EMQs: Is toxic masculinity a government problem?

This week, Ed Balls and George Osborne mull museums and memes via bank holidays and pennies. With listeners telling us their locations of choice, funeral director Ross ranks highly with his admission that Ed and George are sometimes listened to in a hearse on the drive home. The pair consider: what are the merits of regulating the funeral industry?Should our cultural institutions be charging more for access?George calls upon his expertise as Chair of the British Museum to weigh it up. Meanwhile, Ed shares his own research into the economics of a bank holiday… do we really stand to lose billions if the government was to introduce another?Toxic masculinity and online safety are in the spotlight in the wake of Netflix’s hit show Adolescence, with research indicating that young people in the UK are particularly worried about these issues. Ed and George look at the role of government in addressing their concerns, before assessing whether the humble penny should remain a staple of British life. And a touch of nostalgia …  a listener reminds the economic duo of the ‘Budget Rap Battle’, put together by Sky News when the pair were on opposite sides of the dispatch box. Ed expresses scepticism that such memes can make a political difference, although both agree that Nick Clegg’s I’m Sorry remix was a damaging – albeit amusing – moment in the Lib Dem leader’s career…. Become a member of POLITICAL CURRENCY GOLD 🏅 to support the podcast, enjoy ad-free listening to all our episodes and receive early access to EMQs. Or, join Political Currency’s KITCHEN CABINET to enjoy early and ad-free listening, access to live EMQs recordings, and exclusive Political Currency merch.Subscribe now: patreon.com/politicalcurrency or on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/politicalcurrency. Please note Kitchen Cabinet subscriptions are only available through Patreon.Technical Producer: Danny Pape Producers: Miriam Hall and Jarek ŻabaExecutive Producer: Dino SofosPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.