Join IFS Deputy Research Director Sonya Krutikova at 2pm this Wednesday for an online webinar with Thrive Child Evidence discussing the impacts of the Lively Minds programme in rural Ghana.
📆 Find out more and register to watch here: thrivechildevidence.org/events/thrive-…
'It's increasingly hard for anyone to earn or save their way up the wealth distribution'
@PJTheEconomist joins us to look at what has happened to income and wealth inequality in the UK and how Britain compares with other countries.
How big are income inequalities in the UK?
In the first episode of our new series we look at what has happened to income and wealth inequality in the UK and how Britain compares with other countries.
📊#IFSSatStat: The UK, alongside other NATO countries, has committed to increasing defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.
Reaching this would cost an additional £30-40 billion each year: a major fiscal challenge for the UK.
📗 Read our report here: ifs.org.uk/publications/u…
There's been discussion over the last 24 hrs about growth being a 'doomed strategy'.
As a counterpoint, listen to our recent @TheIFS podcast with @PJTheEconomist on why people concerned about inequalities should want higher growth youtube.com/watch?v=7kwnBz…
Really enjoyed this conversation. People's views about inequality are much more nuanced and interesting than some stereotypes would suggest - understanding that seems more important than ever.
This was a fun discussion. I really enjoyed going through with Helen and Bobby some of the arguments about whether we should, or should not, care about inequality.
Was also great to talk about the evidence how the general public agree (and disagree) on inequalities.
This chart from my @TheIFS colleagues explains why the UK fiscal outlook is so challenging.
Health spending continues to trend up - due to ageing population and new treatments.
For the first time in decades, defence spending also has to rise to meet threats & NATO commitments.
Reaching 3.5% of GDP would take UK defence spending to levels not seen since the early 1980s, reversing decades of the so-called 'peace dividend' that followed the Cold War.
New NHS waiting times data out today. The share of patients waiting ≤18 weeks for elective care dropped a little in Apr, but is still (with rounding!) 65%. List size has gone up a bit. See my thread from last month on how the NHS pushed hard to reach the 65% intermediate target
It wasn’t the biggest story yesterday, but the NHS in England hit its intermediate target that 65% of patients should be waiting 18 weeks or less for elective care by Mar26. That’s after big recent improvements from 61.5% in Jan to 65.3% in March. So how was this achieved?🧵
It's really striking some of the changes in the NHS workforce in recent years. Overall staffing growth has slowed down a lot. Doctor and nurse numbers still rising, but other groups are seeing slow downs or even falls
This trend is in line with the last few years: there are now 20% more doctors in NHS trusts than in 2022, but just 4% more support staff and 9% more estates, admin and management staff.
Is this a deliberate policy choice? Or cash-strapped trusts cutting back on recruitment?
(5/7)
Lots of discussion in recent weeks about how to fund the (much-delayed!) Defence Investment Plan. While this is important, it is only the first step in the longer-term and much larger defence spending increase this government has committed to. A short thread:
As Max says here, any growth benefits of higher defence spending depend on how it's funded. Rumours this week suggested the govt was considering funding top ups by cutting other investment. This would weaken any case that higher defence spending is an 'engine for growth'
Will higher defence spending increase UK economic growth? Listen to @MaxWarnerIFS's summary of the potential growth impacts at Treasury Select Committee last week (@HoCcommitteesUK).
These are the key numbers to keep in mind as the government's Defence Investment Plan approaches. Read our full analysis here: ifs.org.uk/publications/u…
Reaching 3.5% of GDP would take UK defence spending to levels not seen since the early 1980s, reversing decades of the so-called 'peace dividend' that followed the Cold War.
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