IFS Zooms In: The Economy

117 days after Labour took office, Rachel Reeves has finally delivered her Budget.From tax rises and fiscal rules, to public services and investment, we'll take a tour around all of the big announcements. Paul is joined by Helen Miller and Ben Zaranko, colleagues at the IFS.Find out more: https://www.ifs.org.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first ever live episode, we're going to look at how Rachel Reeves can make her first Budget a success.It will have been 117 days since Labour took power before we finally hear what is in the Budget - in that time we’ve heard about £22bn 'black holes' and the difficult economic situation the UK faces. We’re going to think a bit about some of the challenges facing the Chancellor, what she can learn from previous Budgets and how she can navigate these complexities.Paul is joined by colleague Helen Miller, Deputy Director at IFS, Lord Stewart Wood, a Labour peer and former member under Tony Blair’s government of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Council of Economic Advisers, and Stephen Bush, associate editor and columnist at the Financial Times.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up to our live event: https://ifs.org.uk/events/ifs-zooms-live-how-make-your-first-budget-successThe budget coming up in a few weeks will be one of the big moments for Labour to set out their policy agenda. Over the summer, the government set out what it considers a difficult public finance picture - including a supposed £22bn ‘black hole’. The Labour manifesto promised big improvements to public services, and the prime minister has since promised no return to austerity. Meanwhile, the chancellor has promised that the upcoming Budget will be a ‘Budget for investment’. And there’s those promises to get debt falling, and not to raise the main rates of income tax or corporation tax, or to raise national insurance or VAT at all. So how could they meet their fiscal targets while also fixing public services and increasing investment? What is the public finance picture looking like? And will there be enough resource to tackle some of the challenges facing the UK economy?To explore these questions, Paul is joined by Carl Emmerson and Ben Zaranko.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up to our live event: https://ifs.org.uk/events/ifs-zooms-live-how-make-your-first-budget-successThere’s been lots of speculation that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is looking to raise Capital Gains tax in her upcoming budget. Capital Gains tax raises around £15 billion a year, which is less than 2% of total tax revenue, and it’s paid by less than 1% of the adult population. But it’s important for both the fairness and efficiency of the tax system. In this episode, we’ll explore why CGT reform is necessary and how changes could make the tax system fairer, more efficient, and better aligned with long-term economic growth. We’ll also ask what Rachel Reeves would need to do if she wants to raise significant additional revenue from taxing capital gains.  To explore that, Paul is joined by IFS Deputy Director, Helen Miller and Dan Neidle, a tax lawyer and founder of Tax Policy Associates. Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up to our live event: https://ifs.org.uk/events/ifs-zooms-live-how-make-your-first-budget-successCurrently, around 4.3 million children - that’s around 30% of all kids - are living in relative poverty. Since 2010 that figure has risen by over 700,000 and the new government has made tackling child poverty one of its key policy objectives, with a cross-government strategy due to be published in 2025. In today’s episode, we’ll explore the factors contributing to this increase in child poverty, including changes to the benefits system, housing challenges, and the broader economic context. We’ll look at the long-run impacts that child poverty has and examine the potential policy options available to reduce child poverty.To do that, Carl is joined by Tom Waters and Christine Farquharson.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up for our live podcast event: https://ifs.org.uk/events/ifs-zooms-live-how-make-your-first-budget-successSince the introduction of auto-enrolment over 10 years ago, more people than ever are saving into a workplace pension than ever before. However, new research from the IFS shows that approximately 30% to 40% of private sector employees (5 to 7 million people) saving in defined contribution pension schemes are on course to have individual incomes that fall short of standard benchmarks in retirement.What changes should government make to the auto-enrolment policy? How much do people need to save? What about self-employed people?To answer these questions, Paul is joined by Jonathan Cribb and Carl Emmerson from the IFS.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re looking at the benefits system and answering the questions likely being asked by government ministers: how can the rising costs of benefits be managed, and what changes could improve the system?With disability and incapacity benefit caseloads rising and the Universal Credit rollout still ongoing, what options does the government have to address these challenges? How might frozen housing support and past cuts to working-age benefits be impacting the most vulnerable? Should the government abolish the two-child limit?To tackle these questions, Paul is joined by Tom Waters and Carl Emmerson from the IFS.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the summer we’re bringing you a series of briefings on the key challenges and policy options facing the new set of government ministers. Today we’re turning to the tax system and we’ll answer the questions that the Chancellor has almost certainly been asking Treasury officials in recent weeks: how could more tax revenue be raised and how could tax reform boost growth.Rachel Reeves has ruled out tax rises on 'working people', saying that there will be no increase of income tax, VAT, National Insurance or Corporation Tax. What areas of tax does this leave to fill the shortfall in the public finances? Which taxes could be reformed to boost growth?To tackle those questions, Paul is joined by Dan Neidle a tax lawyer and founder of Tax Policy Associates and Helen Miller, Deputy Director at the IFS.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the coming weeks, we’re bringing you a series of briefings looking at key areas of government and analysing their performance over recent years, the challenges they face and the solutions the new government may look to help them.This week, we’ll be looking at higher and further education. Over recent months, we’ve heard lots of stories about the pressures on university finances, and concern that some universities may go bust. We’ll discuss why this is, what happens if a university goes bust and whether government can do anything to fix the problem. We’ll also discuss longer-term challenges facing the higher and further education sectors.We're joined by Jack Britton and Christine Farquharson, IFS education experts.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the next few weeks, we’re bringing you a series of briefings looking at key areas of government and analysing how they have performed over recent years, what challenges they face and which solutions are on the table.This week we'll start with the NHS - the UK's biggest public service. We're joined by Ben Zaranko and Max Warner, IFS experts, to discuss the big challenges facing the NHS, and what Labour will do about them.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, the new Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, stood up in front of Parliament and spoke about, what was in her view, the challenging economic inheritance left to Labour by the previous Conservative government. She revealed a series of unfunded commitments by the previous government - a multibillion-pound gap in the public finances covering areas such as spending on asylum seekers and unfunded infrastructure projects. So, what do we make of the announcements? What are the implications of the spending cuts announced? What does this statement tell us about how the Chancellor will handle economic challenges?To answer these questions, we’re joined by Christine Farquharson and Ben Zaranko.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the King's Speech last week, Labour announced 40 new bills covering areas from planning and green energy, to fiscal locks and a national wealth fund.What can these bills tell us about Labour's economic strategy? We speak with IFS economists, Christine Farquharson and Ben Zaranko.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final run up to the election, we answer your questions about everything from borrowing to growth and from AI to the part that luck plays in the economy.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, we released our comprehensive analysis of the parties manifestos at an event in Westminster. After some time digesting and analysing the manifestos, we’ve concluded that neither of the main parties is being honest with voters about the challenges we face in coming years. So, what are the manifestos missing? What are the big challenges facing us? And what information should voters be aware of as they head to the polls?Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss 'levelling up' and local government and see how much progress has been made. We also analyse the SNP and Plaid Cymru manifestos. Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss the Reform UK and Green Party manifestos and give our reaction to the policies and pledges within them.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss the Labour manifesto launched on Thursday and give our reaction to the policies and pledges within it.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss the Conservative manifesto launched on Tuesday and give our reaction to the policies and pledges within it. Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s manifesto week, and we’ll be coming to you with plenty of analysis of the promises, pledges and numbers. In this episode, we’ll dive into some work looking at the how the size and shape of the state have changed over recent decades, and how the tax system has changed since 2010. We'll also give our reaction to the Liberal Democrat manifesto. Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The last few days have seen plenty of competing claims about tax rises, but very little discussion of the very tight fiscal situation facing the next government. What problems will they face? Can growth ride to the rescue?Also in this episode, we explore what's happened to the education system, from funding and teacher pay, to falling pupil numbers and the impact of COVID.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since 2008, the UK economy has faced a series of shocks and challenges, leaving the next government with a difficult task. From low growth to falling living standards, we ask what structural problems the next government faces.We also tackle announcements on limiting tax rises, apprenticeships and the NHS waiting list. Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first election special, we look at the broad economic picture and analyse announcements about the fiscal rules, the triple lock and tax.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After years of sluggish growth and flatlining productivity, a rare political consensus has emerged that growing the economy is one of the key priorities of the next government. With an election on the way, we're bound to hear pledges and policies on how to get the economy growing again.But how can we actually grow the economy? Can we get productivity growth back on track? And in what sectors can the UK lead?To help answer these questions, we’re joined by Anna Valero, Policy Fellow and Director of the Growth Programme at the Centre for Economic Performance at the LSE.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re setting the stage for a key moment in UK politics — the upcoming spending review, expected this November. The spending review will set some £600 billion of departmental budgets from April 2025 onwards, and will be a crucial moment for the next government to lay out its priorities and plans for public services. How should the incoming government go about doing the next spending review? How can the government make sure they deliver on their priorities? And will they be constrained by the much talked about ‘treasury orthodoxy’?To help us answer these questions, we're joined by two people who have been at the heart of government - David Gauke, a lawyer and former MP who served in the Treasury under David Cameron and Theresa May’s governments and Giles Wilkes, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and former special adviser to Theresa May and Vince Cable. Try our tool: https://ifs.org.uk/election-2024/be-chancellorFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We often hear about government debt in the headlines. Currently the UK government owes around £2.65 trillion, nearly 100% of UK GDP - the value of all the goods and services produced in the UK in a year. How has the debt level grown? Should we aspire to reduce the debt? And do we need to worry about high debt to GDP ratios?Joining us today to answer all these questions and more, is David Miles, Professor of Financial Economics at Imperial College Business School, a member of the OBR Budget Responsibility Committee and former member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced a 2% cut to National Insurance, amidst other measures on tax and spending.What will the impact of the measures be? How will it affect living standards? And what choices face the next Parliament?Joining us today are Helen Miller, Deputy Director at IFS and Ben Zaranko, Senior Research Economist at IFS.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the pandemic, the size the NHS waiting list has been in the headlines almost constantly. At the start of 2023, Rishi Sunak committed to decreasing the size of the waiting list as one of his ‘five priorities’, and since then it has actually gone up. So today, we’re going to dive into the NHS waiting list - what is it? How big is it? And is there a credible plan to get it back down?Joining us to answer those questions are Ben Zaranko and Max Warner, IFS economists who have recently published a report on the NHS waiting list.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over recent months, you may have seen local authorities warning that they are facing a funding crisis. Since 2021, six local authorities have declared themselves effectively bankrupt, and many other local authorities have reported that they may soon be forced to do the same.How did we end up here? Why are local councils facing funding pressures? And what can government do to help them?Joining us to answer these questions are Tony Travers, a professor in the Department of Government at LSE and expert on local government, and David Phillips, Head of Devolved and Local Government Finance at IFS. Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Income tax and National Insurance Contributions are our biggest taxes. Together they raise almost half of all tax revenues. National Insurance Contributions were cut at the start of the year, but we’re in the middle of a multi-year freeze in tax thresholds that will amount to a tax rise of over £40 billion by the time it’s finished. And these are just the latest in a string of changes in how we tax personal incomes.From cliff edges and personal allowances, to Scotland's 6-band income tax system and The Beatles' scheme to minimise their tax, we cover all things income tax.To do that, we're joined by Helen Miller, Deputy Director at IFS and head of our tax sector, and Dan Neidle, a tax lawyer and founder of Tax Policy Associates.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we enter the new year, we take a look-ahead at what to expect in 2024.What will happen with the cost of living crisis? What might the Chancellor announce in his Spring Budget? What should we be looking out for during an election?This week, Paul is joined by colleagues Ben Zaranko, Helen Miller and Carl Emmerson to take a look at the stories which will define 2024.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With an ageing population, the UK faces a series of significant challenges with regard to its state pension. The OBR estimates that spending on the state pension, pension credit and winter fuel payment is expected to rise by 1.2% of national income (£32 billion per year in today’s terms) by 2050.How does the state pension work? What are the problems with it? And how can we reform it to work more effectively?In our final episode of the year, Paul is joined by Jonathan Cribb, Associate Director at IFS and Head of the Retirement, Savings, and Ageing sector, and Baroness Ros Altmann, a life peer, pensions expert and former Pensions Minister.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inheritance tax is arguably the UK’s most unpopular tax - a recent YouGov poll found that just 20% of people deemed inheritance tax ‘fair’. Yet most people are unaffected by it - only a minority of estates currently pay inheritance tax. In this episode, Paul Johnson is joined by Arun Advani and David Sturrock to discuss the intricacies of inheritance tax. They cover the inequality inherent in the current system, the distortion of economic incentives resulting from exemptions, the small percentage of estates that actually pay the tax, and how it affects to social mobility. Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the Chancellor delivered his Autumn Statement. After weeks of speculation about headroom, tax cuts and pre-election giveaways, the dye is cast and the policies are in.What was in it? What will the impact of his announcements be? And how sensible were the policies announced?Joining us today are Helen Miller, Head of Tax at IFS, Ben Zaranko, Senior Research economist and Tom Waters, Senior Research economist at IFS.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From jaffa cakes and gingerbread men, to fur skin coats and children's clothes, our VAT system and its byzantine rules seem, on the surface, to be a fun quirk of the UK tax system.But dig deeper, and one finds economic distortions and inefficiencies due to the complex way the UK's third largest tax is levied.Leading us through this maze of complexity are Helen Miller, Deputy Director and IFS tax expert, and Dan Neidle, a tax lawyer and founder of Tax Policy Associates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Climate change used to be that rarest of things in British politics – an issue over which there was broad interparty consensus. That consensus saw Ed Miliband oversee the passing of the Climate Change Act in 2008, committing the UK to an 80 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; Theresa May enshrining of the target of net zero in law; and Boris Johnson going further still, increasing the target for 2030 reductions to 68%.But recently we have seen a divergence from this consensus, with Rishi Sunak pushing back the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK from 2030 to 2035.In this episode, the Experts team drill down into this changing landscape. What do voters think about Sunak’s changes? How is Labour going to respond? What are the key steps to achieving net zero? And what are the economic costs involved? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you remember when politics was the domain of good chaps and a time when politicians could be trusted to stick to the rules? Ok, so maybe there was never quite such a rose-tinted age – but from lobbying scandals to accusations of minsters bullying their staff, standards in politics seem to have been slipping in recent years.So this week the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into standards and ethics in public life – and how they are meant to be uphold. Why have standards been on the slide? Have the good chaps left the political scene for good? What could Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer do to fix the problem? And do the voters really care?A general election is looming. Manifestos are being drafted. The battle of ideas is intensifying. From tackling climate change to turning around the economy, rethinking Britain’s place in the world to restoring trust in politics, the UK is facing huge challenges. So how can we make sense of it all?THE EXPERT FACTOR is the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts. Each week the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, debate and explain the big questions and themes that will shape the election – and the political landscape for years to come.Produced by Milo Hynes and Podmasters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From HS2 cancellations to Heathrow’s still unbuilt third runway, the over-budget Elizabeth line to the repeated delays to the Hinkley C nuclear reactor, why is the UK so bad at infrastructure projects? This week the Expert Factor team – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – take a deep dive into what goes wrong when the UK wants to build big things. How did the costs for HS2 get so high? Is there the right level of government expertise to see through big infrastructure projects? Does the UK have a bigger NIMBY problem than other countries? And what could be done to learn from past mistakes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rising inflation, a cost of living crisis, striking public sector workers, the NHS facing another winter crisis… costs on the public purse are spiralling and government borrowing is being pushed still higher.So is it true to say there is no more money left?This week the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into the state of Britain’s public finances. What would it mean if we stick to current tax and spend policies? What choices are facing this country’s politicians and its public services? What does the country expect its governments to deliver – and how does it expect it to be paid for? And what did we learn from the Labour and Conservative conferences about the two parties’ plans for the economy? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 22nd November, the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will give his Autumn Statement. He will update MPs on the country's finances and the government's plans for tax and public spending, based on the latest forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility.In this episode, we speak to Carl Emmerson, Deputy Director at IFS and Ben Nabarro, Chief UK Economist at Citigroup, about the underlying economic situation facing the Chancellor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, Rishi Sunak announced significant changes to the UK's net zero pathway. A ban on the sale of combustion engines has been pushed back to 2035, instead of a 100% phase out of gas boilers by 2035, this has been changed to 80%, and he’s scrapped energy efficiency targets for homes.What is the impact of the announcement? Who will it affect? How will it alter the UK's path to net zero?Joining us today is Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee, an independent, statutory body which advises the government on climate change. Paul was until this year also a member of the CCC.Find out more: www.ifs.org.uk/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some politicians are keen to talk up global Britain. Others boast that the UK is world leader in, well, just about everything. But some say this is a country in non-stop decline. So what’s the true story?This week the Expert Factor team take a deep dive into Britain’s place in the world. How do other countries view the UK after a tumultuous time in Westminster? What is the state of the UK’s post-pandemic economy compared to other countries? Just how special is the ‘special’ relationship with the US? And what is the true story about what Brexit has meant for the UK? Hannah White, Paul Johnson and Anand Menon ask the tricky questions – and come up with the expert answers.A general election is looming. Manifestos are being drafted. The battle of ideas is intensifying. From tackling climate change to turning around the economy, rethinking Britain’s place in the world to restoring trust in politics, the UK is facing huge challenges. So how can we make sense of it all?THE EXPERT FACTOR is the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts. Each week we the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, debate and explain the big questions and themes that will shape the election – and the political landscape for years to come.• Institute Fiscal Studies: https://ifs.org.uk/• Institute for Government: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/• UK in a Changing Europe: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/Written and presented by Paul Johnson, Hannah White and Anand Menon. Audio production by Alex Rees for Podmasters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe to The Expert Factor feed: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-expert-factor/id1709487231A general election is looming. Manifestos are being drafted. The battle of ideas is intensifying. From tackling climate change to turning around the economy, rethinking Britain’s place in the world to restoring trust in politics, the UK is facing huge challenges. So how can we make sense of it all?The EXPERT FACTOR is the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts. Each week we the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, debate and explain the big questions and themes that will shape the election – and the political landscape for years to come.This week the team look ahead to the party conference season. What are the pressing questions that Keir Starmer needs to answer? How much pressure will Rishi Sunak be under? And what difference do these get-togethers really make?• Institute Fiscal Studies: https://ifs.org.uk/• Institute for Government: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/• UK in a Changing Europe: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/Written and presented by Paul Johnson, Hannah White and Anand Menon. Audio production by Alex Rees for Podmasters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From silicon chips to fertiliser, the last few years have shown us that where our materials come from matters massively to the stability of our economy. How we get stuff out of the ground, processed and into complex global supply chains is a vital and oft-overlooked part of our economy - with ramifications for government policy across all sectors.In this episode, we speak with Ed Conway, Economics Editor at Sky News and author of a new book Material World: The Making of Civilisation.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Debates about inequality often focus on inequalities between people. But what about inequalities between firms?Recent decades have seen the emergence of giant, multinational firms - the FAANGs of this world. But over 40% of registered businesses in the UK have less than 10 employees.What do we mean when we talk about inequality between firms? Are inequalities between firms limiting UK business dynamism? And do governments need to step in and enforce competition rules?Joining us this episode are John Van Reenan, Ronald Coase Chair in Economics and School Professor at the LSE, and Amelia Fletcher, Professor of Competition Policy at Norwich Business School.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/inequality/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past decades, women have drawn closer to men in a variety of areas - education, university degrees and workforce participation. But, women still earn less on average than men.In this episode, we ask why this pay gap opens up, whether things have improved in recent years, and talk about one key factor affecting women’s pay - kids.Joining us are Alison Andrew, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford, Christine Farquharson, Senior Research Economist at IFS and Lucinda Platt, Professor of Social Policy and Sociology at the LSE.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/inequality/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since 2019, we’ve all heard a lot about levelling up. It makes sense that our politics is centered around it - of all types of inequality, the public seems most concerned about the geographical sort. But do the numbers back this up? How much of Britain’s inequality is generated by differing fortunes in different parts of the country? And what might an effective “levelling up” agenda look like?   In this episode, we speak to Xiaowei Xu, Senior Research Economist at IFS, James Banks, Professor of Economics at Manchester University.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/inequality/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We see inequalities all the time, whether at the school gates, the hospital, when travelling round the country and definitely when turning on the news. But why should we care about inequality? What has happened to inequality over recent decades? And can government do anything about it?We speak to Professor Sir Angus Deaton, an economist who is an expert on inequality and leads the IFS-Deaton Review, Debra Satz, a philosopher and Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University, and Robert Joyce, Deputy Director at IFS and panel member of the IFS-Deaton Review.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/inequality/Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inequalities are one of the defining issues of the modern age. We see inequalities all the time, whether at the school gates, the hospital, when travelling round the country and definitely when turning on the news.Over the next month on the IFS Zooms In, we are bringing you a mini-series looking at inequality in Britain. We’ll be looking at a range of issues, from what’s happened to inequality over the last several decades and why that might matter, to more specific issues such as the role parenthood plays in opening the gender pay gap, and whether the practices of big tech companies worsen inequality.We hope you’ll join us, starting next week, as the IFS Zooms In on inequality.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're bringing you an episode from the archives, looking at the future of public sector pensions. We'll be back in two weeks with a new episode. -----------------------------------In an era where those in the private sector have seen their pension provision decrease, pensions in the public sector continue to look generous.But is this sustainable? Should we change the balance between pay and pensions for those in the public sector? What does the future hold for public sector pensions?This week, we speak to Lord Hutton of Furness, cabinet minister in the last Labour government and leader of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission, a review into public sector pensions commissioned by David Cameron, and by Carl Emmerson, IFS Deputy Director and expert on pensions.Support the IFS: https://ifs.org.uk/donate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past 13 years, successive governments have pledged to bring immigration down, but have failed to do so. Recently, the government announced that net immigration for 2022 was around 600,000. How many people are migrating and where are they coming from? How has Brexit shifted the dynamics of migration? What is the impact of migration on the wages of native-born workers? And what could government do if it wanted to achieve its target of reducing migration?In this episode, Paul speaks to Madeleine Sumption, a political scientist who is Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcastBecome a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.