Episoder
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According to pioneering political economist Adam Smith, the liberalisation of trade was supposed to progressively grow social wealth for all nations and eliminate the need for social evils such as slave labour. Why, then, with production organised at a transnational scale and capital so mobile, do giant multinational companies continue to hoard profits while development stagnates for so many? And why does slavery and forced labour persist in global supply chains?
Dr Maha Rafi Atal is Adam Smith Senior Lecturer in Political Economy at University of Glasgow. She joins Dr Remi Edwards to discuss her recently co-authored article Adam Smith: His continuing relevance for contemporary management thought (2024). They consider what we can learn from Adam Smith to explain contemporary political economy challenges associated with global corporations including failures of corporate responsibility and regulation, extreme concentrations of power and wealth, and the difficulties of labour organising across borders.
Publications discussed also include Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations (1776) and Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759).
Find out more about the Adam Smith 300 project at the University of Glasgow, including its' exhibition of his student's lecture notes discussed in the episode.
'New Thinking in Political Economy' is a monthly podcast showcasing cutting-edge political economy research that helps us to understand the world around us.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… committee, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley and Andrew Hindmoor. This episode was edited by Remi Edwards and Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Despite decades of public knowledge about climate change and well-established international governance institutions designed to facilitate global energy transition, emissions continue to rise as climate breakdown intensifies. Why is climate modeling so important and what are technocrats getting wrong? What are the assumptions underlying these models of future climate scenarios and how do they misinform policy makers about the true costs of the climate (in)action? How can a constructivist approach to international political economy (IPE) help us understand the contestation the occurs within and between institutions on questions of climate mitigation?
Professor Ben Clift is Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick and Dr Caroline Kuzemko is a Reader in International Political Economy also at the University of Warwick. They join Dr Remi Edwards to discuss their recent paper The social construction of sustainable futures: how models and scenarios limit climate mitigation possibilities (2024).
'New Thinking in Political Economy' is a monthly podcast showcasing cutting-edge political economy research that helps us to understand the world around us.
Acronyms used in this podcast:
IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
COP - Conference of the Parties
IAM - Integrated assessment models
OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
IMF - International Monetary Fund
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… committee, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley and Andrew Hindmoor. This episode was edited by Remi Edwards and Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Manglende episoder?
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Queer men bear a disproportionate burden of HIV in Africa, but how do they experience the global development agenda of sexual health and sexual rights? What does a political economy approach bring to research on global development? How does queer political economy build on feminist approaches to help us locate contemporary Ghanian politics in histories of capitalism and colonialism? What are the lived experiences of queer men in Ghana in this context and what are their priorities in the struggle for queer liberation? How does an ethnographic methodology help researchers answer these questions and more?
Dr Ellie Gore is a Lecturer in Global Political Economy at University of Manchester and Dr Natalie Langford is Lecturer in Sustainability at University of Sheffield. They join Dr Remi Edwards to discuss Ellie's new book Between HIV prevention and LGBTI rights: the political economy of queer activism in Ghana (University of Michigan Press).
'New Thinking in Political Economy' is a monthly podcast showcasing cutting-edge political economy research that helps us to understand the world around us.
Publications referenced in the podcast include:
Ellie Gore (2024) Between HIV Prevention and LGBTI Rights: The political economy of queer activism in Ghana. University of Michigan Press.
Ellie Gore (2022) 'Understanding Queer Oppression and Resistance in the Global Economy: Towards a Theoretical Framework for Political Economy', New Political Economy 27/2, 296-311.
Saidiya V. Hartman (2021/2006) Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route. Serpent's Tail.
María Lugones (2007) 'Heterosexualism and the Colonial / Modern Gender System', Hypatia 22/1, 186-209.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… committee, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley and Andrew Hindmoor. This episode was edited by Remi Edwards and Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Political economists are inspired to understanding the major challenges that face our society today: climate breakdown and global environmental change, workers' rights across global supply chains, the intensification of war, the rise of the far-right, public health crises and so much more. But what exactly is political economy? Is it a discipline, sub-discipline, field, approach, all of these, or none? How does it help us understand capitalism, history, our everyday lives?
Professor Andrew Hindmoor is Professor of Politics at University of Sheffield and Co-Director of the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI). Dr Liam Stanley is Senior Lecturer in Politics at University of Sheffield. Dr Natalie Langford is Lecturer in Sustainability at University of Sheffield. For this first episode, they join Dr Remi Edwards for a fascinating discussion in which they share their perspectives on what exactly political economy is, how they came to pursue it, and the role it has played in their research careers so far.
'New Thinking in Political Economy' is a monthly podcast showcasing cutting-edge political economy research that helps us to understand the world around us.
Papers referenced in the podcast include:
Stanley, L. (2014) ‘We're Reaping What We Sowed’: Everyday Crisis Narratives and Acquiescence to the Age of Austerity', New Political Economy, 19(6), 895-917.
Jessop, B. and Sum, N. (2010) 'Pre-disciplinary and Post-disciplinary Perspectives', New Political Economy, 6(1), 89-101.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… committee, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley and Andrew Hindmoor. This episode was edited by Remi Edwards and Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Starmer's Labour has secured an overwhelming majority in what will surely be one of the most significant Parliamentary terms in the history of British climate politics. The clock is ticking on decarbonisation, but the new Labour government appears reluctant to take full advantage of the chance to be forever remembered as climate heroes. Will it make the most of this opportunity?
Michael Jacobs, now Professor of Political Economy at the University of Sheffield, was a member of the Council of Economic Advisers at the Treasury from 2004 to 2007 and special adviser to Gordon Brown at No 10 on energy, climate and environmental policy from 2007 to 2010. He joins Mems and guest co-host Chris Saltmarsh (doctoral student and co-founder of the campaign group Labour for a Green New Deal) to discuss the remarkable consensus around the Climate Change Act 2008; failure and success at UNFCCC summits from COP15 in Copenhagen to COP21 in Paris; and the challenges facing Ed Miliband in his new role as Secretary of State for Energy. They also consider the new Labour government's plans on climate, including Great British Energy, and how the climate movement needs to kick itself into gear to pile on the pressure for stronger action.
Lessons in Power is a SPERI Presents... podcast. Professor Michael Jacobs and Mems Ayinla interview ministers and advisors from the New Labour administration (1997-2010) to tease out lessons on a range of issues for Keir Starmer’s newly formed Labour government.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Chris Saltmarsh and Remi Edwards. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Keir Starmer's new government must now walk the line between the short-termist incentives of Parliamentary politics and the imperative to tackle the medium and long-term social issues that Labour has been elected to solve. What mode of governance can effectively strike this balance?
Sir Geoff Mulgan, now Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation at University College London, was Director of the Performance and Innovation Unit, Head of the Strategy Unit and Head of Policy in No 10 (1997-2007). He joins Michael and Mems to discuss strategies for addressing multidimensional and complex social issues; how Starmer should pursue his missions; the allure and limitations of incrementalism; and the challenges of a hollowed out Whitehall.
Lessons in Power is a SPERI Presents... podcast. Professor Michael Jacobs and Mems Ayinla interview ministers and advisors from the New Labour administration (1997-2010) to tease out lessons on a range of issues for Keir Starmer’s newly formed Labour government.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Michael Jacobs and Remi Edwards. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It would appear that every Opposition party promises sweeping House of Lords reform while every government roundly fails to make any meaningful progress in that domain. What challenges will Keir Starmer's new Labour government face when it comes to constitutional and Parliamentary reform?
Meg Russell, now Professor of Politics at University College London and Director of the UCL Constitution Unit, was Special Adviser to Robin Cook as Leader of the House in 2001-3. She joins Michael and Mems to discuss the dynamic between the Prime Minister and Parliament; the need for reform in the House of Commons; the politics of House of Lords appointments; and the endlessly frustrating challenge of achieving meaningful reform to the upper house.
Lessons in Power is a SPERI Presents... podcast. Professor Michael Jacobs and Mems Ayinla interview ministers and advisors from the New Labour administration (1997-2010) to tease out lessons on a range of issues for Keir Starmer’s newly formed Labour government.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Michael Jacobs and Remi Edwards. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Keir Starmer inherits a series of broken public services after fourteen years of austerity and economic stagnation. Can the new Labour government turn them around while remaining so reluctant to invest public money?
Nick Pearce, now Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Institute of Policy Research, University of Bath, was Head of the No 10 Policy Unit 2007-10 and Special Adviser at the Dept of Education and Employment and Home Office (2001-7). He joins Michael and Mems to discuss New Labour's record on education, (including the controversial policy of academisation), investment in the NHS and social care, and housing (including the continuation of Right to Buy). How should Keir Starmer approach public service reform? They also consider the importance of taxation to fund public spending, the role of local government and combined authorities, and how the civil service will respond to the new government.
Lessons in Power is a SPERI Presents... podcast. Professor Michael Jacobs and Mems Ayinla interview ministers and advisors from the New Labour administration (1997-2010) to tease out lessons on a range of issues for Keir Starmer’s newly formed Labour government.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Michael Jacobs and Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A key issue in Labour's 2024 general election campaign was the conflict between the moral imperative to end child poverty and the party's stringent fiscal rules. The debate over whether Starmer's new government will end the two-child limit in Universal Credit is already a live issue during his first period as Prime Minister.
Carey Oppenheim, now an independent consultant on early years policy and adviser to the Nuffield Foundation, was Special Advisor to Tony Blair in the Number 10 Policy Unit from 2000 to 2005, working on employment policy, social security, childcare and poverty. She joins Michael and Mems to discuss New Labour's pledge to eradicate poverty, the Sure Start initiative, the challenges of building institutions that last beyond particular governments, reimagining social security, and the legacy of the minimum wage.
Lessons in Power is a SPERI Presents... podcast. Professor Michael Jacobs and Mems Ayinla interview ministers and advisors from the New Labour administration (1997-2010) to tease out lessons on a range of issues for Keir Starmer’s newly formed Labour government.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Remi Edwards, Michael Jacobs and Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Foreign aid spending has long been a political football kicked around by the major parties. Now that Keir Starmer has formed a new Labour government, what will its approach to international development tell us about the UK's place in the world?
Clare Short was Secretary of State for International Development from 1997-2003 under Tony Blair. She joins Michael and Mems to discuss overseas development and foreign policy, including the founding of the Department for International Development, its relation to the Foreign Office, and American influence over British foreign policy making. They also consider the challenges faced by the new Labour government, including the war in Gaza and Britain's declining stature in world politics.
Lessons in Power is a SPERI Presents... podcast. Professor Michael Jacobs and Mems Ayinla interview ministers and advisors from the New Labour administration (1997-2010) to tease out lessons on a range of issues for Keir Starmer’s newly formed Labour government.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Michael Jacobs, Chris Saltmarsh and Remi Edwards. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Debates about migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats dominated the 2024 general election. The Labour government will now face pressure from all sides to resolve the issue decisively but humanely.
Lord David Blunkett was Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1997-2001), Home Secretary (2001-4) and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2005). He joins Michael and Mems to discuss his time at the Home Office and immigration policy during Tony Blair's administration. They discuss whether the Home Office is fit for purpose, running the ministry in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, negotiating with France's Nicolas Sarkozy over asylum policy, and the debate around whether (and when) asylum seekers should receive the right to work.
Lessons in Power is a SPERI Presents... podcast. Professor Michael Jacobs and Mems Ayinla interview ministers and advisors from the New Labour administration (1997-2010) to tease out lessons on a range of issues for Keir Starmer’s newly formed Labour government.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Michael Jacobs and Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Labour is now in power for the first time in over 14 years. How does Keir Starmer hit the ground running? What are the challenges of running a government after so long away from 10 Downing St?
Baroness Sally Morgan, now Master of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, was Tony Blair’s Director of Government and Political Relations at No 10 from 1997 to 2005. Gavin Kelly, now Executive Chair and formerly Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, was Deputy Chief of Staff at No 10 under Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010. They join Michael and Mems to discuss the challenges of managing the Prime Minister's diary, collaboration between No 10 and key departments, relationship with the media, and how Keir Starmer should start his administration on the right footing.
Lessons in Power is a SPERI Presents... podcast. Professor Michael Jacobs and Mems Ayinla interview ministers and advisors from the New Labour administration (1997-2010) to tease out lessons on a range of issues for Keir Starmer’s newly formed Labour government.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Michael Jacobs and Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Keir Starmer and David Lammy face the immediate foreign policy challenges of wars in Ukraine and Gaza, volatility in Europe, and geopolitical conflict between the US and China.
Lord Stewart Wood, now a Fellow of the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, was a member of the Council of Economic Advisers at the Treasury from 2001 to 2007 and Gordon Brown’s foreign policy adviser at No 10 from 2007 to 2010. He joins Michael and Mems to discuss his experience of working across a range of issues under the last Labour government and offer advice to Keir Starmer's new Labour government. They discuss Gordon Brown's diplomacy in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the challenges of managing relations with the EU and its member states in a post-Brexit world, and how to position the UK amid the US-China trade war.
Lessons in Power is a SPERI Presents... podcast. Professor Michael Jacobs and Mems Ayinla interview ministers and advisors from the New Labour administration (1997-2010) to tease out lessons on a range of issues for Keir Starmer’s newly formed Labour government.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Michael Jacobs and Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This introductory episode of SPERI Presents… gives listeners a taste of political economy as a discipline and SPERI as an institute while setting the scene for series to come.
Dr Remi Edwards is joined by current SPERI co-director Professor Andrew Hindmoor and SPERI affiliates Dr Natalie Langford and Dr Liam Stanley. They discussed how they understand political economy as a field of study, the unique insights it offers for understanding dynamics of contemporary capitalism, and how they use it in their own research. Previous SPERI co-directors Professor Genevieve LeBaron and Professor Tony Payne offered their reflections on the research agendas of SPERI and its contributions to the field of political economy.
This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Dillon Wamsley, Chris Saltmarsh and Remi Edwards. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
