Working to make government more effective

Gemma Tetlow

Chief Economist

Gemma is Chief Economist. She leads the Institute’s work on public finances and contributes to economics-related work across the Institute. Gemma is a regular commentator on the radio and television – including BBC Radio 4, Times Radio, ITV News and Sky News – and in the print media.

Gemma has a PhD in economics. She started her career as a research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, eventually being promoted to lead its work on public finances and pensions. After that, she joined the Financial Times as economics correspondent, reporting on UK and global economic developments, before joining IfG in 2018.

She also serves as an ONS Fellow, helping the UK’s national statistics authority to transform and improve its economic statistics, sits on the advisory board for the CAGE research centre at Warwick University and is a governor of the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR).

24 APR 2024 Comment

Rishi Sunak’s higher defence spending announcement does not add up

The prime minister should not be allowed to abdicate decisions about how to pay for his spending pledges.

22 MAR 2024 Comment

Four things we learned from Rachel Reeves’ Mais lecture

What is the shadow chancellor’s vision for the economy?

19 MAR 2024 Comment

The Treasury needs to engage earlier and more widely on tax reform

Jeremy Hunt's budget was not a case study in good tax policy making.

25 NOV 2020 Comment

Five things we learnt from the 2020 spending review

Before the spending review, we outlined five things to look for in the chancellor’s announcement. We assess what the statement told us about each one.

22 OCT 2020 Report

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Rishi Sunak’s Job Support Scheme fixes deficiencies with his previous post-furlough scheme plan but will almost certainly waste taxpayers’ money by pr

22 OCT 2020 Comment

Rishi Sunak is right to delay the spending review – but was wrong to delay this decision

Delaying the planned multi-year spending review has put unnecessary pressure on departments

05 OCT 2020 Report

Support for business during the coronavirus crisis

How national and subnational governments have so far supported businesses during the crisis.

29 SEP 2020 Comment

The government should delay the spending review as well as the budget

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has sensibly announced he will not present a budget this autumn.

23 SEP 2020 Report

Whitehall Monitor: The cost of Covid-19

Covid-19 is already likely to cost the UK government £317bn – in increased public borrowing – in 2020/21 alone.

10 AUG 2020 Comment

Rishi Sunak must build public support before introducing tax changes

The chancellor should make clear what his objectives are for borrowing and debt but he should not attempt to announce a full plan for tax

08 JUL 2020 Comment

Five things we learnt from Rishi Sunak's summer economic statement

The chancellor has set out the ‘second phase’ of the government’s economic response to coronavirus

18 JUN 2020 Comment

Is the government calling time on the two-metre rule?

There are economic risks, as well as opportunities, to reducing the UK's coronavirus social distancing rule

15 JUN 2020 Explainer

Coronavirus: how different countries supported the unemployed

A comparison of the policies adopted by a collection of advanced economies with different tax and benefit systems.