The indications are that Britain’s public finances are deteriorating in the wake of the Brexit vote. The question is how the new chancellor, Philip Hammond, responds, David Smith writes.
George Osborne’s Autumn Statement contained good and bad news on the deficit but the underlying message is that the public finances are still a long way from being fixed, David Smith reports
The cut in the top rate of income tax from 50% to 45% set up a tax avoidance opportunity. The numbers suggest plenty took advantage of it, David Smith reports
The government's public deficit reduction programme has stalled. Only growth will get it back on track - and four years of a 0.5% bank rate, a 25% sterling depreciation and £375bn of quanitive easing have not done the trick, David Smith reports.