EMQs: Our Keir Year, modern Machiavellis and fairness in politics
July 7, 2025
37 min
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190
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Episode 190 · July 7, 2025
EMQs: Our Keir Year, modern Machiavellis and fairness in politics
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Political Currency Episodes Around July 7, 2025
Episode 188 of 291 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
37:57This episodeEMQs: Our Keir Year, modern Machiavellis and fairness in politics
Summary
<p>What is a fair way to govern? In response to a long time listener who feels a victim of his own success – disproportionately hit by taxes and ineligible for certain benefits – Ed Balls explains three different philosophical concepts of ‘fairness’. George Osborne meanwhile dismisses wealth tax as a catch all solution, underlining how the Labour government must look to the broader population. </p><br /><p>Listeners are reflecting on Keir Starmer a year into his premiership, with some wondering about his core set of beliefs (or lack thereof) and others questioning their decision to lend him their vote. What can the PM do to inspire these wavering voters?</p><p>Ed and George also note institutional differences in the role academics play in government. Why is an economic academic more likely to find a role in the US government or the Bank of England then in the UK cabinet? </p><br /><p>And who are the UK’s Machiavelli-like politicians of recent times? Boris Johnson is dismissed as a candidate but Ed Balls nominates someone closer to home, suggesting that George Osborne may have pulled more strings in the Cameron government than we appreciated. </p><br /><p>To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:</p><p>👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency</p><p>👉 Apple Podcasts</p><p>Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.</p><p>Producers: Miriam Hall and Jarek Zaba</p><p>Video Editor: Danny Pape</p><p>Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford</p><br /><p><br /></p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
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