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
Levelling up: where does government spend money?
The government has committed to tackling regional inequalities as part of its ambition to ‘level up’ different parts of the UK.
Whitehall Monitor 2022
Major reform is needed for government to respond to crises like the pandemic while simultaneously delivering long-term policy goals.
The government should react with care to 'cost of living crisis' tax pressures
Short-term tax changes should not undermine the government's longer-term fiscal plans
Omicron wave means government should revive targeted economic support
Any economic support should learn the lessons of previous schemes to ensure better value for money.
A worse economic outlook means Rishi Sunak’s spending choices are getting harder
Rishi Sunak still faces difficult choices between competing demands
Performance Tracker 2021
The pandemic has created huge backlogs in public services – failing to address these backlogs now will push up costs in future.
Health and social care levy
The government announced plans for a new ‘health and social care levy’. But how will it work?
Bring forward funding to ease Covid disruption in public services
Thomas Pope argues that it not just the NHS that should have its funding frontloaded in the spending review
How would an independent Scotland borrow?
The steps an independent Scotland could take to reassure investors and limit increases in debt interest costs.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
The furlough scheme risks providing poor value for money and should end as planned at the end of September – even if it is still supporting many jobs.