Business and investment

Business rates are blamed for killing the high street. But would cutting them actually help shops and pubs - or simply make landlords richer?

New evidence shows the current energy crisis has affected fewer firms than in 2022; two months in, exposed firms responded mainly by raising prices.

Business rates have gone from being one of the most stable and simple taxes in the system to one of the least.

How will a temporary cut to VAT on household electricity bills affect households, the tax system and the public finances?

We ask why the UK has such large regional divides, how they emerged, and what policymakers can realistically do to fix them.

Why UK electricity prices are so high, how renewables affect costs, and what government can do to protect households from shocks.

A manifesto with more spending for priorities, but which also increases the chance of cuts to some other areas.

A plan bold in ambition, but lacking in fiscal credibility

The UK minimum wage has increased by more than 70% in real terms since 1999. What’s it doing to jobs, prices and profits - and what happens next?

Summary of new research on the scale and sources of regional inequalities and policy implications. 

Official figures have mismeasured self-employment and top incomes for decades. We present new data that fill the gap in the statistical record.