The economy

Fact checks about the economy, covering levels of inequality, prices, taxation, employment, unemployment and housing across the UK nations and regions

31 May 2013

EU migrants and benefits: what's the price of "caving in"?

The Government and the EU Commission are at loggerheads over benefit entitlements of migrants. Iain Duncan Smith has said that "caving in" to their demands would cost the taxpayer £155 …

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23 May 2013

MPs to question Ministers about benefit statistics

MPs plan to question Ministers from the Department for Work and Pensions about its media handling of benefit statistics. This follows Iain Duncan Smith's claims last month about the success …

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22 May 2013

Is EU membership worth £3,500 per household?

With Britain's EU membership once more under the spotlight, is it the case that our membership is worth £3,500 to every UK household?

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21 May 2013

Freedom of information reveals who wins and loses in 2013

Last month the Chancellor George Osborne boldly announced: "This month, 9 out of 10 working households will be better off as a result of the changes we are making... And …

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13 May 2013

Education surveys and benefit statistics: two government departments caught out in one week

OPINION: Education Secretary Michael Gove wrote last month that "survey after survey has revealed disturbing historical ignorance, with one teenager in five believing Winston Churchill was a fictional character while …

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13 May 2013

Sloth Britannia: Do Germans work harder than Brits?

Boris Johnson argues in the Telegraph that British workers are lazy compared to their Germans counterpart. Does he have a point?

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10 May 2013

Heathrow expansion: what are the facts behind the third runway debate?

What does the future hold for Heathrow? Today the Transport Committee recommends expansion despite objections from the London mayor Boris Johnson. Are its proposals just blue sky thinking?

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8 May 2013

The Queen's Speech: Resources and Factchecks

This morning we heard the Queen set out the Government's plans in her speech in the House of Lords. The 2013-14 parliamentary session was opened with the announcement of 19 …

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7 May 2013

Are spouses living abroad pocketing millions in UK pensions?

As the Queen oversees another state opening of Parliament, one of the Government's planned bills will introduce reforms to the pensions system. But what benefits will they achieve?

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2 May 2013

Council budgets: power to the people?

As the local elections take place across parts of the country, it's claimed that our tendency not to vote might be a rational one. So how much say does your …

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