
Who will pay the prices of war?
From Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government by Institute for Government
April 2, 2026 · 49 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of the Middle East conflict on energy prices and the progress of Universal Credit.
Oil is in short supply as the Middle East conflict continues. Donald Trump has told the UK to “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.” Economist Duncan Weldon joins the pod team to discuss what the government can actually do to respond to rising energy prices. The message to consumers so far is keep calm and carry on as usual. But will this messaging hold - and, if not, how bad could things get - and how quickly? And finally: It’s a long time since we first heard about Universal Credit. But this major government project has, albeit a little late, nearly reached completion. Nick Timmins, author of a new IfG report on UC, takes a look at a troubled but ultimately successful - maybe - journey. Alex Thomas presents. With Jill Rutter. Produced by Milo Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Jill Rutter
Guests: Duncan Weldon, Nick Timmins
Topics covered
- Middle East conflict
- energy prices
- Universal Credit
Keywords
- oil supply
- government response
- consumer messaging
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Universal Credit
Places: Middle East, UK, Strait
More episodes of Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
- The way you Makerfield · June 12, 2026 · 32 min
- Protests, politics and the killing of Henry Nowak · June 4, 2026 · 42 min
- The Blair Necessities · May 28, 2026 · 52 min
- May 2026 elections: what are the implications for local government reorganisation? · May 22, 2026 · 51 min
- Burnham Issues · May 21, 2026 · 41 min
- Starmer, Streeting and the fight for No10 · May 13, 2026 · 40 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government podcast page.