Tag Archives: welfare

In the coming days, the Commission on London Finance established by Boris Johnson and chaired by Tony Travers is due to publish its final report. The Guardian has obtained an advance copy and it makes for interesting reading.

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The debate on the publication today of the statistics on the public sector finances for 2012/13 has focused mainly on whether the deficit is falling or not. The answer is no: the deficit in 2012/13 was broadly the same as … Continue reading

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The introduction in London this month of the government’s new £26,000 benefit cap has generated predictably heated debate. Opinion polls show that the policy is popular because the public believe it is fair. Ministers know this, of course, and to … Continue reading

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The government’s announcement of new funding for childcare is a welcome step. Britain badly needs a better childcare system and any increases in funding for childcare are good news. Today’s announcement also tackles some of the unfairness of the current … Continue reading

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The government has had a long time to get its social care reforms right. So it is curious, to say the least, that it has managed to produce a reform package that has been criticised from almost every quarter. Pensioner … Continue reading

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In his recent collection of pieces, Two Cheers for Anarchism, James Scott has a nice essay on the petit bourgeoisie and its virtues. He argues that it is ‘impossible to write the history of struggles for equality without artisans and … Continue reading

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It wasn’t always like this. Social security was once a strategic political asset for the centre-left in Britain. State pensions, unemployment and sickness insurance, social housing and child allowances all commanded considerable popular support. The extension of the welfare state … Continue reading

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Newsnight recently reported that the government will announce a suite of childcare policies in the new year, as part of the Coalition’s mid-term review. Pressure has been building up for some time on the government to extend support for childcare … Continue reading

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In the run up to a budget or autumn statement, one piece of paper becomes the most important in Whitehall: the scorecard. This is the table which sets out the net effect of the government’s planned decisions: how much is … Continue reading

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Is it possible to be family-friendly but unfriendly to women? Tomorrow, Nick Clegg will announce that the right to request flexible working will be extended to all employees, as signalled in the Queen’s speech earlier this year. This is good … Continue reading

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