Squeezed Britain: student loans, salaries and strikes

About this episode

The episode discusses the pressures on the UK economy and public finances amidst rising union demands and ongoing strikes, with insights from political experts.

Sir Keir Starmer had promised 2026 would be the year the UK economy and household finances would finally “turn the corner”. But the Iran war has nixed those hopes. Now the pressure from unions to increase public sector pay is mounting, and resident doctors are continuing their rolling strikes. Student finance remains another open sore despite the announcement of a cap on loan interest rates. To discuss the pressures on the public purse, host Lucy Fisher is joined by political editor George Parker, columnist Stephen Bush and public policy editor Chris Smyth. Plus, with local elections just weeks away, the panel also discusses the prime minister’s trip to the Middle East.   Follow: Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher and Bluesky: @ lucyfisher.ft.com ; George @GeorgeWParker and @georgewparker.bsky.social; Stephen @stephenkb and @stephenkb.bsky.social and Chris @Smyth_Chris and @chris-smyth.bsky.social Want more? Starmer leans into his Iran response to resonate with voters Unions prepare for UK public sector pay push as inflation bites  UK health officials discuss banning doctors from going on strike What happens when the Green Party governs? Capping student loan interest rates is…

People in this episode

Host: Lucy Fisher

Guests: George Parker, Stephen Bush, Chris Smyth

Topics covered

• UK economy
• public sector pay
• student loans
• strikes
• political pressures
• local elections
• Iran war

Keywords

• UK economy
• student loans
• public sector pay
• strikes
• Iran war
• local elections
• Keir Starmer

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UK, Iran, NHS, Green Party, Palantir

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