From identity politics to American democracy to the logic of austerity, the New Economics Podcast with Ayeisha Thomas-Smith hosted some incredible guests. Make sure you subscribe so don't miss the next season!

From fixing local government funding issues and investing in people and their communities to ensure places are not stripped of their wealth, to engaging people in real decision-making, NEF is helping communities up and down the UK to take back power and thrive.

NEF is pioneering new approaches to managing the economy. We’re showing that tackling climate change and tackling inequality can – and must – go hand in hand.

NEF is challenging the failed economics of austerity. We are redesigning public services and social security for the 21st century economy. We are showing how everyone can have the security and foundations they need to thrive.

Scrapping jury trials: when efficiency and our rights are seen as a trade-off, that's where democratic erosion happens. Ayeisha spoke to Sotez from @amnestyuk.bsky.social for the latest episode of the New Economics Podcast. linktr.ee/neweconomics...

Is this government cracking down on protest? Sotez Chowdhury from @amnestyuk.bsky.social joins Ayeisha on the New Economics Podcast. Listen on all good podcast apps linktr.ee/neweconomics...

Green tech made my home more comfortable and cheaper to live in - but it needs to be more accessible for people. @alchap.bsky.social wrote for the NEF blog about the benefits of green tech and why the government should do more to make it available.

Is this government threatening our basic freedoms?🤔 For the last episode of this series of the New Economics Podcast, Ayeisha Thomas-Smith was joined by Sotez Chowdhury from @amnestyuk.bsky.social to talk about protest rights, digital id cards & much more.

The Bank should be going further with interest rate cuts. The budget showed this government is willing to take measures to tackle the cost of living by freezing rail fares and offering a discount on energy bills and the Bank should respond to this with lower rates. 1/3

Why have so many incumbent world leaders lost elections in the last few years? It's a symptom of our broken economic system, says @dhnnjyn.bsky.social on BBC World Service.

We're entering a new era where inflation will be caused by global shocks - and raising interest rates will not do much to address it, says @jayasood.bsky.social on LBC News.

Inflation rates may have fallen but that’s likely to make little difference to the millions of people in this country struggling to afford the essentials - many of whom are still being hammered by high interest rates. 1/3

UK Nov CPI inflation at 3.2% down from 3.8% over the summer and 3.6% in Oct, amidst economic contraction, a rise in unemployment and slow wage growth. No excuse for BoE not to cut rates tomorrow 1/4

There are now 2.5 unemployed people looking for work for every vacancy. The jobs market is oversaturated with too many people looking for work and not enough jobs to fill. 1/3

Our latest analysis has challenged the idea that airport expansion will lead to economic growth. @dhnnjyn.bsky.social was on the BBC World Service talking about the economic, climate, and social impacts of our approach to aviation.

"A stable system that lifts children out of poverty pays for itself in health, skills and community strength." @maxmosley.bsky.social wrote for the New Statesman on why scrapping the two child limit must be the start of a new story for the benefits system www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/20...

💰How much is too much? The top 10 wealthiest people in the world now own more than the poorest 3 billion combined, and the average billionaire’s carbon footprint is 1 million times that of the average person. Is it time to draw the line on extreme wealth? neweconomics.org/2025/01/expl...

💸 Soaring bills for us, but huge payouts to shareholders. 💩 Sewage in our waterways, but bailouts for water companies. 🛤️ Delayed trains, but ticket hikes every year. What if it didn’t have to be like this? 🎧 Listen now to learn more. neweconomics.org/2025/10/radi... w/@abundance-org.bsky.social

What's the bigger picture here? After 15 years of austerity our economy is flatlining. Public investment is the key to getting us out of the slump and the chancellor needs to change both the fiscal rules and the OBR's role in assessing them to make this happen.

The European Parliament is debating taxing the ultra-rich today. We woke up early this morning to call the EU to end loopholes, boost transparency and #TaxTheSuperRich. 8 in 10 euros of EU tax revenue come from ordinary Europeans! This must end ✊💶 @epsu.bsky.social @eeb.org @greenpeace.eu

Few banks are drawing clear lines on fossil fuels, with just five fully ruling out financing to companies engaged in new oil and gas projects. Banks need fossil fuel policies that are strong enough to protect long-term economic and social stability. shareaction.org/reports/in-d...

📢 Registrations are open! 🎯 On 27 Jan 2026 we gather academics, trade unions & civil society to unpack the EU’s push for de-risking: public money to attract private profit. 1/4

Global inequality has hit a new extreme. So how much wealth is too much?🤔 The extreme poverty line is used to define unacceptable levels of poverty. What if we also created an extreme wealth line? @patmillsuk.bsky.social 1/2

From the US to Turkey and the EU, the populist right has sought to capture central banks for partisan ends. But protecting central bank independence cannot mean defending the technocratic orthodoxy they rely on. www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/why-europe-m...

💻New research today revealed a quarter of teenagers are using AI bots for mental health support. If you're not sure what to make of these trends, listen to this recent episode of the New Economics podcast which discusses how we approach the technology. neweconomics.org/2025/11/new-...

Can we talk more about how great wind power is! Britain has hit a new peak in how much electricity it generates from wind - enough to power more than 23 million homes. Wind power is a clean, secure energy source for us all. www.businessgreen.com/news/4522947...

If this government wants to meet its housing targets, it needs to be building more social homes. Our previous analysis found at least 365,000 new social homes will have to be built over this parliament to reach the 1.5m homes target. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"It would seem that bond vigilantes, not the government, run the UK." ICYMI: In our latest blog, NEF’s Dominic Caddick explains how we can tame the bond market - and why more austerity won’t fix anything. Read it here: neweconomics.org/2025/11/how-...

The OBR has too much power, creating a democratic deficit when it comes to fiscal policymaking. Dominic Caddick spoke to @cityam.bsky.social👇 www.cityam.com/the-leaky-wa...

Celebrating one more year of Prosper to Prosper! The research and organising team have been joined by community allies from all around the country. Power to Prosper is building a movement to tackle the racialised impacts of poverty and debt. @runnymedetrust.bsky.social

Should we be worried about AI taking our jobs? What can we do to prepare ourselves? @carsjung.bsky.social was on the New Economics podcast with Ayeisha Thomas-Smith to talk about all things AI.

The resignation of the chair of the OBR is all over the front pages - but we're more interested in how the OBR vastly underestimated the impact of austerity on our economy and how it continues to lock us in to a cycle of cuts and low growth.

This debacle is a prime example of the flaws in our fiscal framework. The chancellor's decisions were driven by fear of a "fiscal black hole" (based on her own arbitrary debt and spending rules) that hasn't even materialised. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Don't miss your chance to join our team and work towards ending the housing crisis! Deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday. Find out more and apply: neweconomics.org/about/work-w...

Were financial lobbyists the real winners of the #AutumnBudget? Why didn't the chancellor touch the banks' record profits? Don't miss this very special crossover episode of the New Economics Podcast, @macrodosepod.bsky.social and Over the Top and Under the Radar. linktr.ee/neweconomics...

The autumn budget: now the dust has settled, what's the verdict? NEF's chief economist sets the record straight.

Feeling bamboozled by the #AutumnBudget? Tune into this very special crossover episode of the New Economics Podcast, alongside @macrodosepod.bsky.social and Over the Top Under the Radar. Out now!

NEW: Yesterday's #AutumnBudget raised taxes mainly to increase the chancellor's headroom, as an offering to jittery bond markets. But the cumulative tax rises risk being wiped out by the worth of losses the Bank of England due to its active sales from quantitative tightening. 1/

The #AutumnBudget cut funding to upgrade the draughtiest homes. It potentially leaves thousands of low-income households stranded in cold homes and denies them the permanent savings that energy-efficiency reliably delivers, said @chaitanyakumar.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

In today's Budget speech the Chancellor acknowledged that freezing tax thresholds will affect "working people" (mentioned only 5 times in today's speech). I do wish she had gone further on taxing those who don't need to work & looked again at her choice framework www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

1/5 Government recognising this budget that the Bank of England can't solve inflation alone is a step towards stronger monetary-fiscal coordination that NEF has been calling for some time: t.co/yc4IEFFamD

A decade of national renewal? Not exactly. The chancellor's public investment plans don't come close to our historic investment levels. Underinvestment has left us with sewage in our rivers, constant railway disruptions, crumbling schools and a shortage of hospital beds.

The Chancellor's tax rises will be vastly outsized by the cost of covering Bank of England losses. Reforming our approach to this could free up billions to spend on public services.

It's right that electric vehicle owners pay their fair share of taxes - and our analysis of the new pay-per-mile levy introduced today reveals it will target the wealthiest households the most.

Reacting to the chancellor’s autumn budget, our chief executive, @dhnnjyn.bsky.social, warns that revenue from tax rises will largely not improve living standards or public services. Read our statement in full: neweconomics.org/2025/11/autu...

Thoughts on the Chancellor's big, hugely consequential budget. The fiscal headroom chatter will be put to rest for a couple of years (despite the arbitrariness of these targets) but some key energy and cost of living decisions in the budget. Thoughts below 👇

Frustrating to see the fuel duty cut extended again. This is a policy that benefits the richest households much more than the poorest as they spend more on petrol. That's without even accounting for the environmental impact.

According to OBR "curtain raiser" the Budget will increase taxes by £26 billion by 29/30 but a huge proportion of these changes (£18 billion) allocated to doubling headroom. Surely this is the moment to invest more in public services and helping people with the cost of living?

👀Looks like this government is scrapping the two child limit! This is good news for the thousands of children who will be lifted out of poverty and for the economy. Previous NEF analysis found this would reduce the economic cost of child poverty by £3.2bn a year.

It's budget day! I hope the Chancellor can deliver a plan that tackles the structural problems in our economy and reduces inequality. Here are the five things that I'd like to see happen today.