Don’t listen to the spin, we’re cutting defence spending
During last week’s Autumn Statement, the Chancellor praised the Armed Forces in one breath, whilst also failing to fund the British military to the level which it is required to operate. Announcing...
View ArticleHow many civil servants should it take to run the country?
Last May the government, with Rishi Sunak as Chancellor, decided the civil service should be cut back to the size it was pre-Brexit.[1] That would be a reduction of about 91,000 or £6.9 billion...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Private schooling in Britain: a snapshot
Summary This briefing note provides a snap-shot of Britain’s independent schools, using data from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) annual census. The latest census (2022) shows that 544,316[1]...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why the Spring Budget should mark a new turn towards manufacturing friendly...
For many British businesses, the past year has spelt the dawn of a new era, whereby energy risks becoming not only too expensive, but dependent upon an infrastructure over which they have little...
View ArticleWe need to rethink BBC impartiality in wake of Lineker debacle
The recent Gary Lineker debacle has brought the issue of BBC impartiality back into the spotlight. Impartiality is vital for the BBC in order for it to command confidence as well as justify the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Five million school days lost to unauthorised holiday absence
The top-line national (England only) headlines are: In 2021/22 there were 5,148,548 school days lost to unauthorised term time holidays – this is a record number.[1] In 2015/16 the figure was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Heavy is the head that wears the Crown: we need a larger royal family for a...
Frank Young argues that the royal family is now too small to deliver its important civic function. The modern royal family needs to be seen to be believed The late Queen famously never gave an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Who gets married and who doesn’t – evidence from the 2021 Census
Summary Proportion married Marriage is down – compared to 1991, adults in 2021 are 44 per cent more likely to have never been married. Cohabitation Cohabiting is up – all ages below 85 years old have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
UPDATED: Mothers’ preferences over childcare and work. Why won’t anyone...
Daniel Lilley, September 2023 There are an estimated 2.9 million working mothers in England with children aged 0-15 who would prefer to work fewer hours to spend more time with their children,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New: Effects of taxes and benefits on UK household income.
Summary Daniel Lilley and Tim Knox This blog post summarises the most recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) data on the effect of tax and benefits on households across the UK covering the period...
View ArticleThe state of childminding in Britain today
George Cook and Ellen Pasternack The Department for Education’s (DfE) annual Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers (SCEYP) was released on 14th December 2023. Alarmingly, but unsurprisingly,...
View ArticleSPRING BUDGET ANALYSIS 2024: Investment in UK Plc, Manufacturing, Defence,...
JIM McCONALOGUE – ENCOURAGING INVESTMENT IN UK PLC Politicians are all thinking about the next six months when the focus should be on the long-term economic prosperity of Britons. While pension fund...
View Article
