Steve Hoyles

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show an alarming fall in the UK birth rate. The latest complete set of data (for 2022) shows the lowest fertility rate since 1939. Why Fertility Rate Matters According to the ONS, the total fertility rate (TFR) decreased to 1.49 children per woman in 2022. In order to … Read more

Harry Potter author, JK Rowling will face ‘no further action’ from Scottish Police over misgendering comments she made online.  Rowling Issued a Challenge to Police to Arrest Her On Monday Scotland passed a hate crime law. Rowling went online and posted a thread in which she claimed that the new legislation was “wide open to … Read more

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves says plans to invest in more tax officials would help raise £5bn a year for the public purse. This money would be used to help fund the NHS and school breakfast clubs. Announcement Comes After Spending Commitments Questioned The government has announced plans to scrap the non-dom status currently enjoyed by … Read more

Rising borrowing costs and high inflation are blamed for the expected rent rise, according to a leading think tank. The Resolution Foundation predicts that there will be ‘significant housing cost rises yet to come’. Borrowing Costs Highest in Almost Two Decades Following the interest spike caused by the disastrous Truss and Kwarteng budget, anyone with … Read more

The government’s plan to allow well-behaved, low-risk offenders to leave prison early has been compromised, according to a watchdog. Reports suggest high-risk offenders have been released as part of the scheme.  Full Prisons Prompted the Scheme Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden discussed the scheme: “We want to minimise the use of this scheme, but there’s … Read more

A major European study has shown that obese workers are more likely to take days off through ill health than those at a healthy weight.  63.8% of UK Adults Overweight The study’s concern is the economic impact. Nearly 64% of UK adults are overweight, making the workforce particularly vulnerable to sickness absence.  The Greater the … Read more

The Institute for Fiscal Studies says the government’s additional spending promises have not materialised, despite greater need than ever. Spending Needed More Than Ever With the pandemic creating extra care requirements and waiting lists reaching record lengths, NHS funding is more important than ever. However, the IFS has found that spending has been significantly under … Read more

Official government data shows the gender pay gap is now smaller than at any time since mandatory reporting began. Whilst on average men still earn more than women, there has been tangible progress made.  Report Suggests Women Paid 91P for Every £1 Paid to a Man The median pay gap is now 9.1p, which means … Read more

Brexit, the gift that keeps on giving, will see the introduction of new import charges on foods from the EU. The charges will see an increase to the price of many popular goods bought by UK shoppers. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Announced the Charges According to DEFRA, the charges will range … Read more

A key promise made by Boris Johnson after his 2019 election has been a complete failure. The Tories promised to close the gap between London and the rest of the UK, but little to no progress has been made.  ‘Northern Powerhouse’ a Long-Standing Tory Promise The original version of the levelling-up agenda was introduced by … Read more