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UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt finally revealed his long-awaited autumn statement amid a flurry of news about staggeringly high inflation and recession warnings from the Bank of England. Millions are set to pay more tax as a result of the plan at the same time the Office for Budget Responsibility’s independent analysis of the UK economy is predicting the biggest fall in living standards the UK has ever seen over the next two years.
We asked a panel of experts to give us their initial analyses of the statement. They cover issues from the dreaded “fiscal hole” to defence and education spending, as well as what the budget means for your personal finances. And we hear the case for why the increased windfall tax on energy companies doesn’t go far enough.
In recent months, we’ve published dozens of articles on the rising cost of living, providing expert insight and advice informed by the latest research. From a historical look at how things got to where they are, to what to do about it now. A reform of the energy market that could help save us from rising bills, and how to save money on energy given the absence of that reform. What happens if interest rates keep rising, your rights if your landlord tries to raise your rent – and even ways to spend money that will make you feel better. It’s all part of our mission to help people access expert knowledge that can make a genuine difference to the world.
This mission means that The Conversation will always be free to read, and free for others to republish. The Conversation is an editorially independent, non-profit charity – not funded by advertising, corporations or media barons. But we’re also supported by thousands of readers like you. If you have the means and feel what we do is worthwhile, please consider making a donation. Even a small monthly or one-off gift helps us to publish more expert voices on more topics. And if you like what you read here, please share it with others.
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Head down, taxes up.
EPA-EFE/TOLGA AKMEN
Phil Tomlinson, University of Bath; Adi Imsirovic, University of Surrey; Cam Donaldson FRSE, Glasgow Caledonian University; Despina Alexiadou, University of Strathclyde ; Gavin Midgley, University of Surrey; Hilary Ingham, Lancaster University; Jennifer Castaneda Navarrete, University of Cambridge; Jonquil Lowe, The Open University; Karen Bloor, University of York; Peter Bloom, University of Essex; Shampa Roy-Mukherjee, University of East London; Steven McCabe, Birmingham City University; Supriya Kapoor, Trinity College Dublin; Tolu Olarewaju, Keele University
Our panel of academics responds to the UK government’s latest economic plans.
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Getting to the root cause of your anxiety is key in treating the problem.
VGstockstudio/ Shutterstock
Chantal Gautier, University of Westminster
This problem is more common than you think.
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Ash Ketchum and Pikachu with the World Championship trophy.
The Pokémon Company
Jennifer Coates, University of Sheffield
Twenty-five years on from his promise to become “the very best”, Ash Ketchum has won the Pokémon World Championship. But for a franchise that’s always evolving, this is far from the end.
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Ukraine Invasion
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Christoph Bluth, University of Bradford
When a missile landed in Poland the world held its breath. But it showed the urgency of Ukraine’s demands for more military aid.
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Jonathan Este, The Conversation
Some of the key articles from our coverage of the war in Ukraine over the past week.
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Politics + Society
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Ross Bennett-Cook, University of Westminster; Christoph Bluth, University of Bradford
Russia’s plan to start flights to Northern Cyprus is likely to provoke a reaction from Greece.
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Julie M Norman, UCL; Thomas Gift, UCL
Biden remains the default candidate for the Democrat nomination for the 2024 election, but he is ageing and many believe the party would benefit from a younger candidate.
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Arts + Culture
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Oli Mould, Royal Holloway University of London
In a rousing speech, one of the “organisers” of the rebellion muses on the lifelong struggle of activists and wades into the debate on the best way to effectively resist.
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Business + Economy
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İrem Güçeri, University of Oxford
Redesigning the UK’s windfall tax on energy companies could help it to bring in more money for public spending.
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Education
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Nicolas Bonne, University of Portsmouth
Many galaxies are too faint or small for us to observe easily – but science can help us work it out.
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Muzammal Ahmad Khan, University of the West of Scotland
During the pandemic, online learning suddenly replaced traditional teaching methods.
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Environment
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Jared Finnegan, UCL
The current energy crisis is an opportunity to accelerate the transition towards clean energy – but some countries are better than others at pursuing major energy reform.
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Shailaja Fennell, University of Cambridge
Extreme weather will continue to disrupt global food systems.
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Jack Marley, The Conversation
Africa’s gas reserves loom large in the Egyptian climate change talks.
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Dylan Ryan, Edinburgh Napier University
All French car parks bigger than 80 spaces will be covered with solar panels.
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Health
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Amy Ahern, University of Cambridge; Giles Yeo, University of Cambridge
Obesity is a chronic illness, so treatments should be ‘chronic’ too.
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Podcasts
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Paul Keaveny, The Conversation
The world’s longest running cohort study reveals risk factors for dementia. Families of athletes with early-onset dementia tell their stories. Could viruses cause Alzheimer’s? Listen to the Uncharted Brain: Decoding Dementia podcast series.
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