This Briefing Note reviews developments in welfare policy under the current government and analyses the manifesto proposals of the three main political parties in this policy area.

In this note, we will examine Labour's record on environmental policy since 1997. We start with a broad overview of the environmental record, looking at key outcomes on environmental taxes, expenditures and emissions and continue by looking in detail at policy developments and outcomes.

This general election briefing note looks at how overall levels of borrowing and debt changed between 1997 and 2010.

Even more than in previous elections, the appropriate size of the state - measured by public spending as a share of national income - is a key issue.

This election briefing note examines the evolution of the tax burden over the last 60 years.

This election briefing note finds strong evidence of an increase in the rate of severe poverty since 2004-05, mirroring a rise in the official poverty rate, although the rate of persistent poverty does seem to have fallen under Labour, at least until 2007.

In this Briefing Note, we assess the changes to living standards that have occurred under the first 11 years of the Labour government and compare these changes with what happened under previous governments.

This Election Briefing Note describes the main tax and benefit reforms since 1997, and shows how they have affected total government revenues.

With the public finances in need of repair, this note discusses some of the key questions all the parties will have to grapple with.