Government finances and spending

Gordon Brown's speech to the Labour party conference confirmed that, if it wins the general election, the Government will provide free early education and childcare places for 2 year old children in low-income families in England by 2015, to be funded by scrapping the tax break on employer-provided childcare vouchers. Who will win and lose from this change, and what does it tell us about the Government's priorities?

Presented to the ESRC and HMRC.

The Centre for Social Justice published a report, in association with Oliver Wyman, on how to reform the benefits and tax credits system, with the aim of reducing the number of families where no one is in work. Will the proposals work, and at what cost?

This presentation about the microsimulation model TAXBEN was given at a seminar called 'UK Microsimulation: Bridging the Gaps', at the BSPS Conference, University of Sussex, September 2009.

There is a lot we do not yet know about how Labour and the Conservatives would go about repairing Britain's battered public finances over the next few years. But yesterday's speeches by David Cameron and Alistair Darling at least highlight a sharp difference of opinion over what should be done next year. Yet the picture is quite not as straightforward as either makes out.

part of one-day course

This article was published in Timesonline on 6th August 2009.

This article was published in The Public Servant on 29th July 2009.

This presentation was given at the Department for Work and Pensions on 8 July 2009.

In Prime Minister's Questions this week Gordon Brown and David Cameron clashed over the Government's plans for spending on investment in public services. So how do the plans for investment spending going forwards compare to Labour's record to date and to that of previous Conservative Governments?