Home of the Marginal Babble Podcast, hosted by Maxwell Dorey. Max takes Economists, Scientists, Businessmen and more, on an exploratory journey of their work and fields. We hope you enjoy the show, or at least don't burst your bubble...
Youtube: @maxwelldorey
Can Rental Legislation Be Effective? | Marginal Babble Ep.42 with Professor Nikhil Datta
The Tenant Fees Act 2019 did something rare in housing policy, it actually worked…
Tenants saved hundreds of pounds, letting agents absorbed the shock and the market did not collapse. If you care about renting, regulation, or why some policies deliver exactly what they promise, this conversation is for you.
Max and Nikhil break down the economics behind tenant fees, why the old system was a textbook case of opaque pricing, and how banning those charges changed behaviour across the rental market. They also get into drip pricing, market power, house-building targets, NIMBY politics, the Green Belt, devolution, and the renters' rights bill.
Professor Nikhil Datta:
https://nikhil-datta.com/ (https://nikhil-datta.com/)
“Successful caps on English letting agents’ fees disprove the idea that it’s unwise to meddle with free markets”:
https://theconversation.com/successful-caps-on-english-letting-agents-fees-disprove-the-idea-that-its-unwise-to-meddle-with-free-markets-240708 (https://theconversation.com/successful-caps-on-english-letting-agents-fees-disprove-the-idea-that-its-unwise-to-meddle-with-free-markets-240708)
“The Equilibrium Effects of Regulating Junk Fees: Evidence from the Rental Brokerage Market”:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5200278 (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5200278)
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:05 Tenant Fees Act 2019
05:18 Can Regulation Make the Market More Efficient?
10:27 The Effects of the Tenant Fees Act 2019
12:16 Why Economic Theory Failed…
15:16 More Effects of the Tenant Fees Act 2019
20:43 Why Was THIS Policy Successful? (and not others…)
24:27 How to Design Better Housing Policy
33:12 Is Building New Towns the Answer?
41:04 Should New Towns Offer Financial Incentives?
45:28 The North-South Divide in Housing
48:45 Will De-centralisation Help?
54:46 Effects of the Renters Rights Bill
01:04:31 What Future Research Should be Conducted?
Socials:
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Website: https://marginalbabble.co.uk/ (https://marginalbabble.co.uk/)
#housingregulation #rentalmarkets #economics
2 Sept 2026
Does Minimum Wage Reduce Investment... | Marginal Babble Ep.41 with Professor Matthew Gustafson
In this episode, we dive into the world of labour economics, specifically, into how minimum wage policy affects business investment and productivity. Professor Matthew Gustafson and I unpack the real-world effects of minimum wage policy, from employment and capital expenditure to productivity, automation, and long-term economic growth.
Professor Matthew Gustafson:
https://directory.smeal.psu.edu/mtg15 (https://directory.smeal.psu.edu/mtg15)
‘Higher Minimum Wages Reduce Capital Expenditures’:
https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4430 (https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4430)
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:26 Why Study Minimum Wage Economics?
03:50 What is Minimum Wage Policy?
05:30 Does Minimum Wage Policy Work?
08:21 Does Minimum Wage Affect Investment? (Matthew’s Research)
17:58 Context Matters
21:38 The Data Behind Matthew’s Research
24:38 How Important is Private Investment to the Economy?
27:59 Can Minimum Wage Policy Be Improved?
33:55 Arguments For/Against a Minimum Wage
37:42 Future Research We Need
41:44 Common Misunderstandings About Minimum Wage
44:05 How Will Minimum Wage Rhetoric Change…
Socials:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marginalbabble (https://www.tiktok.com/@marginalbabble)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marginalbabble/ (https://www.instagram.com/marginalbabble/)
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Website: https://marginalbabble.co.uk/ (https://marginalbabble.co.uk/)
19 Aug 2026
The Economics of Sex Work | Marginal Babble Ep.40 with Professor Stefan Adriaenssens
The global sex work industry generates an estimated $69 billion annually (worldmetrics.org (http://worldmetrics.org), 2026) and provides income for millions of sex workers globally. In the UK alone, there are approximately 72,800 sex workers according to the English Collective of Prostitutes.
In this episode of the Marginal Babble podcast, we explore the economics of sex work, from global industry scale to how researchers estimate hidden populations. We discuss why data relating to sex work is so hard to measure, how legal status affects market size, and how internet platforms have changed safety, pricing, and regulation.
Professor Stefan Adriaenssens:
https://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00002299 (https://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00002299)
SEX WORK BY NUMBERS: Bridging Economics and Social Sciences to Understand the Hidden World of Commercial Sex:
Free: https://www.emerald.com/books/monograph/20949/Sex-Work-by-NumbersBridging-Economics-and-Social (https://www.emerald.com/books/monograph/20949/Sex-Work-by-NumbersBridging-Economics-and-Social)
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Work-Numbers-Understand-Commercial-ebook/dp/B0FV2QKM3D (https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Work-Numbers-Understand-Commercial-ebook/dp/B0FV2QKM3D)
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:40 Do You Make Sex Boring?
01:26 The Scale of the Sex Industry
06:08 How Do Economists Estimate Sex Work?
09:09 The Objectives of the Book (plus feelings…)
11:54 Does Sex Work Match Economic Theory?
20:31 Remuneration for Loss of Reputation
24:14 How the Internet Has Affected Sex Work
31:18 Affects of Legalisation/Criminalisation of Sex Work
36:34 Surprises in Writing the Book
38:29 Policy Recommendations
41:52 Misconceptions About Sex Industry
43:00 Where Do We Need More Research?
44:27 Final Thoughts
Socials:
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Website: https://marginalbabble.co.uk/ (https://marginalbabble.co.uk/)
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