Jobs Down. Benefits Up. Britain Has a Work Problem
Britain has 94,000 fewer payrolled employees than a year ago, while Universal Credit has hit a record 8.4 million — with 4.3 million now facing no work requirements.
Stat of the Nation
Britain explained through the numbers—independent analysis of politics, the economy and public services from award-winning statistician Jamie Jenkins.
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230 People. One Dinghy. And Britain Still Can’t Stop the Boats.
This week with Mike Graham, we discussed the record 230 people crammed into a single Channel dinghy, why public-sector productivity is still below pre-pandemic levels.
Britain Is Spending More — But Public Services Are Still Less Productive Than Before Covid
Five years of recovery have still not restored pre-pandemic productivity — and healthcare remains 5.8% below 2019.
163,000 Fewer Payrolled Jobs — Burnham Must Reverse Labour’s Tax on Hiring
Private-sector firms have reportedly cut staffing for 22 consecutive months. Official payroll figures also show a sustained jobs squeeze, with younger and entry-level workers most exposed.
Britain Failed to Build Enough Prisons — So Prisoners Are Released Early
Britain’s prisons are 98% full. New cells are being built, but not quickly enough to stop sentencing policy being reshaped around the space available.
The Burnham Bounce, Another Social Care Review, and Britain’s Broken Border
This week with Mike Graham, we discussed whether Andy Burnham can turn improved polling into results, and why Britain keeps reviewing problems instead of solving them.
One of the Wettest Winters. Drought by Summer. What Went Wrong?
UK winter rainfall was 13% above average. Yet half of England and all of Wales are now in drought, after decades of population growth, delayed infrastructure and rapidly rising water bills.
The Burnham Bounce: Who Is Labour Winning Back?
Labour has caught Reform as former voters return and Green support falls. But Burnham is still enjoying a political honeymoon, and an early election could put Labour’s enormous majority at risk.
Britain Is Losing Wealth, And Everyone Will Pay
Britain’s real-terms millionaire population has fallen to its lowest estimated level since 2008, when the financial crisis struck under the last Labour government.
This Week with Mike Graham: Burnham in Reverse? Undoing Labour’s Mess
Andy Burnham is rapidly undoing Keir Starmer’s policies. But reversing failure is not the same as having a plan.