In this episode of We Can Work It Out, Dr Jonathan Lord is joined by Professor Richard Whittle, Professor of AI and Public Policy at the University of Salford, to explore one of the defining questions of our time: how should we understand the economics of generative AI, and who ultimately pays for its promises?

Drawing on his background as an economist, Richard explains how his research has evolved from studying financial markets and asset price bubbles to examining the impact of artificial intelligence on work, public policy and the wider economy. Rather than focusing solely on what AI can do, the discussion considers the economic forces driving its rapid adoption and whether the current business model behind generative AI is financially sustainable.

The episode explores the distinction between traditional artificial intelligence and generative AI, examining why the arrival of tools such as ChatGPT represents a fundamental shift in how organisations and individuals interact with technology. Richard discusses why today's AI services appear remarkably inexpensive and argues that current pricing reflects a strategy of rapid market expansion rather than the true cost of providing these systems. The conversation considers what could happen if businesses become dependent on AI platforms before significant price increases begin.

The conversation also examines the implications for the public sector, where governments increasingly view AI as a mechanism for improving efficiency and reducing costs. Richard discusses examples from local government, education and healthcare, questioning whether AI-generated savings are being reinvested to improve public services or simply used to reduce expenditure. The discussion considers how artificial intelligence exposes wider structural problems within public services, including decades of underinvestment, workforce pressures and increasing demand.

Jonathan and Richard explore the potential impact of AI on employment, productivity and future skills. Rather than predicting widespread job losses, Richard focuses on the longer-term consequences of replacing entry-level work with automation, asking how organisations will develop future experts if junior employees no longer gain the experience traditionally required to build professional judgement. The discussion highlights the importance of education, interdisciplinary thinking and maintaining human expertise alongside technological development.

The episode also considers wider questions surrounding regulation, ethics and national sovereignty. Richard examines the dominance of a small number of global AI companies, the implications of relying on overseas technology providers and the challenges governments face in regulating rapidly evolving systems. The conversation touches on issues including copyright, data protection, inequality, AI literacy and whether access to advanced AI should eventually be considered a public utility.

Finally, Richard outlines the key questions every organisation should ask before embedding AI into its operations, including whether current business models remain viable if AI prices rise significantly, how organisations can maintain human expertise alongside automation, and how AI will reshape competition across different sectors. Throughout the episode, he argues that the most important question is not simply what AI can do today, but what the long-term costs of today's short-term efficiency savings may be.

This episode offers a thought-provoking examination of the economic realities behind generative AI and explores what its rapid adoption means for workers, employers, policymakers and the future of work. Enjoy the discussion.

In this episode of the We Can Work It Out podcast, Dr Jonathan Lord is joined by labour historian John Mann to explore one of the most significant yet overlooked industrial disputes in British labour history: the Bliss Mill Strike of 1913–14.

Based on years of archival research, local history and family records, John reconstructs the story of a strike that transformed the Oxfordshire market town of Chipping Norton and left a legacy that continued to divide families and shape local politics for generations.

The discussion begins with the history of Bliss Tweed Mill itself, one of the most unusual textile mills in Britain. Unlike the great industrial centres of Lancashire and Yorkshire, Bliss Mill operated in a rural Cotswold town with few alternative sources of employment. At its peak, the mill employed hundreds of workers and dominated economic life in Chipping Norton, making any dispute there far more than simply a workplace disagreement.

John explains how the strike emerged following the establishment of a local branch of the Workers’ Union and the dismissal of workers involved in organising union activity. Although the national union initially discouraged industrial action, workers ultimately took matters into their own hands, launching a dispute that would last for months and attract national attention.

A major theme throughout the episode is the role of management and the complex character of mill manager Arthur Dunstan. Often remembered locally as the man responsible for provoking the strike, John reveals a more complicated picture of a manager who could be both uncompromising and unexpectedly generous, including making personal financial contributions to support the families of striking workers.

The conversation also highlights the extraordinary role played by women during the dispute. Many of the striking workers were young women, some of whom became prominent organisers and public advocates for the strike. John discusses the involvement of leading labour activist and suffragette Julia Varley, as well as local women whose letters, speeches and activism challenged assumptions about class, gender and political engagement in early twentieth-century Britain.

The episode explores how solidarity was maintained despite significant hardship, with workers surviving on union support, community aid and family assistance while continuing to resist pressure to return to work.

The discussion also examines the wider context of the Great Labour Unrest of 1910–14, placing the Bliss Mill Strike alongside the broader wave of industrial disputes that swept Britain before the First World War. While the dispute was rooted in local grievances, it reflected wider national debates about trade union recognition, workers’ rights, employer power and political representation.

Finally, John reflects on the strike’s long-term legacy. Although the dispute ended in defeat and effectively destroyed union organisation within the mill for decades, it helped shape the political identity of Chipping Norton and left a lasting imprint on local memory. More than a century later, stories of the strike continue to be told, debated and reinterpreted, demonstrating the enduring importance of community history in understanding the wider labour movement.

This episode offers a fascinating insight into a forgotten chapter of British labour history and explores what the Bliss Mill Strike can still teach us about solidarity, industrial conflict, workers’ rights and the relationship between local communities and wider social change.

In this episode of the We Can Work It Out podcast, Dr Jonathan Lord is joined by historian, journalist and political writer David Torrance to discuss his new book The Edge of Revolution: The General Strike that Shook Britain. Together, they explore one of the most dramatic moments in modern British history and ask whether Britain in May 1926 really stood on the brink of constitutional crisis and social upheaval.

David examines the economic and political tensions that led to the General Strike, including the crisis in the coal industry, fears of revolution following the Russian Revolution and First World War, and the growing confrontation between organised labour and the British state. The discussion explores how millions of workers joined the strike in solidarity with locked out miners, bringing large parts of the country to a standstill.

The episode also looks at the personalities who shaped the strike, including Stanley Baldwin, Winston Churchill, Ramsay MacDonald and King George V, as well as the role of the media, propaganda and the BBC during the nine days that disrupted Britain. David discusses how the government prepared extensively for the strike while the TUC entered the dispute without a clear strategic endgame, something which ultimately contributed to its collapse.

Alongside the political story, the conversation focuses on the human experience of the strike, from mining communities and local strike committees to volunteers, journalists and ordinary workers trying to navigate daily life during a national stoppage. The episode also examines the role of women, religion, class divisions and public opinion throughout the crisis.

As this is the centenary of the General Strike, this episode reflects on why the events of 1926 continue to matter today and what they still reveal about work, inequality, political power and collective action in Britain.