0.4%. That is the headline figure for the UK economy in the second quarter of this year. While not quite as strong as last quarter (0.6%), growth was stronger than the Bank of England forecast at 0.3%.

💡I've published a spotlight today, in collaboration with @cpc-cg.bsky.social, on how time spent #alone has changed by #age over the last decade & what it means for #wellbeing. @resolutionfoundation.org Read here: www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications... And a thread with some findings ⬇️

All by myself • Resolution Foundation

Time spent alone has risen up the public and political agenda, reflected in debates about the ‘relationship recession’, social media use and more working from home. [1]  But these underlying societal ...

resolutionfoundation.org

Welcome - and slightly larger than expected - fall in UK CPI inflation in June to 2.6% (2.8 in May). But, with conflict in the Middle East resuming, this is likely to prove short lived, meaning the government is right to focus on cost of living pressures. Thread to follow...

Today Burnham announced the return of the £2 bus fare cap, a much loved policy of previous Governments that was raised to £3 by Reeves two years ago. But who will benefit? [THREAD]

Some good news for new Chancellor John Healy: June borrowing came in at £16.0bn — £0.3bn below the OBR forecast and £7.9bn below a year ago. Still public finance challenges loom large. Short thread. 🧵

🧵 New RF briefing on the UK's "PuFins" — the public financial institutions that have quietly grown into a ~£200bn investment arm of the state. Can they help PM Andy Burnham build a higher-investment economy within the fiscal rules? Our answer starts with the National Wealth Fund 👇

New substack from me and @parthpandya.bsky.social, in which we remind you all that we are in our 20s (and talk about what's going on with young peoples' living standards) resolutionfoundation.substack.com/p/whether-or...

Whether or not football ‘comes home,’ the Zoomers never left

Parth Pandya and Lalitha Try

resolutionfoundation.substack.com

We @lalithatry.bsky.social @mikebrewerecon.bsky.social @charliemccurdy.bsky.social @jamietg.bsky.social have published a report (funded by @cpc-cg.bsky.social) on today’s under-30s’ living standards & what policymakers should do. www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications... 👇 🧵with key findings.

They’re coming home • Resolution Foundation

Given Britain’s resurgent ‘NEET’ problem, a rise of living with parents, and intensified political debate on the prospects of young people, this briefing note provides an assessment of the living stan...

resolutionfoundation.org

📢 New research out today Gen Z have higher incomes than their millennial predecessors and are staying longer at the ‘Hotel of Mum and Dad’. Read the full report, funded by @cpc-cg.bsky.social 👇️ buff.ly/k30vVVD

Amid by-election news, today’s public finances release shows a continued poor start to 2026-27: borrowing in May was £5.6bn above forecast, pushing borrowing so far this financial year £7.7bn above pre-war forecasts. Short thread.

I don’t have strong views on the u16 social media ban but if these platforms are so harmful, why does the govt still use them for comms? Likewise, while kids (and everyone else!) should be encouraged to socialise in-person, they now have far fewer options following brutal cuts to youth services

Amid worries about the impact of conflict in the Middle East, today’s public finances data show a disappointing start to 2026-27: borrowing was £24.3bn in April, £3.4bn above (pre-war) forecasts. With the conflict ongoing, plans for £17bn consolidation this year are very much at risk. Short thread…

In our latest Substack, Research Trainee Jamie Titus-Glover looks at how income inequality between ethnic minorities and their White counterparts has changed over the past three decades. Though there are signs of progress, big disparities remain ⬇️ buff.ly/pX0vG2a

The UK has become more equal but ethnic minorities still earn less than their White counterparts

RF Research Trainee Jamie Titus-Glover takes a look at how income inequality between ethnic minorities and their White counterparts has changed over the past three decades.

resolutionfoundation.substack.com

New @resolutionfoundation.org substack with @charliemccurdy.bsky.social considering the implications of the UK's new demographic era - one where deaths outweigh births and all population growth comes from net migration, and that's falling too 👇 resolutionfoundation.substack.com/p/the-uks-de...

The UK’s demographic squeeze

What do the next few years hold for the UK’s population? And what does that mean for the public finances?

resolutionfoundation.substack.com

Public finances data out this morning show the government managed to reduce borrowing in the financial year ending March 2026. But the economic effects of war in the Middle East present a new risk to the outlook. 🧵

Happy new tax year to all who celebrate! Here's a quick 🧵on the tax and benefit changes coming in this month in the context of rising energy bills. www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

Happy new tax year 2026 • Resolution Foundation

The start of April marks the beginning of the new tax year, meaning households will face a wide range of tax, benefit and utility bill changes. Benefit changes in April will boost incomes for the poor...

resolutionfoundation.org

Today we discussed new research from @resolutionfoundation.org co-authored with @gthwaites.bsky.social @annastansbury.bsky.social and Richmond Egyei on the long shadow that deep poverty in childhood casts over the earnings of graduates in the labour market. Thread below on what we found …

Slightly eye-wincing moves in markets as expectations rose for a sharp rise in interest rates later in 2026 following the Bank's decision to hold rates in March's MPC meeting. And today we're seeing 10-year bond yields rising to levels last seen in 2008. Good news, it isn't...

Unanimous in the face of uncertainty. Yesterday's Bank of England decision to hold interest rates at 3.75% was the first unanimous vote by the 9-strong Monetary Policy Committee in over 4 years.

HMT ministers must have been silently screaming at today’s public finance data - nicely within OBR projections, but mainly because of friendly gilt markets, which have turned sharply in the other direction since Iran conflict. (Useful thread 👇🏻)

Elliott Christensen@elliott-xtensen.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Nonetheless, public sector spending in the year to February are £2.6bn below expectations. That’s largely because of lower debt interest costs over the year. But with markets pricing interest rate hike(s), the outlook for debt interest spending also looks set to worsen.

Disappointing government spending and borrowing numbers this morning – not helpful given conflict in the Middle East is likely to worsen the public finances. Other issue today is whether the data support the OBR’s benign forecasts. Thread to follow…

Big month for public finances as ONS publish the data for January. With a record surplus in January of £30.4bn and tax receipts performing well, it looks like the Spring Forecast is set to be non event. Short thread to follow...

Quick word on this morning's public finances data for the UK which were pretty much in line with expectations. Borrowing in December was £11.6bn, slightly lower than market expectations of £13.4bn. Year to date, borrowing is £140.4bn, which looks broadly consistent with the OBR's Nov forecast.