Tag: Budget

Should overseas aid be cut to fund more spending on defence?

This week the Prime Minister announced that UK defence spending will now be raised from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income in 2027, funded by cutting overseas aid from 0.5% to 0.3%. The politics around this switch are controversial – the minister responsible for aid has just resigned in protest – but the economics is … Continue reading Should overseas aid be cut to fund more spending on defence? →

Schools presentation on fiscal policy

Here the slides from a presentation I gave last week to A-level students of economics at a schools conference in Portsmouth. They include primers on the UK fiscal framework and the bond markets, the importance of confidence and credibility, and a comparison of the fallouts from the fiscal events in September 2022 and October 2024. … Continue reading Schools presentation on fiscal policy →

Is Rachel Reeves about to break another tax pledge?

The Financial Times is reporting today (15 February) that Rachel Reeves is ready to break another promise by extending the freeze on personal tax thresholds (one of the UK's least stealthy 'stealth taxes') beyond 2028 in next month's 'not a Budget' Budget. Here are four quick points. First, this report is plausible. The current freeze … Continue reading Is Rachel Reeves about to break another tax pledge? →