The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook

What Does It Take to Run Goldman Sachs During a Meltdown? With Former CEO Lloyd Blankfein

What does it take to lead one of the world’s most powerful banks when the global financial system is on the brink of collapse? As CEO for Goldman Sachs from 2006 to 2018, Lloyd Blankfein was at the helm as the global financial system teetered on collapse. He successfully steered the company through the most devastating financial crisis of our age, and stabilised its ascent for the following decade. His story is one of decisive global leadership at the top of one of the most competitive and successful corporations in the world.  In this episode he speaks to Lionel Barber about his journey from the public housing projects of Brooklyn to the highest level of global finance. Drawing on his new memoir, Streetwise: Getting to and Through Goldman Sachs, Blankfein revisits the decisions that defined an era, and what his long tenure taught him about leadership, human nature, financial capitalism.  Lionel Barber is a journalist and the former Editor of the Financial Times, and author of The Gambling Man. This episode is created in partnership with Guinness Global Investors, an independent British fund manager that helps both individuals and institutions harness the future drivers of growth to achieve their investment goals. To find out more, head to guinnessgi.com [http://guinnessgi.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Is it Game Over for Keir Starmer? Martin Wolf for The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook 2026

2026 opened with a bang on the world stage. With Donald Trump's aggressive approach to foreign policy and the release of the Epstein files threatening more political upheaval, it's clear that this year will be another test of resilience for the global economy. On February 9, Chief Economics Commentator for the Financial Times Martin Wolf joined us for the latest installment of The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook, in partnership with Guinness Global Investors. In conversation with BBC broadcaster Jonny Dymond, he argued these could be the final days of Keir Starmer’s tenure as British PM, and what this means for the British economy. More broadly he shed light on the implications of American antagonism for the existing world order, and what the rising wave of populism from left and right could mean for the economic policies of incumbent parties in the UK, Europe, US and beyond. Widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential writers on the global economy and a multi-award-winning financial journalist, Wolf has been chronicling and analysing geopolitical and economic upheaval for nearly 40 years. He has written five bestselling books. His latest, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism, maps out the implications of globalisation, technological development and the impact of democratic decline on the global economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Can Britain Become an AI Superpower? The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook

A record £2.9 billion was invested in British AI companies last year as Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to make the UK an AI superpower. But according to influential business leaders such as Jensen Huang, CEO of the world’s most valuable designer and seller of advanced computer chips, Nvidia, the UK and other Western nations risk losing the AI race to China due to unnecessary cynicism and worry over AI.  In January 2026 a panel of experts came to Intelligence Squared to debate and discuss the reality of Britain’s relationship with AI for the next instalment of our Economic Outlook series.  Are fears over an AI bubble cause for legitimate concern in the years ahead? How can we stem the brain drain of bright graduates and start-ups leaving for countries like the US? And how should the government tackle the key issues of energy costs and regulation that stand in the way of innovation? In partnership with Guinness Global Investors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook with Jeremy Hunt

We’ve heard enough from the pessimists. Yes, these are hard times, but what investors, business owners and all of us need right now is not more despair about the economy, but a clear roadmap towards growth and prosperity. In October 2025, Jeremy Hunt came to the Intelligence Squared stage to share his vision of how we can achieve economic renewal. Hunt’s optimism is grounded in the authority of experience. As a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary and Health Secretary, he held some of the most demanding government offices during an extraordinarily turbulent time in recent history. Drawing on the themes of his new book Can We Be Great Again?, he challenged the fatalism that dominates so much of today’s public debate. While candid about Britain’s weaknesses, he argued that on issues ranging from European security and global trade to climate, migration and the future of democracy, the UK still has the potential to lead — if it chooses to act like a country that matters. Hunt was in conversation with BBC journalist Jonny Dymond for this instalment of the Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook series, in partnership with Guinness Global Investors. The event was a wide-ranging discussion with one of Britain’s most experienced leaders on how the country can get back on track, at home and on the world stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Tariff Special: The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook with Helen Thompson (Part Two)

‘The world as we knew it is gone’ – UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s response to Trump’s tariffs President Donald Trump recently announced a 90-day pause for his monumental ‘liberation day’ tariffs while at the same time escalating a dangerous trade war with China. Trump’s announcement came just weeks after import taxes on all goods entering the US were introduced, in the biggest upheaval of international trade in decades. And beyond the chaos and endless news cycle of the last few days, Trump’s key advisers are introducing a broader set of fringe economic ideas that they believe will transform politics and economics at home, as well as the foundations of US power abroad. In May 2025, Helen Thompson, expert on the long history of globalisation and author of the acclaimed book Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century came to Intelligence Squared to make sense of the seismic shifts we are witnessing in the global economy and how they will impact us here in the UK. She was joined on stage by BBC broadcaster Jonny Dymond for this event in our Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook series in partnership with Guinness Global Investors. This recording is part of The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook series of events made in partnership with Guinness Global Investors, an independent British fund manager that helps both individuals and institutions harness the future drivers of growth to achieve their investment goals. To find out more visit: https://www.guinnessgi.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]