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Eating less meat and dairy will almost certainly reduce emissions. What is less certain is where emissions will fall.

The UK’s Industrial Strategy targets growth in eight high-potential sectors. The UK’s position relative to comparator countries varies in each area, and there is room to accelerate growth in most cases. Across the board, continued investment in skills and innovation is needed to grasp the economic opportunities.

War and security come at a price. Global defence spending is rising in response to geopolitical threats – from Russia’s aggression in Europe to conflict in the Middle East. Governments face difficult choices as a result: balancing the need for security with other priorities and targeting defence investment to foster innovation and growth without draining public finances.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has triggered the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, with nearly six million Ukrainians displaced worldwide. This creates a critical challenge looking ahead to post-war reconstruction. With over 200,000 Ukrainians currently here in the UK, policy-makers must consider both the current needs of refugees and how the diaspora can help to support economic recovery in Ukraine.

Bolivia is at a decisive moment in its modern economic and political history, after nearly two decades of dominance by the Movement Toward Socialism party. Whoever ends up taking charge will need to draw up an economic stabilisation programme – though implementing it will be challenging.

The financial services industry is one of the UK’s economic powerhouses, generating significant value and employing highly skilled workers. But measuring productivity within the sector is challenging, making it hard to design effective policies that maximise the potential of this critical part of the economy.

Farming doesn’t just feed us: it powers economies, employing millions of people and shaping how we all live. But key challenges – including climate change and increasing barriers to cross-border trade – raise questions about how to provide a sustainable food supply for a growing world population.

Over the past few centuries, Britain has undergone three periods of major agricultural change. These revolutions in farming practice are closely tied to long-term economic development and highlight the country’s journey from pre-industrialisation to post-war recovery.

For decades, landowners have fought to maintain the legal structure governing ownership and occupancy of multi-tenanted residential blocks. But growing awareness of the legal jeopardy of being a long-term flat occupier – plus the economic constraints of land law – have prompted demands for reform.

The ‘economic prosperity deal’ reduces tariffs for around a quarter of the UK’s goods exports to the United States, including cars and steel. But products not covered by the agreement – as well as services exports, for example, from the financial sector – will still be exposed to taxes on trade.

With clubs posting significant losses and a number going out of business, the future of rugby union in England is uncertain. Recent boosts in attendance and TV viewers offer promise, but significant structural changes to the sport are required – to governance, revenue and salaries.

The May 2025 ‘reset’ between the European Union and the UK addresses frictions that have emerged as a result of Brexit. The economic effects may be somewhat limited, but the agreement reflects political realities and brings stability at a time of heightened global uncertainty.

The latest UK labour market data paint a worrying picture. Unemployment is at its highest level since the pandemic; wage growth is slowing; and vacancies continue to fall. But it’s not all bad news: the slowdown in pay growth helps to ease upward pressures on inflation.

The UK’s Industrial Strategy targets growth in eight high-potential sectors. The UK’s position relative to comparator countries varies in each area, and there is room to accelerate growth in most cases. Across the board, continued investment in skills and innovation is needed to grasp the economic opportunities.

With its fragmented production process, European defence procurement is inefficient and uncompetitive in comparison to the United States. A new approach, prioritising cross-country collaborations, could improve things, but would not be without its own challenges.

Net migration in the UK reached historic highs following the introduction of the post-Brexit immigration system. While this is likely to have only minor effects on the labour market and public finances, evidence on housing is more mixed. The impact of further policy reforms targeting demand for migrant workers is also uncertain.

Brexit has altered the way that UK financial firms are operating, particularly in their interactions with European partners. Since the referendum, British firms are exporting less but are investing more abroad, suggesting many have re-wired their strategies.

Council tax is unpopular, unfair and overdue for reform. An alternative would be to fund statutory services through central government, introduce a modest local service charge, and absorb stamp duty and capital gains tax on housing into a single recurrent residential land and property ownership fee.

In an age of trade wars, armed conflict, pandemics and climate change, too little attention is being paid to the vulnerability of the global food system. The UK is not immune to the risks, which could lead to food shortages and civil unrest in the next ten to 50 years.

The quality and trustworthiness of economic statistics have been in the news on both sides of the Atlantic. Many of the issues have emerged since the pandemic, in particular as a result of low survey response rates. This form of data collection remains essential for understanding the labour market.

The ‘economic prosperity deal’ reduces tariffs for around a quarter of the UK’s goods exports to the United States, including cars and steel. But products not covered by the agreement – as well as services exports, for example, from the financial sector – will still be exposed to taxes on trade.

With clubs posting significant losses and a number going out of business, the future of rugby union in England is uncertain. Recent boosts in attendance and TV viewers offer promise, but significant structural changes to the sport are required – to governance, revenue and salaries.

The immediate inflationary impact of widening conflict in the Middle East is likely to be limited. But potential trade and supply chain disruptions, weakening business sentiment and elevated uncertainty could have major consequences for the global economy. Governments face tough budgetary choices.