🚨 NEW EVENT 🚨 We've assembled our experts economics panel to dissect the details of the Chancellor's budget 💻 Online 📆 Thurs 27 Nov, 1pm GMT With @jillongovt.bsky.social, @jdportes.bsky.social, @gemmatetlow.bsky.social, @benchu.bsky.social & @anandmenon.bsky.social ukandeu.ac.uk/events/ukice...

Has Rachel Reeves rolled the budget pitch? And how did former chancellors manage expectations? Fascinating @instituteforgovernment.org.uk podcast with @stewartwood.bsky.social Giles Winn @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/rach...

Cross-party agreement can create political space for tax reform It is time to take the political heat out of attempts to reform the tax system, says @gemmatetlow.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/cros...

A very interesting new report, coordinated by @centaxuk.bsky.social, is co-authored by nine think tanks from across the political spectrum and sets out 7 packages of tax reform that all agree would make the UK tax system "fairer, more effective and more pro-growth” centax.org.uk/tax-reforms-...

Guardian article here: www.theguardian.com/politics/202... And top tips on how to do tax reform from @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @tompope.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Good to see Reeves defending the importance of SR settlements (where changes should be avoided). But disappointing if this means using highly optimistic assumptions re. future tech efficiencies (eg £45bn) to pencil in spending cuts beyond the SR period rather than confronting the need for tax reform

IfG Chief Economist @gemmatetlow.bsky.social outlines that currently pension contributions make up around 20% of the total public sector remuneration package, compared to 8% in the private sector. Is this the most effective balance and does there need to be flexibility? #Lab25

Should public sector pay and pensions be reformed? Join us at #Lab25 at 15:45 to hear from @timleunig.bsky.social @fdagensec.bsky.social @fdaunion.bsky.social @gemmatetlow.bsky.social, Paul Whiteman and @drbenpaxton.bsky.social - Clyde Room, ACC www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/ifg-la...

Join us at 15:45 at LPC to discuss how public sector pay and pensions might be reformed. With Dave Penman @fdaunion.bsky.social @timleunig.bsky.social @drbenpaxton.bsky.social and Paul Whiteman

As trailed in the papers earlier, Reeves's speech did roll the pitch for tax rises in the Budget - pointing to 14 years of weak growth creating a fiscal problem and the foolhardiness of simply ignoring fiscal constraints (she said there was "nothing progressive" about that)...

Follow our autumn budget 2025 page for more in the lead up to Reeves' second budget as chancellor on Weds 26 November www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/autumn-budge... Follow the team @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @tompope.bsky.social @drbenpaxton.bsky.social @danhaile.bsky.social @gilesyb.bsky.social

New @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report by me, @gemmatetlow.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social on how Reeves should approach tax this Autumn With tax rises inevitable, Reeves should reject path of least resistance and embrace tax reform 1/3 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Great article from Meg Hillier, and a message more politicians need to hear. Pinning all responsibility for the UK's fiscal problems on the OBR is not only misguided, but risks damaging economic and fiscal credibility

If you have experience of using the customer relationship management software Zoho and would like to work with friendly, motivated colleagues to help share our research far and wide, do consider applying for this opening in our comms team...

How can the industrial strategy drive growth? 📆 Monday 29 Sept | 09:00–10:00 Join us at the Labour conference in Liverpool for our event with @praneshippr.bsky.social @gilesyb.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social @gemmatetlow.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/ifg-la...

#LAB25 | Should public sector pay and pensions be reformed? With Dave Penman @fdaunion.bsky.social @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @drbenpaxton.bsky.social More speakers will be announced soon👁️‍🗨️ www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/ifg-la...

Very good piece from Meg Hillier on the dangers of political attacks on independent institutions like the OBR on.ft.com/3VV7p5Y The OBR is not to blame for weak growth

@resfoundation.bsky.social are recruiting for three new researcher/economist roles at various levels of seniority. Applications close 19 Sept. Exciting opportunity to join a great thinktank improving living standards for those on low-to-middle incomes www.resolutionfoundation.org/about-us/opp...

How can the government avoid a repeat of this year’s welfare reform debacle? www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gove...

The original pensions commission is the single most effective independent inquiry of the last few decades. @jillongovt.bsky.social @gemmatetlow.bsky.social and I have written on what the new pensions commission announced this week can learn from the original

What can the new Pensions Commission learn from its 2000s predecessor? @jillongovt.bsky.social @njdavies.bsky.social @gemmatetlow.bsky.social argue that the commission will need Treasury support to have as big an impact as the Turner Commission www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/new-...

PODCAST 🎤 The scandal and the superinjunction @lucyfisher.ft.com joins @cathhaddon.bsky.social @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @alexgathomas.bsky.social to discuss the Afghan data leak and how the state reacts when mistakes are made. Plus: Rachel Reeves' speech and voting reforms zurl.co/Hct1f

EVENT: Labour’s first year in power: is this still a mission-driven government? Join our event with @instituteforgovernment.org.uk tomorrow at 10:30am chaired by @drhannahwhite.bsky.social with @helenmiller.bsky.social, @gemmatetlow.bsky.social & @stephenkb.bsky.social: ifs.org.uk/events/labou...

Labour’s first year: Keir Starmer’s government is less than the sum of its parts Keir Starmer has yet to set out a clear governing philosophy, says @drhannahwhite.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/labo...

Great comment piece by Nick Timmins for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on the 10 Year Health Plan He finds lots of familiar ideas but argues they could be frustrated by familiar problems. Like him, I really worry that plans to better integrate health service will be derailed by structural changes

Reeves has made big fiscal choices but left herself little room for manoeuvre Having such little ‘headroom’ has left the chancellor at the mercy of events, argues @gemmatetlow.bsky.social Read more on fiscal policy making in the last year👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/one-...

Hard to overstate how much goodwill the government has just managed to burn through with so many different groups — all in a totally unnecessary act of self-sabotage.

Huge thanks to @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @danhaile.bsky.social @drbenpaxton.bsky.social @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social @njdavies.bsky.social @rebeccamckee.bsky.social @amberdellar.bsky.social Do listen back to our webinar, now available as a podcast! podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i... 7/7

Our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk spending review analysis is out! Take a read here www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/spen... Our key takeaways: 1/7

If you missed our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk webinar this afternoon, with our take on the Spending Review, you can listen/watch back here www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/2025-s... with @njdavies.bsky.social @drbenpaxton.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social

Interestingly MHCLG has specifically allocated a small amount of its projected efficiency gains to its plans to simplify the local government funding landscape

"The government’s new framework for public service reform – focusing on integration, prevention and devolution – is spot on." @njdavies.bsky.social reacts to the spending review and the govt's public service reform agenda. Follow for more analysis www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/our-work/top...

What does the spending review reveal about Labour's missions? @drbenpaxton.bsky.social says the six milestones set out last year are less prominent in the government’s overarching strategy. Join our webinar with Ben and other IfG experts at 4pm www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/2025-s...

Ah this is interesting devo news. London will get an integrated settlement after all from next year. It'll be interesting to see how the model differs in London compared to the combined authorities, and whether it'll require constitutional change in the GLA-Council relationship to make it work

And on public services:

Some top level views on the SR from me and other @instituteforgovernment.org.uk colleagues 1/2

"Defence, transport and the Department for Business and Trade were the big capital spending winners in this spending review..." @gemmatetlow.bsky.social gives her verdict on today's spending review. Join us live at 4pm for more instant reaction 📺 👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/2025-s...

Brilliant new @instituteforgovernment.org.uk analysis of what to look out for in the Spending Review. Essential reading before Rachel Reeves' big day. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/spen...

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 How do spending reviews work? 💷 Tory MP John Glen, former minister Brandon Lewis, former special adviser Sonia Khan and economists @tompope.bsky.social‬ & @beeboileau.bsky.social join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social to look behind the Treasury's spending plans 🎧 Listen here: pod.fo/e/2e0742

On 11 June, Rachel Reeves will deliver her first multi-year spending review settlement as chancellor, and the first from a Labour government since the 2000s. Follow our spending review 2025 page for our analysis of the choices facing the chancellor www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/our-work/top...

WEBINAR | What choices did the government make in the 2025 spending review? 📅Wed 11 June, 16.00 Join IfG experts for instant analysis of what Rachel Reeves’s 2025 spending review means for public services, investment and the government’s missions👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/what-c...

Next Weds Rachel Reeves will set out results of multiyear spending review, which should reveal a lot about govt's priorities. Join me @njdavies.bsky.social @drbenpaxton.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social at 4pm to discuss what we have learnt www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/2025-s...

Nodding my head furiously to this from @stephenkb.bsky.social. I'd add that it doesn't work in delivery terms either. The state will respond to political direction but is unlikely to do so in an effective way if ministers are pointing in 20 different directions

Plus with a spending review looming @gemmatetlow.bsky.social is in the studio to discuss the final negotiations that are playing out in the media and what being in a spending review is really like. And @paddy-mcalary.bsky.social on Ministers Reflect www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

I agree with @gemmatetlow.bsky.social

huge thanks to friends at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk for letting me be a sycophantic killjoy on their brilliant podcast We discuss: should Starmer reshuffle? w/ @drhannahwhite.bsky.social, @timdurrant.bsky.social, @gemmatetlow.bsky.social & @paddy-mcalary.bsky.social

Some welcome urgency from government on getting water infrastructure built as quickly as possible - which is crucial in the context of an increasing demand shortfall, as I explored in a blog for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk last month www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/inde...

Excellent article to read for Treasury watchers.