Questions and answers about
the UK economy.

New PostLessons from history

Can UK trade unions recover their post-war power?

Recent strikes and the pay offers that followed have led to a renewed focus on what trade unions can achieve. There has been much invocation of their post-war influence. But recovering that power would require significant changes in UK politics, the law and how unions themselves work.

Data Hub

Live and interactive charts and visualisations, making sense of the latest numbers

Nations, regions & cities

What are some of the big policy challenges facing Scotland’s new first minister?

On Monday, Scotland’s new first minister will be announced. Nicola Sturgeon’s successor faces a number of economic challenges related to growth, an ageing population, regional inequality and the transition to net zero.

Pensions, savings & investment

What are the implications of removing the pensions lifetime allowance?

The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced the abolition of the lifetime allowance on what can be drawn from private pensions. A higher limit would have been a more desirable measure, both for deterring the use of pensions for tax avoidance and for reducing incentives for early retirement.

Health, physical & mental

How might the cost of living crisis affect people's health?

Difficult decisions about what to eat and how to stay warm will have knock-on effects on people’s physical and mental health. The outcomes will increase demand on an already strained NHS.

Banks & financial markets

Why did Silicon Valley Bank fail?

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank is the largest bank failure in the United States since the global financial crisis. The bank’s vulnerability was the result of having a high proportion of uninsured deposits and a large proportion of deposits invested in hold-to-maturity securities.

Health, physical & mental

How has Taiwan navigated the pandemic?

Taiwan has fared better than many other countries during the Covid-19 crisis. Political leadership, early action, a national plan, strong information and communications technology infrastructure and a cooperative public have all contributed.

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