From the Basement: The economic outlook for builders with economist Tom Hall

Welcome to the second episode of Buildup from the Basement, the Federation of Master Builders’ podcast hosted by Iona Stewart-Richardson. This episode features Tom Hall, Chief Economist at Aqua Consultants, alongside regular guest Jeremy Gray, Head of External Affairs at the FMB. Together, they explore the current UK economic outlook and what it means for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the construction sector.

In this episode, discover

• How economic uncertainty and interest rates are shaping the landscape for UK construction SMEs

• The effect of erratic market conditions on builders’ confidence, consumer demand, and investment decisions

• Potential silver linings—including real wage growth outpacing inflation—and what that means for small firms

• How long-term strategies, planning reform, and public infrastructure investment could support the SME construction sector

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Watch more in the series

15 August 2025

Licensing construction

From the Basement: Sir John Hayes, MP for South Holland and The Deepings

Recognising our best and brightest young builders, solving the housing crisis, and professionalising the construction industry are all on the agenda as MP for South Holland and the Deepings, and former Government Minister, Sir John Hayes joins us in the basement.

14 August 2025

Licensing construction

From the Basement: MP Richard Quigley

MP for the Isle of Wight West, Richard Quigley, joins us in the basement at the FMB to chat about tackling the skills crisis, a licensing scheme for builders, and whether or not the UK genuinely has a realistic chance of meeting it's housebuilding targets.

21 May 2025

Licensing construction

From the Basement: Mark Garnier MP on why builders need a Licence to Build

Why licensing matters for builders. Mark Garnier MP joins the FMB to explore how a Licence to Build could raise standards and protect quality work.

Authors

Build Up from the Basement

Our spin-off podcast series Build Up from the Basement explores the policies and trends shaping the future for small to medium sized (SME) building businesses.