Sep 8, 2026 · 1 hr 10 min · 11 segments
Could Britain be only a decade away from losing control of its debt? An expert on macroeconomics and geopolitics, Alastair Irvine warns that the UK’s finances are “bad and getting worse” and explains…
Alastair IrvineGuest
Algy Smith-MaxwellHostAnd I'm gonna ask you my second question, which is, what are your first impressions of, um, the Prime Minister Andy Burnham's cabinet appointments?

He has unseated a prime minister, and he has, he has this alm- almost messianic following amongst the left.

Uh, but he is, I think, about to be confronted by what it is to run a country-

... rather than simply a metropolitan area up in the northwest, uh, where many other factors are at work.

In terms of his, in terms of his new cabinet, um, I mean, some, some of the individuals are, are known.
Who gave you thought to think, "Do you know what? Actually, we could give him a chance here.

in terms of, uh, in terms of thinking, uh, would be Pat McFadden, who, who runs Work and Pensions.

Um, I mean, there's a huge amount to do on, on welfare and benefits, absolutely.

But if that, uh, if that last, uh, big expose of Starmer's dying regime was that, um, McFadden, uh, sent that...

And he said, um, he said, you know, the, the first, the first question around the cabinet table is how much can you tax and, and who do you tax and how much do you tax them with? And it's all the wrong questions.
And I'm gonna ask you my second question, which is, what are your first impressions of, um, the Prime Minister Andy Burnham's cabinet appointments?

He has unseated a prime minister, and he has, he has this alm- almost messianic following amongst the left.

Uh, but he is, I think, about to be confronted by what it is to run a country-

... rather than simply a metropolitan area up in the northwest, uh, where many other factors are at work.

In terms of his, in terms of his new cabinet, um, I mean, some, some of the individuals are, are known.
Who gave you thought to think, "Do you know what? Actually, we could give him a chance here.

in terms of, uh, in terms of thinking, uh, would be Pat McFadden, who, who runs Work and Pensions.

Um, I mean, there's a huge amount to do on, on welfare and benefits, absolutely.

But if that, uh, if that last, uh, big expose of Starmer's dying regime was that, um, McFadden, uh, sent that...

And he said, um, he said, you know, the, the first, the first question around the cabinet table is how much can you tax and, and who do you tax and how much do you tax them with? And it's all the wrong questions.
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