for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives after the local |
| 0:22.9 | elections in which, frankly, they got a shellacking. But, and it is a big but, as we often say on |
| 0:29.3 | this podcast, or I do at least, whether or not Nick wants to hear it, you've got to focus on the |
| 0:33.9 | fundamentals. And I just suspect, based on the interviews that I'm doing on the today program with people that work in public services or talking to people of my |
| 0:41.1 | generation who feel like they spent the last nearly two decades surrounded by the sound of |
| 0:46.2 | economic shocks, I just wonder whether or not the fundamentals of Britain's economy really |
| 0:50.6 | aren't so great. And whether or not, as we're going to be asking today, in fact, Britain and Britons are really skinned. |
| 0:58.4 | We know the economy matters hugely to voters. |
| 1:01.5 | It's going to be a key issue in the coming general election. |
| 1:04.4 | So there's a lot to get through, |
| 1:05.9 | and we've got some fantastic guests. |
| 1:07.8 | Tidying up the local elections is where we begin. |
| 1:11.3 | Let's do it. |
| 1:24.4 | Hello, welcome back, lovely Pod Squad. |
| 1:26.5 | It's Amol here in the Today Podcast Studio, joined once again by James Kandagosuriam and not Nick Robinson. James, nice to see you. Oh, nice see you, Mo. You know, this is the second time you've been in for Nick when he's away, so I just wonder if he's going to get slightly, you know, sensitive. I think he'll be right. I think he'll be right. Nick is, in fact, in Italy after his, was it 400-hour working week last week? He was pretty much on air from Monday morning until Friday night and he's now having a good time, which he thoroughly deserves. But we miss you, mate, and he'll be back next week. We last broadcast with you, James, in the middle of a rolling story, which is the local election podcast. It's very good to have you back. For those who missed last week, I should tell you again that James Kanagosurium is a top pollster and political brain, chief research officer for focal data and a board member of the centre-right think tank onward and is back in the studio. |
| 2:17.7 | James, why are you dressed in such a smart suit? |
| 2:19.7 | I'm going to, going for lunch. And I've been told I'm not very smart. So I thought I'd turn it around. Can I ask you, are you going to Downing Street? No, I'm not. You've seen the Prime Minister? No. Okay. Well, I mean, he ought to be giving you a call after your analysis of last week. |
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