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The Why? Curve

The Why? Curve

By: Phil Dobbie
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About this listen

 Each week Phil Dobbie and Roger Hearing get to grips with one issue that impacts our lives. It could be economic, social, technological or geopolitical. Whatever the subject, they'll talk to the experts who can give help explain what's really going on. And Phil and Roger back it up with their own research and opinions. It's half an hour to get across one of the key issues of the time, and they promise, it'll never be boring.

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Phil Dobbie Economics Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Is Starmer Stuffed?

    Is Starmer Stuffed?
    Dec 18 2025
    Just eighteen months after a massive electoral victory, the man who leads the Labour party and the country seems to be unable to govern effectively, and it's widely assumed he will be replaced in 2026. Sir Keir Starmer has some of the worst poll ratings in modern political history, and few of his MPs want him to stay prime minister, but who will replace him? When, and how? And what chance will they have of dealing with the country's myriad problems? Robert Ford, Professor of Political Science at Manchester University, tells Phil and Roger what lies ahead for the Labour Party and British politics.

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    44 mins
  • What's happening in Gaza

    What's happening in Gaza
    Dec 12 2025
    Two months after the ceasefire came in to effect, what's happened in the Gaza Strip? As the world's attention moves away, how are the two million Palestinians there coping, without shelter and with little food and medical care? Do the regular reports of Israeli airstrikes signal a fracturing peace? And who is in charge? The second stage of the peace plan is supposed to come into effect in a few weeks - but what will that amount to for the future of Gaza and its people? Simon Mabon, Professor of Politics at Lancaster University, rejoins Phil and Roger with the latest on the prospects for avoiding further conflict.

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    39 mins
  • Can we afford the welfare state?

    Can we afford the welfare state?
    Dec 4 2025
    With growing numbers of claimants for benefits, pensions and social care, and little sign of growth in the economy, how can we balance the books? Has the whole idea of supporting every member of society ‘from the cradle to the grave’ been superseded by financial conditions? Or is it just a matter of raising more taxes from the richest in society, following the Scandinavian pattern? Phil and Roger ask Peter Starke, Professor of Political Science and Public Management at the University of Southern Denmark.

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    43 mins
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