Rishi Sunak's plans rely on an optimistic vision of the future and implausible spending targets, say Institute for Fiscal Studies research economists Ben Zaranko and Isabel Stockton.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak this week said a one percentage point rise in interest rates would add £25bn a year to the government’s debt servicing costs. So why isn’t the Treasury relieving the pressure...
Covid-19 has left councils more than £1bn short of their expected council tax revenues. But what explains the wide variation among collection levels between different authorities? Kate Ogden, local...
The Department of Health and Social Care has published a white paper promising significant reforms to the structure of the NHS. PF rounds up the sector’s responses.
NHS accounts show the service already faced financial problems going into the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the boost provided by the NHS Long Term Plan. Amelia Chong, policy adviser for finances at NHS...
This week, PF revealed that the Valuation Office Agency has halted talks over business rates rebates for offices – but the government could still face a bill of £500m to compensate councils for lost...
November's single-year Spending Review implies future cuts to unprotected departments in the coming year, while tax rises seem the only option to pay down Covid-19 debt.
Financial data for April to June shows councils’ revenue spending up 19% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year. The figures will have made sombre reading in Whitehall and town...
The latest CIPFA/IfG Performance Tracker report highlights a ‘turning point’ in the public sector’s life under austerity but warns that government spending decisions remain short-term. ...
Facts and figures on public sector appointments, growth expectations and the costs of feeding Gladstone, the Treasury cat. From the December 2018 edition of Public Finance magazine.
As the opportunity for efficiency savings dwindles, experts call on government to be explicit about the cost of public services. Dominic Brady reports.
Facts and figures from the July 2018 edition of Public Finance magazine on immigration caps, the riddle of the Lords, and the ethnic diversity gap in UK charities
Facts and figures from the June 2018 edition of Public Finance magazine with information on the EU workforce in the public sector, London’s population, intergenerational support and the future of the...
Facts and figures from the May 2018 edition of Public Finance magazine on attitudes to immigration, rising knife crime and whether David Miliband is the saviour of the centre
Facts and figures from the March 2018 edition of Public Finance magazine on the gender pay gap, PFI savings and the economic impact of international students.
Facts and figures from the January/February 2018 edition of Public Finance magazine on the Autumn Budget, CIPFA’s library survey and NHS winter pressures
