Like many folk I watch the meltdown of the economy with a mixture of fear and incomprehension, so I decided to do a show about it. I know, doing a show based on my own ignorance doesn't sound like a winning formula. So I started by inviting economists, academics, MP's and trade unionists to find out what is going on. Rather than spectate the sinking of HMS UK I have asked my guests for solutions to our current woes. These are hopefully serious questions and interviews, but accessible and fun. [IMG]http://www.markthomasinfo.com/zzz_images/itstheeconomy/sargonnissan.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://www.markthomasinfo.com/zzz_images/itstheeconomy/austinmitchell.jpg[/IMG]
In the [B]first show[/B] Mark interviewed Sargon Nissan from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and Austin Mitchell, labour MP for Grimsby. Sargon is an interesting chap, he started his working life as a city trader and ended up specialising in community finance with the progressive think tank NEF. Which is not to say Austin Mitchell is not interesting, as the [URL="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jan/21/hugh-muir-diary"]Guardian Diary[/URL] (last item on the page) noted. Sargon starts with Northern Rock and where it all went wrong, and examines the potential of credit unions. Austin Mitchell discuses how the collapse of council housing impacted on the building bubble and puts forward some of his own ideas about what should be done next. In the [B]second show[/B], Mark interviewed Dr Paulo Dos Santos from the School of Oriental and African Studies. In the [B]third show[/B] Mark talks to some activists about RBS. Laura Applegate from [URL="http://www.lcap.org.uk/"]The London Coalition Against Poverty[/URL], Bronwen Smith-Thomas from [URL="http://peopleandplanet.org/"]People and Planet[/URL] and Kev Smith from [URL="http://www.platformlondon.org/"]Platform[/URL]. To download these episodes, right click on the links and select whatever "save" option your browser has to save to your local co
[URL]http://www.markthomasinfo.com/section_audiovideo/[/URL]
Podcast from Mark's "It's The Economy, Stupid" show on 12th January 2009 - [URL="http://www.markthomasinfo.com/section_audiovideo/mp3s/sargonnissan.mp3"]Interview with Sargon Nissan[/URL] (18 MBytes, 25:58 minutes)
Podcast from Mark's "It's The Economy, Stupid" show on 12th January 2009 - [URL="http://www.markthomasinfo.com/section_audiovideo/mp3s/austinmitchell.mp3"]Interview with Austin Mitchell[/URL] (15 MBytes, 21:22 minutes)
Podcast from Mark's "It's The Economy, Stupid" show on 19th January 2009 - [URL="http://www.markthomasinfo.com/section_audiovideo/mp3s/drpaulodossantos.mp3"]Interview with Dr Paulo Dos Santos[/URL] (25 MBytes, 34:56 minutes)
Podcast from Mark's "It's The Economy, Stupid" show on 26th January 2009 - [URL="http://www.markthomasinfo.com/section_audiovideo/mp3s/show3.mp3"]Interviews with activists[/URL] (12 MBytes, 16:42 minutes)