Jade's Story

In Oldham East and Saddleworth, one of England's most deprived constituencies, 27-year-old Jade wanted to become a teacher in a region crying out for educators. But when she looked into teacher training, she discovered that HM Treasury and the Department for Education had slashed bursaries for critical shortage subjects in the North West. The classrooms were ready, graduates were eager to teach, but Westminster's spending rules treat the currency-issuing government as though it must compete for a fixed pot of money. This is the story of how political choices in Whitehall blocked Jade's path into teaching, leaving schools understaffed while qualified candidates are turned away. Disclosure: This podcast advocates for monetary sovereignty and against artificial spending constraints.