Truss and Kwarteng’s tax cutting mini budget has caused disarray on the currency markets, with Sterling tumbling to its lowest ever, meaning rising import prices are likely to cause further inflation. The Bank of England has gone ahead with interest rate rises, warning of more to come – even if it has stopped short from … Continue reading The Pound tumbles, but how would Labour pay for it?
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Small state Tories?
Once again, a new Tory Prime Minister and Chancellor are banging on about the need for a smaller state. The modern-day reality is that this is pure fantasy. If public spending as a proportion of GDP is used as a bench mark, then as the charts below show, the UK has continued to fall well … Continue reading Small state Tories?
‘Generation Rent’ now can’t afford to.
It’s true that many young people, especially those referred to as ’ millennials', say that don’t want to own their own homes – surveys put this as high as a third. Young people give a range of responses from ‘I don’t want to be ‘tied down’ to ‘I’m thinking of going off travelling’. This is a … Continue reading ‘Generation Rent’ now can’t afford to.
BTEC chaos as Blair wades in
200,000 students were due to get their BTEC Level 3 final grades at the same time as A-level pupils on Thursday. The awarding body, the education conglomerate Pearson, says only a “very small percentage” of students have experienced a delay, but has not put a figure on those affected as more results are still being … Continue reading BTEC chaos as Blair wades in
A-level results : when they were down, they were down……
After record results last year, when almost one in five (19.1%) grades were A*, A-level top grades were down to 1 in 7 this time around, while the proportion of candidates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receiving A or A* has fallen from 44.8% last year to 36.4%. The number of 'high-flyers' who got three A*s … Continue reading A-level results : when they were down, they were down……
Why don’t young people join trade unions?
Surveys continue to highlight a wide range of progressive views held by young people (among both Generation Z and Millennials). Polling returns also show high levels of support for Labour (and particularly the Green Party) even if this isn’t reflected in party membership. Yet barely 1 in 10 workers under 24 belong to a trade … Continue reading Why don’t young people join trade unions?
Tory leadership contest. Tax cuts, debt and ‘future generations’
Sunak and Truss continue to squabble over economic policy, Sunak repeatedly claiming his opponent's promise of immediate tax cuts is akin to putting increases in national debt on 'credit card' for future generations to pay. Despite being told by his ex-boss to spend billions on Covid support and the furlough, Sunak is on the ‘balance … Continue reading Tory leadership contest. Tax cuts, debt and ‘future generations’
Young people and ‘click-work’
The number of people relying on ‘platform work’ continues to grow and has been intensified by the pandemic. According to the TUC, people in England and Wales who said that they performed work they had found via an online platform at least once a week grew from 5.8 per cent of the working population in … Continue reading Young people and ‘click-work’
When they were up they were up. When they were down they were down….
Universities have agreed that the number of candidates awarded first class degrees and 2:1s should be drastically reduced. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/jul/05/proportion-of-top-degree-grades-in-england-could-fall-by-nearly-25 Universities UK and GuildHE, bodies representing institutions across the higher education sector, have jointly announced plans to return to pre-pandemic award grade levels. It's reported that the proportion of top degree grades awarded to undergraduates inEngland … Continue reading When they were up they were up. When they were down they were down….
T-levels: Too big to fail?
The Government continues to roll out its programme of T-levels, new technical qualifications in England, originating from a review commissioned by David Cameron and then a White Paper published by Teresa May The first 3 T Levels were launched in September 2020, in digital, construction and childcare. A further 7 began in September 2021 (2 … Continue reading T-levels: Too big to fail?
Education, Economy and Society 