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Philip Brien

Economic updates Insight 

Economic update: Unemployment and borrowing rise but recession unlikely

October 31, 2019November 4, 2019 House of Commons Library 377 Views Philip Brien

The UK’s economy was a mixed bag in October. The labour market (which had previously been at record levels) began…

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Economic updates Economy Insight Public spending 

Economic update: slow growth and more government spending

September 25, 2019October 1, 2019 House of Commons Library 669 Views Philip Brien

The UK’s economy has remained in fairly unspectacular territory during September. The UK Government has committed to higher public spending in 2020/21. …

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Economic policy Insight Public spending 

The 2019 Spending Round: Why do figures differ?

September 6, 2019October 1, 2019 House of Commons Library 470 Views Philip Brien

How do the Chancellors new plans measure up to previous ones?…

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Brexit Insight Parliament Public spending 

What’s happened to the 2019 Spending Review?

June 10, 2019November 6, 2019 House of Commons Library 2671 Views Philip Brien

Spending reviews usually take place every two to four years – a new one is expected but why have we not seen it?…

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Economic updates Insight 

Economic update: Stability and vulnerability

May 28, 2019November 6, 2019 House of Commons Library 764 Views Philip Brien

The labour market appears to be doing well, however economic growth remains unspectacular.…

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Insight International development 

Overseas aid: Who gives what to whom?

March 19, 2019November 22, 2019 House of Commons Library 1110 Views Philip Brien

In 2017, public and private donors around the world gave about $200 billion in overseas aid to developing countries. This new interactive dashboard looks at these aid flows. …

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public spending in UK
Economic policy Economy Insight Public spending 

Budget 2018: Where next for public spending?

October 30, 2018February 12, 2019 House of Commons Library 1661 Views Philip Brien

We took a closer look at some of the numbers in the 2018 Budget related to public spending.…

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Economic updates Insight 

Economic update: Growth improves but weaknesses remain

July 5, 2018July 25, 2018 House of Commons Library 1603 Views Philip Brien

How did the UK economy perform in June?…

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Culture, Media & Sport Insight World Affairs 

Finances, footballers and fertility rates: The World Cup of statistics

June 14, 2018August 6, 2019 House of Commons Library 2789 Views Daniel Harari, Philip Brien

From Costa Rica’s proportion of women MPs, to South Korea’s 276 ATMs, we have the World Cup stats you won’t have thought of.…

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Economy Insight Public spending 

From revolution to recession: 300 years of public finances

March 22, 2018June 22, 2018 House of Commons Library 2585 Views Philip Brien

In 1688, William III and Mary II ascended the throne of England as joint monarchs, having overthrown James II. Among…

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Brexit Insight Negotiations Policy The EU 

What happens to EU funding after Brexit?

March 12, 2018March 13, 2018 House of Commons Library 8067 Views Philip Brien

In 2016/17, the UK received over £5 billion in funding from EU programmes. Much of this went into research, infrastructure…

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Americas Insight 

Hurricane Irma: Who gets aid?

October 2, 2017May 10, 2019 House of Commons Library 2531 Views Philip Brien

When Hurricane Irma recently devastated the Caribbean, some people were surprised and angry at the fact that the UK could…

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Insight International development 

International aid: changes below the surface

April 20, 2017May 13, 2019 House of Commons Library 1954 Views Philip Brien

UK foreign aid spending is in the headlines today as Bill Gates has urged the government to keep spending 0.7%…

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