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?
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
Six key takeaways from the Conservative Party conference in Manchester
Rishi Sunak’s speech made the headlines – but the Conservative Party conference was full of sub-plots worth following.
All work
Performance Tracker 2022
Public services won’t have returned to pre-pandemic performance by the next election.
Performance Tracker 2022: Criminal courts
The backlog of cases that started during the pandemic will affects courts for years to come.
Performance Tracker 2022: Cross-service analysis
This year’s Performance Tracker assesses how nine public services have coped with the effects of the pandemic.
Jeremy Hunt will not find it easy to deliver departmental spending cuts
It will be difficult to find cuts to public service budgets
Kwarteng and Truss show the perils of disregarding economic institutions
Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng must respond to their miscalculations by recognising that the UK’s economic institutions are vital national assets
Kwasi Kwarteng’s new era of economic policy is a major gamble
On tax in particular, the chancellor has chosen cuts to headline rates rather than grasping the nettle on big tax reform.
What is in the new chancellor's in-tray?
The new chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, should use Truss’s planned ‘fiscal event’ to be honest about difficult choices on tax and spending beyond this win
Becoming a minister: Getting to grips with departmental budgets
Before newly appointed ministers can get started on any of their own plans, they need to quickly get to grips with their department's existing budget.
Addressing rising energy bills
The measures committed to by Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak will make only a small dent in the costs now expected this winter.
Sunak and Truss should replace tax pledges with tax reform plans
Simply slashing tax rates won’t be enough to boost growth