Monthly Archives: March 2016

The UK has one of the highest rates of overqualification in Europe. Research by the Institute of Public Policy Research two years ago placed Britain towards the upper end of the overqualification league table for those with both graduate and upper secondary … Continue reading →

A couple of people asked me, earlier this week, what the hell was happening with welfare cuts. Are they on? Are they off? What does no more cuts really mean? I was as clueless as the next man, though, which is … Continue reading →

The state of self-employed incomes doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Research published by the Social Market Foundation yesterday found that the proportion of low paid self-employed, based on both hourly and monthly earnings, has increased significantly since the recession. Around 55 percent … Continue reading →

The spring equinox was at 4.30 this morning, heralding lighter evenings and, we hope, much warmer days. Last week’s economic forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility felt distinctly autumnal though. This, the important story from the budget, barely made it onto … Continue reading →

At first sight, the cuts to public service spending outlined in yesterday’s budget don’t look that much bigger than those in the autumn statement. As these charts from the OBR’s Economic and fiscal outlook show, day-to-day spending on public services is set … Continue reading →

“Kiss that graduate pay rise goodbye,” says the Times’s financial editor Patrick Hosking. He was commenting on a recent Bank of England report on the composition of the UK workforce which noted that, while the proportion of graduates has gone up over … Continue reading →

Sovereignty is a word we will hear a lot over the next few months. Brexit supporters say we need to leave the EU because it’s a threat to Britain’s sovereignty. According to the Mayor of London (yes, he is still that) parliament lost … Continue reading →

As soon as the EU referendum was called, it was inevitable that someone would start banging on about red tape. It costs £8.6 billion, no, £18 billion, no, £33 billion, no, £80 billion. Oh well, it’s loads and loads anyway. Getting rid … Continue reading →

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation had a report out last week on declining cities. Among other things, it noted the falling population of northern cities and the movement of young people from small towns to cities and, in England, from north to south. … Continue reading →