How Andy Burnham can make our economy more secure, with Jonathan Black

Britain is good at starting businesses, but too many of its most promising companies leave when it's time to scale up. So what's stopping the UK economy from moving faster? In episode one of The Fix with Ravi Gurumurthy, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy is joined by Peter Kyle MP, former Business Secretary and former Science and Technology Secretary, to unpack what the government needs to do to get the economy moving. Drawing on his time in Cabinet, Peter argues the UK is on the motorway and heading in the right direction, but only travelling at 30 miles an hour. He warns that Britain is in a "growth emergency" that isn't widely recognised, and explains why growth has to become the organising principle of government, with every policy, tax and incentive judged against it. The conversation also explores the barriers holding businesses back, from planning and energy prices to outdated regulation and the long wait over Heathrow. Peter explains why devolution on its own won't deliver growth, why Europe doesn't have a single trillion dollar company and what annoyed him about Jeremy Clarkson’s recent comments on entrepreneurship. He also sets out how Britain can make the most of AI, and the one simple change the Prime Minister could make tomorrow that wouldn't cost a penny.

The UK government is under immense pressure to respond to geopolitical instability, financial pressures and rapid technological change - but traditional policymaking methods are struggling to keep pace. AI has the potential to transform how government makes decisions, delivers public services and responds to a rapidly changing world - but what would a smart AI-enabled state actually look like? And is the government ready to adopt and embed AI? With Andy Burnham now two-thirds of the way through his first 100 days in Downing Street, AI is a topic he has already had to face head-on. But might Burnham's new government use AI to build a smarter, more agile state? To dive into this question, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy sat down with Professor Geoff Mulgan, former head of the Number 10 Strategy Unit, on our deep-dive series from the Policy Fix podcast: Andy Burnham's first 100 days. Our duo discuss the areas where AI could transform policymaking, allowing civil servants to analyse evidence, test ideas and model scenarios at speed - and why avoiding AI-dependence while keeping human judgement intact is critical. The conversation explores what an AI-enabled government could mean for Andy Burnham's approach to public control, how AI could make regulators smarter, whether public services could continuously learn and improve and what a more democratic alternative to centralised, authoritarian uses of AI might look like. So, as Andy Burnham approaches the end of his first 100 days, what could he do to start modernising the state with AI? Listen to our latest episode to find out. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:41 Designing policymaking for the AI era 06:16 Will AI create overconfident generalists? 07:31 Using AI in the spending review 11:03 How AI could fix meetings 14:12 Leapfrogging Westminster 15:47 Can AI make state planning work? 19:57 Smarter regulators 21:56 A democratic alternative to authoritarian AI 23:41 Global governance of AI 27:34 Public services that continuously learn 32:38 How many civil servants should there be? 34:11 The one thing Burnham should do Liked the episode? Rate, review, subscribe – and share it with your network. Watch the full series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfr-pIsrx5ko Find out more about Nesta: https://www.nesta.org.uk Nesta is a UK research and innovation foundation. We design, test and scale solutions to the big challenges of our time. We're funded by a charity endowment and are politically neutral.

The UK's overseas aid budget is at its lowest level in decades, with cuts having far-reaching consequences for people and communities around the world. But increasing aid spending would mean making difficult choices at home too. With his first 100 days drawing to a close, how should Andy Burnham be looking to make foreign aid spending work? And how can he make sure that money has the greatest impact? To dive into these questions, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy was joined by Kate Hampton, CEO of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, on the Policy Fix podcast's deep-dive series: Andy Burnham's first 100 days. They discuss what the UK's reduced aid spending means in practice, from its impact on children, women and climate action to the risks of doing nothing. They also explore how Burnham's government could make the case for increasing aid spending at a time when there are competing pressures on public money at home. The conversation looks at how the UK could use its influence to put international development higher up the global agenda, including through the G7 and G20. They also explore how to get better value from aid spending - from reforming international finance and tackling debt to finding better ways to deliver and scale what works. So, as Andy Burnham approaches the end of his first 100 days, what should he do to make UK aid work harder? Listen to the full episode to find out. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:50 Why development matters to a domestically focused PM 03:15 Has the UK lost influence after the aid cuts? 04:26 Beyond the 0.7% target 06:30 Reforming global finance and tackling debt 12:23 Can finance reform make up for aid cuts? 15:12 Aid in fragile and conflict-hit countries 18:21 Getting money out before disasters strike 20:43 How energy shocks and trade barriers hit the poorest 24:18 What the G7 and G20 actually do 30:36 What the UK should put on the G20 agenda 33:06 How to run an ambitious G20 presidency 35:44 Making the case for development at home 39:55 The role of philanthropy 42:33 The one thing Burnham should do Liked the episode? Rate, review, subscribe – and share it with your network. Watch the full series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfr-pIsrx5ko Find out more about Nesta: https://www.nesta.org.uk

The world's biggest tech companies now shape what we see, think and do online every day - raising big questions about who really holds the balance of power between them and national governments. The previous government proposed banning social media for under-16s, a policy Andy Burnham has also backed. But is that enough? As Burnham sets out his agenda, what should he prioritise in his first 100 days to protect children online, strengthen the UK's digital independence and make powerful tech companies more accountable? In this special deep-dive from the Policy Fix, Nesta's policy podcast, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy sits down with some of the country’s leading experts on policy and government. Rather than just rehearsing the problems facing Burnham, they stress-test the big ideas that should shape his agenda, discuss the policy solutions he should actually pursue and map out the steps he should take to get started in his first 100 days. In this episode, Ravi is joined by filmmaker, politician and leading voice on children’s rights in the digital environment, Baroness Beeban Kidron OBE, to unpack the steps Andy Burnham should take to decisively reclaim public control from Silicon Valley. Taking a wider view than proposed responses like social media bans or regulating AI, Beeban argues the real challenge is the growing power of a handful of tech companies. She explains why governments should hold platforms responsible for harmful and addictive products, not just the content they host. The conversation also explores the risks of powerful AI, why the UK should make better use of trusted public data from organisations like the NHS and the BBC and how Britain can build digital technology that serves the public interest instead of corporate profit. Liked the episode? Rate, review, subscribe - and share with your network. We are a UK charity and our work is enabled by a financial endowment. Nesta is a registered charity in England and Wales 1144091 and Scotland SC042833. To find out more or connect with us, check out our website and socials: Website: nesta.org.uk Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/nestauk.bsky.social Facebook: facebook.com/nesta.uk Instagram: instagram.com/nesta_uk/?hl=en LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/nesta

As Prime Minister, Andy Burnham will need to find money to fund public services and deliver on his promises. But how should he raise it? Is a wealth tax the answer, or are there better ways to reform Britain's tax system? In this special deep-dive from the Policy Fix podcast, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy speaks to leading experts about the big decisions facing a new Prime Minister. Together, they test the ideas that could shape Burnham's first 100 days and explore what it would take to turn them into action. In this episode, Ravi is joined by economist Dr Arun Advani to explore how Burnham could raise billions while making the tax system fairer and simpler. Rather than introducing an annual wealth tax straight away, Arun argues there are faster, more practical reforms. He explains how changes to capital gains tax and National Insurance could raise significant revenue while encouraging investment and closing loopholes. The conversation also explores whether the UK's property tax system needs an overhaul, the trade-offs between local and national tax reform, and how government can create a tax system that is fairer, more stable and fit for the future. Liked the episode? Rate, review, subscribe – and share it with your network. We are a UK charity and our work is enabled by a financial endowment. Nesta is a registered charity in England and Wales 1144091 and Scotland SC042833. To find out more or connect with us, check out our website and socials: Website: nesta.org.uk Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/nestauk.bsky.social Facebook: facebook.com/nesta.uk Instagram: instagram.com/nesta_uk/?hl=en LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/nesta