There is no doubt that in the last 14 years there has been a sad progress in living standards. Household disposable income per capita has fallen in the UK since the 2019 election, compared to annual growth of 2 per cent in most parliaments since the second world war. Most interesting are the distribution of income changes over the past five years and the entire time the Conservatives have led the government since 2010.
Despite huge increases in food bank use and cuts to social security for working-age households, it is surprisingly the poorest families who have fared best across the UK.
However, it is better to have a limited estimate. Taking detailed income data up to 2022-23 and updating this with known trends thereafter, the Resolution Foundation finds that just under 20 per cent of income distribution saw any real income gains in the last parliament.
Here’s another from Chris Giles at the FT. Samir Varma sends me this link about the problems with the British driving school and the resulting costs and queues. By the way, the SNP could lose three quarters of its seats in Scotland (FT). And how small a group of party voters will be needed to challenge the leadership of the Reform Party? Will there be a core?
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