Government spending

If there’s one thing that everyone in politics seems to agree on, it’s that we need to solve the housing crisis. But there "really aren’t easy solutions here."

In this presentation given the at the Local Government's Winter Finance Conference on 6th January 2020, David Phillips looks at the outlook for local government funding, arguing that unless current plans are topped up, local government could face a renewed funding squeeze from 2021-22 onwards.

In their manifestos, both the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats have promised to extend free school meals to more children. The Labour party would introduce free school meals for all children in primary schools, while the Liberal Democrats would offer them to all secondary-school pupils whose families are receiving universal credit as well. Meanwhile, in their manifesto the Conservative party promises to “maintain our commitment” to free school meals – which we interpret as a plan to keep policy as it is.

What are the main parties’ spending proposals for young people in further education and sixth forms, and for adult education? To what extent will they reverse the cuts we’ve seen to date?

Local government funding is rarely a major battleground in election campaigns. This ‘rule’ appears to be holding in the current campaign, despite evident pressures in areas like adults’ and children’s social care services, following a decade of cuts to councils’ funding.  This observation looks at the plans for English local government funding set out in the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat manifestos – which differ vastly.

This presentation was given by Christine Farquharson at the 2019 General Election manifesto analysis briefing.

This presentation was given by Carl Emmerson at the 2019 General Election manifesto analysis briefing.

Here we outline an initial response from IFS researchers on the Conservative party manifesto. We take policy areas by turn but this is not a full assessment.

Below we outline an initial response from IFS researchers on the Labour manifesto. We take policy areas by turn but this is not a full assessment.

Below we outline an initial response from IFS researchers on the Liberal Democrat manifesto. We take a number of policy areas by turn but this is not a full assessment.

The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto, published today, puts childcare front and centre. The party is promising to spend – on its own costing - £13 billion on free childcare in 2024 (plus another £1 billion on Sure Start children’s centres). That’s almost £12 billion of free childcare spending in today’s prices – and a far sight more than the £3.7 billion we spend on free childcare in England today.

It seems unlikely that business rates and council tax will keep pace with costs and demand writes David Phillips in this article for the Local Government Chronicle.

The Labour party has today announced their commitments for NHS spending over the next four years if they were to win the 2019 general election. These plans imply day-to-day NHS spending in England that is more generous than current government plans. This announcement also covers all parts of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) budget in England – including money for frontline day-to-day spending, other day-to-day spending and capital spending. We set out below the details of each of these in turn.

In this article for the Municipal Journal, David Phillips examines the choices the next Government will face, including whether (and how much) to raise taxes. What it decides could have big implications for councils and those who rely on their services.