What would Isambard Kingdom Brunel have done?
Analysis11 Maalis 2024

What would Isambard Kingdom Brunel have done?

It's 2024, and the Manchester extension of HS2 has been cancelled. The leg to Leeds was cancelled in 2021. The remaining line to Birmingham is now less than half the initial planned route, and will cost over double the initial budget. This is not exclusive to HS2; Sprialling costs and missed deadlines have become commonplace in big engineering projects, the UK is now one of the most expensive places in the world to build infrastructure, but Britain has a proud history of engineering, and one name in particular looms large - Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Ruthless, bloody minded and notoriously driven - what could he do about the current state of UK infrastructure?

Presenter: Neil Maggs Producer: Johnny I'Anson Editor: Clare Fordham

Jaksot(389)

What's the future of nudge?

What's the future of nudge?

The term nudge has become a byword for the application of behavioural science in public policy, changing how governments the world over create policies designed to encourage, or nudge, people to make ...

20 Marras 202328min

Can reading really improve your life?

Can reading really improve your life?

Most educational research now suggests that reading for pleasure is strongly linked to a child’s future outcome, educational success, and even wellbeing. But the latest studies also show that reading ...

13 Marras 202330min

Can the UK afford a mental health crisis?

Can the UK afford a mental health crisis?

A record 2.6 million people are off work due to long-term sickness, with mental health conditions the biggest single contributor. The problem is particularly acute among younger people, who are dispro...

6 Marras 202328min

France: a constitutional crisis in the making

France: a constitutional crisis in the making

The USA, the UK and France, which have led the democratic world, are all suffering problems with their constitutions. But the problem is most acute in France, where President Macron has lost his parli...

30 Loka 202329min

What on earth is the national interest?

What on earth is the national interest?

Should we be sceptical when politicians claim to act in "the national interest"? The phrase is frequently trotted out to elevate policy and actions as unimpeachably serving us all. But what does it ac...

23 Loka 202328min

What makes a good school?

What makes a good school?

How should we evaluate schools? Is it about delivering a wide range of subjects, or extra activities and pastoral care that make a “good” school? Who gets to decide what is a good school and what doe...

16 Loka 202329min

How can we grow the UK economy?

How can we grow the UK economy?

The cost of living crisis followed a decade in which people’s wages and incomes barely grew. The idea that each generation does at least as well as the one before, has for the moment ended. We’ll only...

9 Loka 202328min

The Democratic Brain

The Democratic Brain

Our brain is a wonderful machine, but it can also short-circuit. What happens to us when emotions and politics intersect, when the democratic, listening brain is cut off, or when we succumb to ‘hate s...

2 Loka 202328min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
politiikan-puskaradio
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
viisupodi
rss-podme-livebox
otetaan-yhdet
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-asiastudio
the-ulkopolitist
mtv-uutiset-polloraati
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat
rss-kuka-mina-olen
rss-raha-talous-ja-politiikka
rss-sanna-ukkola-show-verkkouutiset