Government finances and spending

Investment in training and skills

Report

The UK has seen a significant decline in investment in adult education and training. This chapter analyses how the skills system should be reformed.

12 October 2023

An honest conversation about net zero

Podcast

We discuss the impact of the Prime Minister's announcement on net zero.

11 October 2023

Big changes to HS2 and education will prove a real test for Rishi Sunak

Comment

"Too many announcements, not enough evident strategy." Paul Johnson in The Times on the announcements in last week's Conservative Party Conference.

9 October 2023

Public sector net worth as a fiscal target

Report

We consider the case for and against a fiscal target for public sector net worth.

7 October 2023

The Expert Factor: What is Britain’s place in the world?

Podcast

This week the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into Britain’s place in the world.

5 October 2023

The outlook for government and council funding

Presentation

This presentation to Scottish voluntary organisations looks at the funding outlook and issues facing the Scottish Government and councils.

5 October 2023

What is happening to school funding and costs in England?

Comment

Schools funding in England is going up faster than economy-wide inflation, but not as fast as the cost pressures schools actually face.

5 October 2023

‘Only millionaires should fear inheritance tax – not the property-owning middle class’

Comment

"As inherited wealth grows, the need for tax reform is becoming more pressing." Carl Emmerson writes in The Telegraph.

4 October 2023

The Expert Factor: What is the point of party conferences?

Podcast

In this episode, we launch our new series 'The Expert Factor' alongside the Institute for Government and UK in a Changing Europe.

29 September 2023

This will be the biggest tax-raising parliament on record

Comment

This has been the biggest tax-raising parliament since records began, pushing UK tax revenues to historically high levels.

29 September 2023

Chancellors’ responses to economic news

Report

Chancellors don’t respond symmetrically to good and bad economic news. This represents a risk to the accuracy of official borrowing forecasts.

28 September 2023

Fiscal risks and sustainability

Presentation

This online event, jointly organised by the OBR and IFS, focused on two particular fiscal risks facing the UK.

28 September 2023

Sunak’s weak intervention may prompt a climate change revolution

Comment

"We need some light shone on what needs doing and on how far away we are from doing it." Paul Johnson writes for The Times on our net zero targets.

25 September 2023

NI’s funding and spending

Presentation

This presentation looks at the NI Executive’s funding and spending – is it enough and can it be reformed?

19 September 2023

What are the options for devolved funding?

Presentation

This presentation looks at the issues and options for the Scottish Government’s funding, arguing that radical change requires reform in England too.

19 September 2023

British tax system is in need of reform

Comment

"There are few corners of the British tax system that are not in urgent need of repair." Isaac Delestre writes for Taxation.

15 September 2023

Time to scrap the English NHS Bursary

Comment

The NHS bursary is a needless subsidy for high-earning former medical students. Now would be an excellent time to scrap it.

14 September 2023

Persevering with the autumn statement just generates confusion

Comment

Bi-annual fiscal events "have become an engine for an over-proliferation of measures, generating instability and confusion." Paul Johnson in the Times

11 September 2023

Scottish council tax proposals are a small step in the right direction but duck the biggest issue: revaluation

Comment

Proposed reforms to council tax in Scotland would further reduce regressivity but should go further, and the issue of revaluation is ducked yet again.

11 September 2023