In this episode of Trading Up Unpacked, Jim Fitzpatrick and Richard Ramsey analyse the severe economic impacts of the Middle East conflict, exploring how the crisis involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz is driving up global oil prices, shipping costs, and everyday inflation. The hosts unpack how this geopolitical shock overshadowed UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement, potentially derailing hopes for falling interest rates.

Shifting closer to home, the episode dives deep into Northern Ireland's ongoing fiscal challenges. With Stormont trapped in a "fiscal doom loop" of single-year budgets and overspending, Jim and Richard examine the "moral hazard" of continuous UK Treasury bailouts. They discuss the role of the newly established Northern Ireland Fiscal Council, the urgent need for multi-year budgets, and potential policy incentives to finally fix the region's inefficient public spending culture.

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