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Category: Society and politics

The good the bad and the ugly of the Autumn Statement

The good the bad and the ugly of the Autumn Statement

By Jonquil Lowe, Senior Economics lecturer, personal finance Leaks in the run-up to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement primed us all to expect the worst, but his announcement was surprisingly upbeat. It included: Spending increases to protect public services Further help for all with energy costs, a repeat next year of targeted cost-of-living support And assurances […]

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OpenLearn marks UK Parliament Week with new ‘social change’ course

OpenLearn marks UK Parliament Week with new ‘social change’ course

If you want to know how to make political and social change then The Open University’s OpenLearn platform has the answer. In celebration of the annual UK Parliament Week, from 14-20 November, which the OU partners with, OpenLearn is highlighting a new course designed for the young and old titled: Introduction to making political and […]

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Academic opinion: So why is it that we like being scared?

Academic opinion: So why is it that we like being scared?

Philosophers have puzzled for years why we sit through films that make us scream in terror yet have us laughing moments later. With Hallowe’en just around the corner, Derek Matravers, Professor of Philosophy at The Open University, ponders why some people love the experience and seek out more while others hate it. So what kind […]

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Expert comment on Mr Sunak’s first few days as PM

Expert comment on Mr Sunak’s first few days as PM

Dr Richard Heffernan is a Reader in Government who specialises in British politics at The Open University. Here he gives his opinion on the new Prime Minister, his cabinet and his first Prime Minister’s Question Time. Is Rishi Sunak the right man for the job? That’s in the eye of the beholder. It depends on […]

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Kwarteng paid the price for the miscalculations of previous Chancellors

Kwarteng paid the price for the miscalculations of previous Chancellors

Alan Shipman, a senior lecturer in economics at The Open University, gives his opinion on the historical reasons Mr Kwarteng “had to go”. Kwasi Kwarteng will be remembered as the Chancellor who blew the government’s economic credibility with unfunded tax cuts. But his strategy was the only one left, after a series of earlier mistakes […]

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Government growth plan ‘not credible’… only a U-turn could reverse the damage of the budget

Government growth plan ‘not credible’… only a U-turn could reverse the damage of the budget

While the idea of growing the economy is not wrong the timing is and the only way forward for the Liz Truss government is to do a complete U-turn. That’s according to Jonquil Lowe a respected economist and personal finance senior lecturer at The Open University who says it is the one way to return […]

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Ukraine war: Putin announces annexation of four regions, but his hold on them may be flimsy

Ukraine war: Putin announces annexation of four regions, but his hold on them may be flimsy

Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody is a lecturer in politics and international studies at the OU and an expert on Russian foreign and security policy, with a particular interest in the interplay of communication, perception and security. Here’s her take on Putin in the wake of the recent annexations of Ukraine territory. Vladimir Putin has formally signed […]

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A guard in front of 10 Downing Street in London

Tory leadership race: Sunak and Truss

The Conservative Party leadership election is gathering momentum, with Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss making it through to the final round of voting amongst party members. The pair have faced one another in TV debates and have traded arguments and polices to win over their voters, ahead of the final announcement in early September. Here […]

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money counting

Being in a couple can negatively affect women’s savings – here’s how to make nest eggs more equal

Jerome Monne, ESSCA École de Management; Ariane Agunsoye, Goldsmiths, University of London; Dimitris Sotiropoulos, The Open University, and Janette Rutterford, The Open University Growing job insecurity, financial market volatility and rising prices have created an extremely uncertain environment for UK savers. The country’s welfare provisions are among the lowest of all OECD countries and the […]

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A guard in front of 10 Downing Street in London

Conservative leadership election: why tax cuts are an economic gamble

Alan Shipman, Senior Lecturer in Economics at The Open University, writes for The Conversation about tax as a leverage in the Tory leadership race. Always keen to be identified as the party of low taxation, the Conservatives won the 2019 general election on a promise not to raise income tax, VAT or national insurance. So […]

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