Explainers
Our explainers cover key subjects relating to our work, setting out key facts and figures and answering the most important questions about government.
Explore our explainers
Misleading parliament and correcting the parliamentary record
The clearest rules about making inaccurate statements to parliament mostly come from outside of parliament.
Staff turnover in the civil service
How high is staff turnover in the civil service?
What ‘benefits of Brexit’ does the government claim?
Debate continues about whether the government has delivered ‘benefits of Brexit’.
Joining and leaving the House of Lords
Most Lords members are life peers – nominated for their lifetime, but without their peerage passing to their children.
Coronavirus: what support did government provide for individuals and businesses?
This explainer lays out the main economic support schemes provided by the UK government during the pandemic, how much they cost and who benefited.
“Partygate” investigations
Partygate refers to the allegations of gatherings and parties taking place during the Covid lockdowns in 2020.
Calling a general election
Elections have to be held no more than five years apart, but the timing of elections can otherwise be determined by the prime minister.
Ukraine crisis: UK support for refugees from Ukraine
The UK has announced two new pathways through which Ukrainian refugees can obtain a visa to come to the UK.
Churn in ‘levelling up’ policies in the UK
As part of its ambition to ‘level up’ the UK, the government has committed to tackling regional economic inequalities.
Fiscal rules in the UK since 1997
Fiscal rules are restrictions on fiscal policy set by a government to constrain its own decisions on spending and taxes.