Britain's Quangos Uncovered & Who Really is in power?
Release Date: 04/24/2025
Is It The End Of The Great British Pub?
a nation of taxpayers
Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Elliot Keck are joined by Emma McClarkin OBE, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association. With next week's Budget being pivotal to the survival of the UK hospitality sector, they discuss the increasing costs to pubs and breweries that are seeing many of them struggle. Emma outlines what the Chancellor could do to better support pubs and Elliot goes through some of the findings in the TPA's research paper.
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End This Nonsense of Taxing People To Pay Debt Interest
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Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Darwin Friend are joined by economist Professor Tim Congdon CBE. Tim is one of the world's leading monetary analysts and advised the 1979 to 1997 Conservative government on economic policy. They discuss the lack of monetary understanding at the Bank of England and at the Treasury and what needs to happen to get the UK economy back on track.
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Is It Ever Possible To Fix The Tax System?
a nation of taxpayers
Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Elliot Keck chat to Daniel Herring, Head of Economic and Fiscal Policy at The Centre for Policy Studies. They discuss this week's speeches about the economy by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Reform UK's Nigel Farage. The CPS, along with other groups, has just joint published a document called 'Tax Reforms for Growth' and Daniel talks Duncan and Elliot through its contents. You can read it .
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What Do Businesses Really Think About Rachel Reeves?
a nation of taxpayers
Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Darwin Friend leave the podcast studio and record this week's episode on location in Essex. They head to Adventure Island in Southend to meet with Philip Miller MBE who is Executive Chairman of Adventure Island. Philip is a successful local businessman and gives Duncan and Darwin his thoughts on how this government has damaged the UK's business sector. He also outlines the one thing he would like to see the Chancellor announce in her Budget on 26 November. Philip is also running as an independent candidate in next year's elections where he...
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Where Have All The Conservatives Gone?
a nation of taxpayers
Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Elliot Keck are joined by Mark Littlewood, Director of Popular Conservatism. They discuss why Popular Conservatism was set up, the current political landscape and the need for radical thinking to stop a borrowing and spending economic disaster. Mark also explains his political journey from former Chief Press Spokesman for the Liberal Democrats to his current position, via many years as Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs. Find out more about Popular Conservatism .
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Is A Tory Bounce Back Possible?
a nation of taxpayers
Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by the TPA's Will Yarwood and Henry Hill, Deputy Editor of Conservative Home. They discuss the future of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch's conference speech and whether the party's obsession with Margaret Thatcher is doing it any favours.
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Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride LIVE in Manchester
a nation of taxpayers
This is a special live recording from the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester to celebrate the first year of our 'A Nation of Taxpayers' podcast. Recorded in front of a live audience in the TPA Think Tent, podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by TPA Chief Executive John O'Connell as they chat with Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride about his planned £47billion savings policy which he had just announced. They also discuss income tax, wealth tax and Sir Mel's taxation philosophy. He also chats about his fondness for wild water swimming and about his unpublished novel!
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Is this the 1970s all over again? LIVE RECORDING
a nation of taxpayers
This episode is a live recording in front of an audience at 55 Tufton Street, SW1. Podcast host Duncan Barkes was joined by two excellent guests: Sir John Redwood - MP for Wokingham between 1987 and 2024. John was also Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit under Margaret Thatcher. Mike Denham, a former Treasury and City economist who is also a former chairman of the TPA. They discuss the UK's current economic state and whether we are heading back to the 1970s where industrial action and economic stagnation was rife. This podcast was recorded after Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave her...
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Are We 2 Months Away From Economic Disaster?
a nation of taxpayers
Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by Will Yarwood and Darwin Friend from the TPA. With the Budget scheduled for 26 November, they chew over the recent ONS and OECD figures with an eye on what it might mean for the UK's economy. They also look at the latest paper from the Labour-affiliated Resolution Foundation think-tank which contains proposals on how to get more cash from the taxpayer.
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Where is Britain heading politically?
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Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined this week by John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance. Their guest is renowned political consultant James Frayne. James founded and ran the Public First research agency between 2016 and 2025. They discuss where the country is heading politically and James gives some fascinating insights into how the attitudes of voters are changing when it comes to taxes and spending. He also spells out the mistakes made so far by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and where he thinks Reform UK are heading.
info_outlinePodcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Elliot Keck are joined by former government adviser James Price.
James is also a former Chief of Staff to a UK Chancellor and currently runs an excellent substack entitled Who Governs Britain?
On this episode they discuss the TPA's new piece of research 'Britain's Quangos Uncovered'. James also talks about his experience in government and how ministers have very little control over quangos and the civil service.