Productivity in the public sector has a significant effect on the economy, directly and indirectly. This can prove difficult to measure – not impossible
While everyone agrees that there is a social care crisis there is little consensus about the size of the gap and how far new investment goes to closing it
The chancellor combined moves to relieve short-term pressures in the public sector with measures to encourage long-term stability, while staying tight-lipped on social care funding
This was a “warm-up” Budget, with many key decisions deferred, delayed or scheduled for review. The chancellor may yet regret this lack of decisiveness
There were no big surprises in this Budget and little sense of any solutions to intractable policy problems. The chancellor should beware of trying to micromanage from the centre
This Budget saw the chancellor tell MPs about some improved economic forecasts. However, the broad outlook remains uncertain – and Brexit didn’t even merit a mention
A real-time online system will collect tax return information automatically and manage irregular incomes better. Could it also make a local income tax viable?
