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Political Currency

Welfare vs Warfare: Can Labour Afford NATO’s Demands?

Political Currency

Persephonica

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

4855 Ratings

🗓️ 5 June 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

With just days to go before Rachel Reeves delivers her first Spending Review, Labour is facing an uncomfortable squeeze. NATO wants defence spending ramped up to 3.5% of GDP, but Reeves is sticking to her strict fiscal rules. Can Starmer keep both Washington and voters at home on side - or will the sums simply stop adding up?


Meanwhile, Donald Trump is reigniting the trade war - with a 25% steel tariff sending markets wobbling. The UK may have a temporary exemption, but there are warning signs everywhere: surging bond yields, a weakening pound, and talk of a “crack” in the market from Wall Street’s biggest voices. What does it all mean for the UK - and could global turbulence derail Labour’s investment plans before they’ve begun?

And Boris Johnson’s back in the headlines. Could he really be planning a political comeback? With Reform UK on the rise and Conservative nerves showing, some see him as a vote-winner. But under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership, would his return solve more problems than it creates?


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Producer: Miriam Hall

Senior Producer: Silvia Maresca

Video Editor: Danny Pape

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

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across politics, business, science and culture, keeping you informed and prepared for what's to

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And with a global team of reporters, they make complicated issues clear so you can navigate with confidence.

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Search the economist and make sense of the world around you.

1:26.8

This is political currency with Ed Balls and George Osbourne.

1:39.2

So we are back live in the studio here in Hoxton.

1:44.5

And what a relief because last week, George was on some some Greek island and I actually don't think for

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the listeners it was too bad because

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our production team did a brilliant job

...

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