logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
28m 34s

UK vs European energy prices, falling ex...

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Does the UK really have by far the highest domestic energy bills in Europe? We debunk a viral social media claim suggesting just that. Also the number of excess deaths has been falling in the UK - how positive should we be that we’re through the worst? Plus do we really have access to only 3% of rivers and 8% of the countryside in England – and after the conviction of former MP Jared O’Mara we ask whether 5 grams of cocaine is a lot.

Up next
Aug 29
Do Germans really take 19.5 days of sick leave per year?
How do different countries compare, in terms of the amount of time that workers take as sick leave?Loyal listener Dave got in touch to ask us to look at a surprising statistic he saw in the news – that the average German takes 19.5 days of sick leave per year.“This is extremely h ... Show More
8m 58s
Aug 22
How much of the world isn’t owned by anyone?
Sometimes world events of massive practical significance lead our minds towards some lovely impractical thoughts. So it was for loyal listener, Nigel.Pondering the conflict in Iran, and the maritime ownership of the Straits of Hormuz that has become its focus, his mind wandered t ... Show More
8m 58s
Aug 15
14 million deaths or zero deaths? The impact of the USAID cuts
As part of their mandate to stop 'waste, fraud and abuse' in federal government spending, DOGE, the department of Government Efficiency, made large cuts to the amount of money the US spent on foreign aid. The task force, headed by Elon Musk, effectively dismantled the US's larges ... Show More
8m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
Why are energy bills still so high?
Police forces in the UK have made welfare checks on every household that purchased poison from an online seller based in Canada. Over 200 people bought the poisonous substance from Kenneth Law, with 88 people subsequently dying, many of them young and still at university. James B ... Show More
27m 45s
Aug 2023
Cocaine Britain: Traffickers v the police
The UK is now Europe’s biggest consumer of cocaine. The drug has been linked to a surge in domestic violence and middle-class users are being warned it’s not a victimless crime. How is so much cocaine getting into the country? And what can the authorities do about it?You can read ... Show More
25m 1s
Mar 2023
Slipping through the Net Zero?
Government launches its new UK climate plan, but does it go far enough? Adam and Chris are joined by Labour’s Liz Kendall, the shadow minister for health and social care, and Emma Pinchbeck, boss of Energy UK, the energy industry’s trade association.And the government’s former he ... Show More
31m 32s
Aug 2023
Scotland’s Drug Problem
Drugs deaths are falling in Scotland, but it continues to have the worst drug death rate in Europe. Scotland editor James Cook has been to Portugal, where they’ve decriminalised drugs for personal use. He’s on to talk about whether its working, and what the UK could learn, with P ... Show More
33m 56s
Dec 2020
Eels in Blankets?
As lorry drivers learn they'll be allowed to cross the Channel into France with a negative Covid test, the gang asks if lateral flow tests are fit for that purpose. Professor Jon Deeks is on hand to explain the evidence. And Dr Adler drops in with an update on Brexit talks - will ... Show More
33m 24s
Aug 2023
Taken too soon: why so many Americans die young
<p>An <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/07/31/horrifying-numbers-of-americans-will-not-make-it-to-old-age?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.li ... Show More
23m 5s
Mar 2022
Crude Awakenings
As oil and gas prices soar, can European countries wean themselves off Russian energy supplies? Boris Johnson has been meeting the Canadian and Dutch prime ministers to talk about more sanctions against Russia and what to do about many European nations’ dependence on Russian hydr ... Show More
32m 25s