Ben Paxton
Researcher
Ben's recent work
Rachel Reeves and the 2025 spring statement: Four key questions for the chancellor
How will the spring statement shape the chancellor's spending choices?
Cutting international aid to pay for defence is Starmer’s first spending review trade-off
The government’s decision to slash the aid budget to increase defence spending is controversial.
The Procurement Act is an opportunity for government to reap the benefits of transparency
New legislation to regulate procurement spending is welcome.
All work
Rachel Reeves and the 2025 spring statement: Four key questions for the chancellor
How will the spring statement shape the chancellor's spending choices?
Cutting international aid to pay for defence is Starmer’s first spending review trade-off
The government’s decision to slash the aid budget to increase defence spending is controversial.
The Procurement Act is an opportunity for government to reap the benefits of transparency
New legislation to regulate procurement spending is welcome.
Five key takeaways from defence secretary John Healey's IfG speech
What did John Healey's IfG speech tell us about his plans for defence reform?
More spending review scrutiny from MPs is needed
The Liaison Committee’s call for more pre-spending review engagement with departments is welcome.
Darren Jones' reformed spending review process can help government to deliver
The chief secretary to the Treasury says the government will adopt IfG recommendations on spending reviews.
The government should not be criticised for commissioning policy reviews
Whether there are 67 reviews underway or not, the key is to learn from how past reviews worked.
The chancellor must reform spending reviews to ensure mission success
A new NAO report is right to call out the flaws in the spending framework.
The new government should take a new approach to procurement
The Procurement Act, effective from February, is a chance for a reset.
Improving accountability in government procurement
The PPE and Horizon scandals show the need for better procurement practices in government.