Thomas Pope
Deputy Chief Economist
Where next for levelling up?
This short paper highlights five key challenges that any government seeking to reduce regional inequalities will need to address.
A Labour government would need to take big decisions to deliver on its devolution agenda
Do Keir Starmer’s and Angela Rayner’s devolution plans add up?
How the next government should complete the job of English devolution
The next government must extend devolution to 85% of England to deliver meaningful and balanced economic growth.
Six key takeaways from the Labour conference in Liverpool
As the glitter settled on Keir Starmer's speech, what key themes emerged from Labour's annual gathering?
Six key questions for Keir Starmer at the Labour Party conference
The IfG expert team pick out six key questions for Labour to answer in Liverpool
All work
Subnational government in England
England’s usually messy patchwork of governing arrangements makes it an international outlier in its subnational government structures.
Five things we’ve learned about the Brown Commission on the UK’s future
A team of IfG experts weigh up the key recommendations set out in the Gordon Brown's Commission on the UK's Future report.
What does the autumn statement mean for public services?
The autumn statement's impact on public services may be politically unsustainable.
Five things we learnt from Jeremy Hunt's 2022 autumn statement
The IfG team give their verdict on the chancellor's autumn statement and what it means for government borrowing, households and public services.
How the government can make progress on levelling up despite tight budgets
The government must do more than just revert to its levelling up white paper’s policy positions if it wants to address regional inequalities.
Sunak and Hunt should not rush into spending cuts
If the government plans to fill some of the fiscal hole through cuts to departmental spending, it should understand there are no easy savings.
Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is the UK’s official independent economic and fiscal forecaster.
Investment zones
Investment zones are the government’s new proposal to set up knowledge-intensive clusters to drive economic growth
'Austerity' in public services: lessons from the 2010s
Jeremy Hunt is right to delay his fiscal statement – but should not rush into a new austerity programme.
The five steps Rishi Sunak should take after becoming prime minister
The steps Rishi Sunak should take to hit the ground running as prime minister.