The Policy Fix is a series of straight-talking conversations about whatās broken in Britain - and how to fix it. Hosted by business leader Steve Rigby, the show focuses on delivery, outcomes, and practical solutions rather than politics or point-scoring.
Each episode features leaders from business, public services, charities, and policy who have actually run things - people who know how systems work in the real world. Steve goes beyond the headlines to uncover whatās working, what isnāt, and what needs to change for the UK to get back on track.
The show cuts through noise and ideology to explore hard choices, hidden problems, and the operational realities that shape Britainās future. Honest, grounded, and focused on action, The Policy Fix is for anyone who wants to understand how to make the country work better.
RSS
Apple
Data updated on 15/09/2026
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Discover shows related to The Policy Fix , based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
There is no related content for this show.
No links shared by this podcast
We Need to Support Home-grown Innovation In the UK | Tom Adeyoola, Innovate UK Chair
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 ā¢ Duration 48:41
Why the UK is great a building ideas, but the US is greater at scaling them? | The Policy Fix
Recorded amid a change in UK leadership under Andy Burnham and cabinet reshuffles, this Policy Fix episode features Tom Adeyoola, Chair at Innovate UK, discussing his 15 months leading a reset at Innovate UK to help companies start, stay, and scale in the UK by connecting regional strengths, research, talent, capital, policymakers, regulators, and procurement.
He explains Innovate UKās scale (1,000+ staff, Ā£1bn+ core budget, nine Catapults, and about Ā£1bn managing innovation programs for other departments) and highlights quantum as a model pathway from research to unicorns and procurement commitments, while arguing the UK must focus in AI on areas like specialized health and materials datasets rather than trying to win across silicon and large language models.
They cover devolution via innovation accelerators and a successor Ā£500m local partnerships fund, coordination among government āPuffins,ā data/CRM integration, AI adoption gaps, robotics opportunities, and Tomās charity choice, Become, supporting care-experienced young people.
This is the last episode of the season 1 of The Policy Fix. We are taking a short break before coming back with a lot of new interesting guests.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Britain Is Sleepwalking Into An AI Crisis | Steve Rigby
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 ā¢ Duration 56:48
AI Will Replace Millions Of Jobs. Britain Has 3 Years To Prepare | The Policy Fix
In this episode of The Policy Fix, Polly Mackenzie turns the tables on host Steve Rigby to discuss one of the biggest economic and political challenges facing Britain: artificial intelligence. Drawing on his experience as CEO of Rigby Group, investor and Chair of Family Business UK, Steve argues that AI is no longer a future technology but a present-day transformation that will reshape businesses, public services and the labour market.
They explore why Britain has a narrow window to prepare for widespread workforce disruption, how government and business should respond, and why reskillingānot job protectionāmust become the priority. Steve explains the UK's opportunity to build sovereign AI capability, the importance of data centres, energy, taxation and regulation, and why delaying action could leave the country permanently behind.
The conversation also examines how AI will change education, entrepreneurship and regional economies, the future of knowledge work, the role of government in preparing for technological change, and the policies Steve believes Britain needs to remain competitive while protecting workers through the transition.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:25 Why AI Feels Different This Time
04:05 The $23 Trillion Opportunity
06:20 Britain Is Sleepwalking Into AI
09:10 The UK's 3-Year Window
11:15 Why AI Sovereignty Matters
15:10 Will AI Replace Jobs?
18:05 Preparing For Workforce Disruption
20:15 Why SMEs Could Benefit
22:05 Which Jobs Are Most At Risk?
25:00 Planning For The Worst-Case Scenario
28:35 Why Schools Need To Change
33:30 Preparing Young People For AI
36:10 How Should AI Be Taxed?
41:10 Regulating AI Without Killing Innovation
46:05 Britain's Data Advantage
49:20 Steve's AI Policy Priorities
50:45 Three AI Companies To Watch
52:45 How Steve Uses AI Every Day
55:00 The Future Of AI Agents & Robots
56:30 Closing Thoughts
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sir Peter Rigby: Why Great Entrepreneurs Are Built In Hard Times
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 ā¢ Duration 48:12
Sir Peter Rigby on Sales, Resilience, Risk, AI, and Giving Back | The Policy Fix
In this special edition of The Policy Fix, Steve interviews his father, Sir Peter Rigby, on lessons from a career that began selling mainframe computers at 17 and evolved into entrepreneurship.
Sir Peter Rigby explains core sales principles including technical grounding, selling high to decision-makers, multi-tier relationship building, timing, and asking for the order, emphasizing that results follow hard work and preparation. He discusses profitability as a byproduct of ambition and customer-focused success, the need for resilience through downturns, and why entrepreneurs must take calculated risks anchored in strong ethics, including repaying a Ā£100 million vendor loan after an international acquisition. They explore technologyās evolution to AI, highlighting opportunities, threats, sovereignty, and the UK governmentās need to do more. The conversation covers regional devolution, building tech in the Midlands, family-business culture, employee recognition, philanthropy and place-based giving, plus Peterās lifelong passion for flying and later RAF advisory role.
00:00 Welcome and Setup
00:50 Early Sales Lessons
02:13 Sell High Strategy
03:49 Multi Tier Relationships
05:35 Hard Work and Time
07:15 Ask for the Order
08:32 Profit Follows Success
10:03 Resilience in Downturns
13:27 Risk and Ethics Story
16:00 AI and Tech Shifts
20:07 Government and Sovereignty
28:06 Regions and Devolution
31:56 Philanthropy and Giving Back
37:58 Regrets and Inspirations
42:41 People Culture and Family
47:43 Closing Reflections
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Britainās Middle Class Is Being Squeezed From Every Side | Ruth Curtice
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 ā¢ Duration 46:24
What happens when a countryās middle class starts working harderā¦ but feeling poorer?
This week on The Policy Fix, Steve Rigby sits down with Resolution Foundation CEO Ruth Curtice to unpack why so many working people in Britain feel squeezed from every side ā despite employment being high and wages rising on paper.
They discuss:
Why living standards have stagnated for nearly two decades
Whether Britainās tax system is fit for purpose
The growing pressure on young people entering the workforce
Why AI could widen inequality between the āhave-AIsā and āhave-not AIsā
The future of welfare, pensions and affordable housing
Whether minimum wage rises are helping ā or hurting ā younger workers
Ruth also explains why she believes affordable housing is the single biggest policy challenge facing Britain today.
The Policy Fix is a series hosted by Steve Rigby exploring the biggest economic and policy questions shaping the UK.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:00 What is the Resolution Foundation?
05:00 Who is āUnsung Britainā?
08:00 Britainās debt and cost-of-living crisis
14:00 Growth vs redistribution
16:00 Does Britain need tax reform?
19:00 Minimum wage and youth unemployment
25:00 Welfare, pensions and the triple lock
35:00 AI and the future of work
42:00 The one policy Ruth would fix today
#Politics #UKPolitics #Economy #AI #Tax #MiddleClass #PolicyFix
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Claire Ward | Why You Feel Worse Off (Even When GDP Is āUpā)
Friday, May 1, 2026 ā¢ Duration 51:16
Why does it feel like youāre worse offā¦ even when GDP is going up?
In this episode of The Policy Fix, Claire Ward joins Steve Rigby to break down why economic growth isnāt being felt by most people across the UK.
They discuss:
Why GDP growth doesnāt reflect real living standards
The impact of inflation, mortgages, and the cost of living
Why politics often prioritises announcements over delivery
Worklessness, young people, and long-term economic risks
Devolution, Whitehall, and what needs to change to drive real growth
Claire Ward shares a grounded view from inside regional leadership ā and why, for many communities, the system still isnāt delivering.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:10 Why growth isnāt being felt
04:20 Cost of living & mortgages
08:30 Announcements vs real change
14:00 Worklessness & young people
20:00 Skills & jobs pipeline
30:30 Devolution vs Whitehall
40:00 What needs to change
šļø The Policy Fix explores the biggest economic and political challenges facing the UK ā through conversations with the people shaping policy and business.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Andrew Griffith | āWhy Britainās Economy Is Falling Behindā
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 ā¢ Duration 54:12
Andrew Griffith on Getting the UKās Mojo Back: FinTech, Regulation, AI, Growth and the āVibeā for Wealth Creators
Steve Rigby interviews Conservative Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Andrew Griffith, former Sky CFO/COO and exāCity Minister, on how the UK can āget its mojo backā by backing risk-takers and wealth creators, tackling youth unemployment, and improving business-government engagement. Griffith argues the UK is overregulated across sectors, needs faster and bolder financial-market reforms akin to a āBig Bang 2.0,ā and criticizes delays such as Revolutās banking license and the failed Arm float. He outlines priorities for businessācheaper energy, lower/simpler taxes, cutting red tape and regulator size, flexible labor markets, and cultural support for entrepreneursāwhile warning the Employment Rights Bill could hurt jobs, especially for young people. They discuss pension investment rules, AI as a productivity tool, defense and welfare trade-offs, non-dom policy, and tax-code complexity, ending with quickfire questions and a charity donation to Sussex Snowdrop Trust.
00:00 Fintech Heroes First
00:32 Meet Andrew Griffith
01:31 Sky Startup Lessons
02:36 Murdoch Long Term Mindset
03:52 ITV Sky And Regulators
05:45 Overregulation And Resilience
07:56 Business Experience In Government
10:33 Mission To Serve In Politics
13:31 Fixing UK Fintech And Listings
17:10 Mansion House And Pensions
20:25 Opposition Plans For Day One
21:53 Employment Rights Bill Fears
24:47 Low Pay Commission Accountability
26:28 Wages and Competitiveness
26:45 AI as Productivity Engine
27:37 Disrupt Yourself Mindset
28:50 AI and Immigration Tradeoffs
30:00 Five Point Growth Plan
31:47 Non Dom Debate
34:53 Simplifying the Tax Code
37:55 Defense Spending Reality Check
41:18 Welfare Reform Hard Choices
45:08 Politics and Trust
46:40 Restarting UK Growth
50:07 Charity and Policy Fix
52:39 Quick Fire Wrap Up
54:22 Final Thanks and Outro
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nadhim Zahawi: Joining Reform, Boris Johnson, and Fixing Britainās Economy
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 ā¢ Duration 01:16:55
Former Chancellor and YouGov co-founder Nadhim Zahawi joins Steve Rigby on The Policy Fix for a candid conversation on business, politics, and Britainās economic future.
Zahawi reflects on leading the UKās COVID vaccine rollout, revealing how rapid decision-making, military logistics, and direct access to Boris Johnson enabled Britain to move faster than Europe. He shares lessons from building national infrastructure at speed ā and why urgency in government has since disappeared.
They also explore why the UK is losing competitiveness, from AstraZeneca investing abroad to rising energy costs, regulatory pressure, and the risks facing Britainās industrial base. Zahawi explains how he built YouGov from scratch after the dot-com crash, how a pivotal Freeserve partnership changed everything, and why AI will completely transform research, education, and business.
The conversation turns to Zahawiās decision to join Reform, his assessment of Nigel Farageās leadership, and whether the party can become a serious governing force. He discusses immigration, welfare reform, AI policy, and what Britain must do to restore growth and attract global talent.
A rare insider view from someone who has built companies, run major government departments, and helped lead Britain through one of its biggest crises.
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to The Policy Fix
01:01 Zahawiās journey through business and government
02:14 Inside Britainās COVID vaccine rollout
06:42 How Brexit gave the UK a vaccine advantage
07:28 Why AstraZeneca and pharma are investing abroad
10:26 Founding YouGov and spotting the internet opportunity
14:03 The pivot that saved YouGov after the dot-com crash
16:37 The breakthrough that proved YouGov worked
18:44 How AI will transform market research
20:07 Why government lacks business experience
26:05 Migration, urgency, and government decision-making
28:46 Energy costs and Britainās industrial strategy problem
33:00 Welfare, work incentives, and economic decline
36:57 AI regulation and avoiding Europeās mistakes
39:32 Why Alphabet and DeepMind are so powerful
40:13 Britainās biggest startup funding weakness
41:05 How AI tutors could reshape education
43:27 Universities, talent, and keeping innovation in the UK
44:34 Why Zahawi joined Reform
48:09 Nigel Farage, leadership, and preparing for power
56:06 Building a serious political movement
01:05:57 Defections, politics, and Britainās direction
01:10:54 Charity selection: Adam Smith Institute
01:12:52 The Policy Fix: Abolishing inheritance tax
01:15:42 Funding tax reform
01:16:49 Final thoughts
About The Policy Fix
Hosted by Steve Rigby, The Policy Fix explores whatās broken in Britain - and how to fix it.
No politics. No spin. Just honest conversations with people who get things done.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clare Barclay: Inside Microsoftās $3.6 Trillion AI Machine
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 ā¢ Duration 39:07
Dame Claire Barclay - one of the most influential leaders in global tech - joins The Policy Fix.
In this episode, Steve Rigby speaks with the President of Microsoft for Enterprise & Infrastructure in EMEA and Chair of the UKās Industrial Strategy Advisory Council about whether Britain is moving fast enough in the age of AI.
Claire offers an insider view on Microsoftās AI strategy, the rise of autonomous āAI agents,ā and why even the worldās biggest tech companies must keep reinventing themselves.
They also examine the UKās new Industrial Strategy - whatās working, whatās risky, and whether it can actually lift productivity outside London. Along the way, Claire explains why skills, energy, and planning are now as critical to growth as innovation itself.
A clear-eyed conversation about technology, power, and Britainās future.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to The Policy Fix
00:45 Claire Barclayās dual roles
01:13 Inside Microsoftās evolution
03:55 Why AI feels like a ālong gameā
04:49 How AI will reshape business
10:04 Government and the AI opportunity
15:11 Skills for the AI era
18:08 What is the Industrial Strategy Council?
20:26 How government works with business
22:54 Regions, mayors and delivery
24:22 Where tech fits in industrial strategy
25:16 Britainās productivity problem
27:55 The future of the UK tech sector
31:01 Advice for young people today
33:47 Choosing a charity: Crisis
38:52 Final thoughts
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Andy Cook: The School Attendance Crisis No One Wants to Face
Tuesday, December 16, 2025 ā¢ Duration 42:58
Addressing the Crisis of School Absenteeism and Social Issues with Andy Cook
In this episode of The Policy Fix, host Steve Rigby sits down with Andy Cook, CEO of the Centre for Social Justice, to discuss critical issues facing the UK today. They delve into the crisis of school absenteeism, the role of philanthropy in driving social change, and the importance of tailored local interventions. Andy shares insights from his extensive experience in the charity sector and outlines key policies that could make a significant impact on disadvantaged communities. The discussion also touches on the declining value of traditional education pathways and the potential of enriched, sport-focused educational models.
00:00 Introduction: The Crisis of Attendance
00:26 Welcome to The Policy Fix
00:31 Meet Andy Cook: Champion for Social Justice
01:30 The Center for Social Justice: Mission and Impact
01:53 Personal Journey: From Charity Founder to Award Winner
02:38 Celebrating Unsung Heroes: The CSJ Awards
04:38 Navigating Politics: Cross-Party Collaboration
07:01 Innovative Approaches to Social Issues
09:48 Place-Based Philanthropy: A New Hope
15:30 The Role of Education in Social Mobility
16:46 Addressing Absenteeism: A Growing Concern
22:31 Setting a Bigger Agenda
22:43 The Social Compact at Risk
23:06 Parental Responsibility and Education
24:25 Leadership in Education
26:57 Philanthropy and Innovation
28:19 Youth Centers and Public-Private Partnerships
30:33 Community-Driven Interventions
33:35 Challenges Facing Boys in Education
40:38 Future Policies and Recommendations
About The Policy Fix
Hosted by Steve Rigby, The Policy Fix explores whatās broken in Britain - and how to fix it.
No politics. No spin. Just honest conversations with people who get things done.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Rupert Soames: How to Fix Britainās Broken Systems
Thursday, November 20, 2025 ā¢ Duration 52:26
Rupert Soames: How to Fix Britainās Broken Systems | The Policy Fix with Steve Rigby
Britain is facing some of the biggest structural challenges in a generation - from weak growth and rising debt to failing public services and declining business confidence.
In this episode, Steve Rigby sits down with Rupert Soames, Chair of the CBI and one of the UKās most respected turnaround leaders, to discuss what it will actually take to fix the system.
Rupert shares candid insights from:
- Saving the CBI during its crisis
- Running some of the UK's toughest public service contracts
- Working with government at the highest levels
- Why fiscal rules matter more than politicians admit
- What Britain needs to get right in the next decade
This is a grounded, practical conversation about delivery, responsibility, leadership - and the real choices Britain faces.
About The Policy Fix
Hosted by Steve Rigby, The Policy Fix explores whatās broken in Britain - and how to fix it.
No politics. No spin. Just honest conversations with people who get things done.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
