Fiscal rules and frameworks

In this paper we apply a grouping estimator to data from the UK Survey of Personal Incomes so assess the magnitude of taxable income responses of the self employed.

We look at the likely costs of the government's promised improvements to public services and its target to end child poverty within a generation.

This paper argues that after five years of the current Labour government, consistent trends in social security policy have emerged

In this note, the authors examine how we might measure the fiscal stance in terms of the scale of the public deficit. They show the path the gap between state income and expenditure has taken since 1946. The paper also tries to isolate the effects of government policy as opposed to the economic cycle.

This note traces the trends in public spending and taxation in the UK during the twentieth century.

The Labour government has been at pains to stress the importance of public investment. A large portion of Spending Review 2000 was devoted to explaining why we should care about public investment: it provides the infrastructure that is a prerequisite for improvements in output and growth and is necessary both to supply and to enhance public services. This notes looks at public investment over the last 25 years and identifies trends in the various spending areas.

This Election Briefing Note looks at the planned levels of borrowing for the three main parties.

This Briefing Note looks at the current government's record on public spending, borrowing and taxation.

Election 2001: This Briefing Note looks in detail at public spending.

Election briefing note 5 (2001)

This paper examines the history of the Labout government elected in 1974, using it as a test-case for various 'New Right' economic and political theories that suggest that government expansion eventually hits structural limits.

This short paper starts by describing the two fiscal rules and then looks at the latest set of HM Treasury forecasts, which suggest that these rules will indeed be met. We then go on to discuss the level of uncertainty that is implicit in any public finance forecasts.

This Election Briefing Note looks at whether we can see a difference between the parties in their approach to taxes and benefits.