In the news, October 2024

Britain braced for some of Europe’s coldest temperatures — just as energy bills jump 
Alex Chapman spoke to the Mirror about how the energy price cap means households are subject to a rollercoaster of prices when what they need is long-term energy security. Alex’s quote was also picked up by the Birmingham Mail.

What the end of Port Talbot steelworks says about Britain’s green energy transition
Chaitanya Kumar spoke to the Guardian’s First Edition newsletter about the closure of Port Talbot steelworks and what it means about the UK’s transition to a green economy

Fund green energy schemes with bonds, urges think tank
The Times covered our analysis which found that the Chancellor could raise £100bn if the new national wealth fund was free to issue its own bonds and its liabilities were removed from the fiscal debt target. The analysis was also covered by BusinessGreen

Keir Starmer’s first 100 days: A report card
Danny Sriskandarajah contributed to an analysis by Byline Times of how well the prime minister’s first 100 days in office have gone

This is why business travel will never be the same again – IWG boss
Our analysis which found there has been no net increase in business travel in the UK’s aviation sector since 2005 was featured in this City AM piece

Changing the fiscal rules
Danny Sriskandarjah spoke to LBC about how a change to the fiscal rules could make a step change in the way our society is organised

Tax on Europe’s frequent flyers could raise €64bn a year – study
The Guardian covered our research which found a frequent flyer levy could slow global heating and raise €64bn (£54bn) a year at no extra cost to most people. The research was also discussed on BBC Two’s Politics Live

We need a fundamental rethink about how public finances work
Danny Sriskandarajah was on BBC 5Live discussing budgets, fiscal rules and more ahead of the autumn statement

Jobcentres branded ​“most unloved public service” after being broken by Tories The Mirror used our analysis which found that 61% of people said the threat of sanctions made it harder for them to have a trusting and supportive relationship with the Jobcentre

How Rachel Reeves could change the fiscal rules
Chaitanya Kumar spoke to PoliticsHome about the fiscal rules and how the Chancellor could change the debt rule and swapping it with a ​‘net worth’ rule

Axing cruel DWP two-child benefit limit ​“would reduce cost of poverty by over £3billion”
Our analysis which showed the economic benefits of cutting two-child limit was covered in several outlets including the Mirror, PA Media, LBC, The Independent, the Morning Star, the Big Issue and the Birmingham Mail.

Private developers and the housing crisis
Heather Kennedy spoke to BBC 5Live about the need for more social housing and why private developers alone aren’t the solution to the housing crisis

Sewage in our rivers but bonuses for water bosses
Danny Sriskandarajah was on BBC One’s Question Timediscussing a range of topics including why our water system has gone down the drain

Here’s what Rachel Reeves needs to do in the budget to fix our economy
Chaitanya Kumar wrote for Left Foot Forward about what the Chancellor needed to do to set the country on a course toward greater resilience, better living standards and ecological sustainability

Over four in 10 voters feel worse off than last year as Budget looms Danny Sriskandarajah spoke to the Mirror about the cost of living ahead of the Autumn Budget

Tax is necessary to pay for good quality public service
Hannah Peaker spoke to LBC News about the tax rises Rachel Reeves should prioritise in the budget

OBR ​“enabled Tory austerity”, economist claims The Times covered our report into how the Office for Budget Responsibility’s multiplier assumptions were embedding austerity into the government’s plans

Rachel Reeves puts faith in investment to kickstart UK growth
Dominic Caddick spoke to the Times about the Chancellor’s plans for growth and how government bond yields were more sensitive to investors’ expectations of how the Bank of England will respond to fiscal policy rather than fiscal policy itself.

“We’re extremely nervous”: Here’s what Labour’s autumn budget might mean for benefit claimants
The Big Issue featured our analysis which found that the Department for Work and Pensions takes money back from around half of universal credit claimants to repay debts and correct errors

What to look for in Rachel Reeves’ tax-raising UK budget
Bloomberg featured some of our analysis which found that the Chancellor could raise £1.5bn from targetting the profits made by banks from higher interest rates

A tough inheritance and tough choices, but a courageous budget
Danny Sriskandarajah spoke to Shelagh Fogarty on LBC about the Autumn Budget and how the Chancellor will be judged on whether it delivers better public services

We are paying a high price for a decade of cuts
Tom Pollard spoke to BBC 5Live about why Rachel Reeves needs to significantly invest in public services and infrastructure

The Chancellor showed courage in changing the fiscal rules that have held us back
Hannah Peaker spoke to BBC Radio 2 about how the Chancellor did show some courage in the Budget but could have gone further to challenge the wealthiest in our society to pay their fair share to support the investment needed to boost our economy

What you need to know about Rachel Reeves’s plans for the economy
Hannah Peaker spoke to the Guardianabout the Budget, saying the Chancellor had made some positive changes but had not gone far enough

Keeping £2 bus fare cap would have cost a tenth of fuel duty freeze, says think tank
The Independent covered our analysis which suggested keeping the £2 bus fare cap in England would only have cost a tenth of the money the government spent on freezing fuel duty. The figure was also included in the New Statesman and Carbon Brief