As if the British economy didn't have enough problems with soaring inflation, swathes of the countryliterally ground to a half this week thanks to massive industrial action from 40,000 rail workers. Like most of us, RMT members are feelingthe pinch as prices outstrip their wages and passenger numbers havestill yet to recover from their pre-Covid levels. But does that really justify a strike? And is this a sign that the UK is going 'back to the 1970s'?To discuss all that, John and Alys welcomed Tom Clougherty the Head of Tax at our parent organisation, the Centre for Policy Studies. Tom is one of Westminster's most authoritative commentators on all things tax-related, and just this week has co-authored a paper on why the idea of an Online Sales Tax is so thoroughly misguided.To cap off this week's episode, we head across the Channel to France, where a surge in support for Marine Le Pen's National Rally helped deprive Emmanuel Macron of a parliamentary majority and thrust his presidency into huge trouble. We talk to Paris-based journalist and CapX contributor Gavin Mortimer about what this electoral hammer-blow means for Macron's second term. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.