IFS Zooms In: The Economy

Mar 27 2025 142 ep. 36 mins 413

IFS Zooms In: The Economy Podcast artwork

Go beyond the 24-hour news cycle and get objective, independent analysis from the researchers behind the work. Hosted by Institute for Fiscal Studies Director, Paul Johnson. Every second Wednesday.
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Spring Statement 2025

Mar 27 2025 37 mins

This week, we look at the Spring Statement. What were the decisions and trade-offs made by Chancellor Reeves? To pick this apart, IFS Director Paul Johnson is joined by IFS Associate Directors Ben Zaranko and Tom Waters.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.c

The Schools Bill

Mar 11 2025 46 mins

This week, we’re looking at The Schools Bill. The bill, which has the full title of The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 2024-25, covers children’s social care and education. The aim of the bill, as stated on the House of Commons Library website, is to “improve the safeguarding of children and to raise educational standards”. We’re going to be focusi

Family values: inheritance, inequality and social mobility

Mar 03 2025 49 mins

As baby boomers hold an increasing share of wealth, younger generations are finding it harder to build financial security, often relying on family support for major milestones like homeownership.In her book Inheritocracy, Eliza Filby argues that – because of this – baby boomers have been good parents but not always great citizens.To explore the issue, IFS Director Paul Johnson

How important is the OBR forecast?

Feb 12 2025 55 mins

As the OBR comes up with its forecast, which will underpin the Chancellor’s decisions at the Spring Forecast, one of the concerns may be that it tells her that she is not meeting her fiscal targets. That will require some action. Helping Paul explore this are Andy King and Gerard Lyons. Andy previously worked at the OBR and is now a Specialist Partner at Flint Global. G

Do tariffs work?

Jan 23 2025 37 mins

This week, President Trump was inaugurated for his second term and announced plans to impose significant tariffs on imports. But what exactly are tariffs, and how do they work? In this episode, we dive into the economic consequences of tariffs, why governments use them, and whether they actually achieve their intended goals.Joining Paul to unpack these questions is Peter Levell, De

How is tax damaging the housing market?

Dec 18 2024 37 mins

The UK’s housing market has long been a source of frustration for renters and homeowners alike, with issues of affordability and availability topping the agenda. The new government has identified housing market failures as a major barrier to economic growth—but what role does the tax system play in these challenges?In this episode, we’ll dig into how taxes impact the housing

Why did the French budget fail to pass?

Dec 12 2024 39 mins

Today, we’re turning our attention to France, where a recent Budget has sparked intense debate and raised major questions about the country’s economic future.France is tackling some big economic challenges: rising public debt, slow growth, and the need for major reforms in areas like pensions and energy. In this episode, we’ll explore what was in the budget, why it caused suc

How can we make government more productive?

Dec 03 2024 43 mins

From healthcare to education to local government, the public sector delivers essential services—but how can it stay effective and efficient with tightening budgets and rising demand?In this episode, we examine the UK government’s push to improve public sector productivity. Rachel Reeves is enlisting private sector leaders to tackle inefficiencies in Whitehall, while Wes Streeti

Inheritance tax rises and the Budget: who's affected?

Nov 15 2024 46 mins

In the recent budget, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced a £40 billion tax increase, pushing tax as a share of national income to an all time UK high.Just 6% of that came from an increase in inheritance tax, and just a small fraction of that will come from farmers. And yet it is the tax increase on farmers that has dominated the news headlines. But beyond the change to agric

How big are the UK's demographic challenges?

Nov 08 2024 48 mins

At the end of October, the ONS announced that the fertility rate in England and Wales had fallen to 1.44 births per woman in 2023 - the lowest figure since records began in 1938. What will this mean for the population make-up of the country? What other big demographic shifts are occurring? Why is this trend occurring across the developed world? And what will its implications b