Capitalists Against the Super Rich
Edward Stourton meets the defenders of capitalism turning against the undeserving rich.
Analysis · BBC Radio 4
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Show Notes
Are the champions of the capitalist system now turning against the super-rich? And if they are, what will they now do about it? In this week's Analysis, we meet leading figures of the centre right who suddenly seem to have something in common with the political left: a moral aversion to the an era of high finance that saw huge payouts to a few, and bailouts funded by the rest. Prime Minster David Cameron opened 2011 with a speech criticising a system where "a few at the top get rewards that seem to have nothing to do with the risks they take or the effort they put in." He promises change, but how can that be achieved without undermining the logic of capitalism? Edward Stourton meets influential defenders of market forces who say they can keep the best of free trade but exclude the undeserving rich.
Interviewees:
Jesse Norman MP Matthew Hancock MP Nadhim Zahawi MP Charles Moore, former editor of The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Spectator Donald Winch, Emeritus Professor of Intellectual History at Sussex University Raghuram Rajan, Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business
Producer: Mukul Devichand.