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Why do we seem to find it so hard to have a rational conversation about how MUCH we pay in tax and HOW we pay it?
I'm exploring that in a new 3 part series for @BBCRadio4 and @BBCSounds.
Episode 1 of The Tax Conundrum available here
🎧👇...
Ben Chu
25.2K posts
Ben Chu
@BenChu_
Policy & Analysis Correspondent BBC Verify
Author of "Exile Economics: What Happens if Globalisation Fails", published May 2025
Joined October 2010
- The Conservatives have released a host of adverts about the state pension on Facebook which we at #BBCVerify think are misleading. Here's why...🧵 1/9
- Boris Johnson asserts the UK will once again have "the fastest economic growth in the G7" by 2024. N.B. The Bank of England has just forecast UK GDP growth for that calendar year (2024) of just 0.35%
- Despite the global Britain rhetoric, the UK has become a *smaller* international trader since Brexit. Chart shows trade flows as share of GDP - it's holding up for main EU countries, but has declined sharply for UK in recent years 👇bankofengland.co.uk/speech/2021/de…
- Quite a letter from @OBR_UK - says unaware of 2024-25 spending pressures until this week (i.e not when it made its March forecast) - points out it would be one of biggest in-year overspends on record - launches review of "adequacy" of what HMT told it before the March Budget...
- Minette Batters of the National Farmers Unions says Boris Johnson told her a year ago “I would rather die than hurt British farmers” - and now farmers are “beyond distraught” at a welfare cull of potentially upwards of 100k pigs due to a lack of butchers since Brexit #Newsnight
- Interesting - both former IMF chief economist Ken Rogoff and Ngaire Woods of the Blavatnik School of Government tell #Newsnight they don't think the Chancellor can wait until 31 October to reveal his medium term fiscal plan...
- 🚨 Austerity update 🚨 "With hindsight we probably should have taken advantage [of low interest rates] and borrowed more when times were more stable...and invested more." Former HMT permanent secretary (05-16) Nicholas Macpherson on Radio 4 Analysis ...
- Asked about the UK HGV driver shortage, Michel Barnier tells @maitlis on @BBCNewsnight that the EU's "main asset" is the single market & the key part of that is freedom of movement. "The UK has to face the consequences of Brexit" #Newsnight
- NEW: Sources at Channel ferry companies have confirmed to @BBCNewsnight that they will NOT allow any UK truck bound for the Continent to board after a no-deal Brexit without FULL new required documentation...
- Analysis from the @IMFNews has found that since 2010, Real GDP in the UK has grown faster than in comparable European nations such as France, Germany, Italy or Spain. We are committed to continuing to grow the economy and provide economic opportunities for people across the UK.
- Hadn't realised the extent to which vaccine hesitancy has been *collapsing* in many countries. In France it's fallen from 60% in January to 20% in July....(from @TheEconomist) 👇... economist.com/graphic-detail…
- Former Bank of England deputy Governor Charlie Bean tells #Newsnight four chancellors in four months is the "sort of thing you see in failing emerging market economies...pretty shambolic"
- *How* exactly is Rishi Sunak bringing austerity back to public services? ✂️ A thread…🧵1/
