Who will pay the prices of war?

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

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