Aged 57, life expectancy average 84. Expecting no lower tax burden until 2051.

This parliament has seen probably biggest sustained increase in the tax 'burden' of any parliament since 1940s. My guess it won't go back down in my lifetime.

BUT direct tax burden on average earners at lowest level for 50 years. As I explain here ifs.org.uk/articles/how-t…

This is brilliant from Institute for Fiscal Studies - could easily spend hours on this, but also illustrates the challenge ahead for a future Chancellor.

ifs.org.uk/election-2024/…

This is a wonderful e.g.
I am thinking about the judges having to solemnly examine the product in court.

Thanks Polly! Here's the tool:ifs.org.uk/bethechancellor

Would love to see the legal cases over what would define a bra. 100% with Judith Freedman on this.

💡Come for the title

📚 Stay for the diagnosis of why evidence-based policy making doesn't happen in local economic development, and how to fix it 👇

Great fun and really useful - Institute for Fiscal Studies have a tool that allows you to pretend to be Chancellor. What is the effect of your choices on public finances? Thanks Helen Miller and team!

The indispensable IFS! Here's their new Be the Chancellor tool, that lets you choose tax and spending priorities. Country would collapse without IFS fact, fact, fact on everything
mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbo… Paul Johnson

V kind review from Nick Hillman starts:

'This is one of the best books I’ve read...It is informed, well-written and even amusing'

'rammed full of both killer facts, and more quirky points that illustrate the wider madness of how we have come to govern ourselves'

Thanks Nick!

Picture the scene. You've just won a stonking election victory. You're appointed Chancellor. You triumphantly enter the Treasury. What's next?

We've built a new interactive tool that lets you take the reins of the all-important post-election Budget 👇
ifs.org.uk/election-2024/…

Brilliant new tool which allows you to look at effects of tax and spending changes. What choices would you make?

Piece on Sure Start free to read here. A cost effective programme enhancing life chances of poor children. A series of policy mistakes saw it diluted and effectively ended. We have chosen a different route: childcare subsidies for working families, not support for poor families.

Dune part 2 such a movie for our times. Stylish, lovely to look at, handsome production design, but wafer thin, derivative, uninvolving, utterly humourless and badly lacking in drama.

🎙 What is government debt? How much of it is there? And how is it different from personal debt?

Professor David Miles Imperial College Business School answers key questions on government debt and its impact on the economy for IFS Zooms In Paul Johnson.

Listen here linktr.ee/ifszoomsin

Again an educational experience for me talking to the brilliant Anand Menon and Hannah White about populism. Again I’m asking all the daft questions and they are patiently explaining.

Well worth a listen.

David Miles is just brilliant in this.

If you want to understand what government debt is, why it matters, what is likely to happen to it, why things are difficult at the moment, how to think about investment spending, and where the Bank of England fits in, just listen to this.