IFS Senior Research Economist Ben Zaranko writes for The Conversation on how the UK's lower defence spending has allowed successive governments to pay for a growing welfare state without a higher tax burden.
For decades, the "peace dividend" from lower spending on defence has, in effect, allowed successive governments to pay for a growing welfare state without a higher tax burden. But the conflict in Ukraine could mark the end of that trend, if the UK follows countries across Europe in announcing plans for higher defence expenditure. What might this mean for the government's fiscal situation?
Read the full article in The Conversation here.
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Associate Director
Ben joined the IFS in 2017 and works across a range of areas, including UK fiscal policy and the productivity of the health and social care system.
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- The Conversation
Suggested citation
Zaranko, B. (2022). Defence cuts effectively paid for a growing UK welfare state for 60 years – but that looks impossible after Ukraine. London: The Conversation. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/defence-cuts-effectively-paid-growing-uk-welfare-state-60-years-looks-impossible-after (accessed: 3 December 2024).
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