Tax, speed dating and sea ice

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:The Daily Mail says that over half of the UK population live in households that get more in benefits than they pay in tax - is it true?Do some billionaires earn more in a night than the population of Bournemouth ... Show More

When you follow the news, particularly in countries like the UK and the US, it sometimes feels like people are less optimistic about their lives than they were in the past. But a new piece of analysis from polling company Gallup suggests this might just be the local view, not the ... Show More

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:US President Donald Trump claims he has ended seven “unendable” wars. Is that true?Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 for the first six months of 2025. What do you need ... Show More

Rachel Reeves’s first budget as chancellor of the exchequer saw the biggest tax rises in decades, as well as promises of high spending and investment. Our correspondent explains what the announcement means for Britain. How Hurricane Helene may affect the election in North Carolin ... Show More

With just under two weeks to go until Labour’s first budget in 15 years, the knives are out with cabinet members complaining to No 10 about cuts to their departments.  Should they just accept collective responsibility and keep their heads down? And could Labour be about to break ... Show More

The Autumn Budget was the most significant since George Osborne implemented austerity in 2010. Rachel Reeves announced one hundred billion pounds for infrastructure, forty billion in tax rises and a whole host of policy changes, which she hopes will deliver Labour’s mission of na ... Show More

While the Labour Party saw a historic win in Thursday’s general election in the U.K., the new prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is without a raft of money to implement sweeping reforms. So how will the new government differ economically from the one seen under Conservative rule? ... Show More

Explore how the 2024 presidential candidates' tax plans could impact your finances and what to know before voting. What tax proposals are the 2024 presidential candidates making, and how might these policies affect your finances? What should you know before voting on tax issues? ... Show More

Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the government’s plans to drastically reduce net migration. Will it work? And how will it land with the public and the Labour party?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod 

Chinese authorities are demanding wealthy individuals and companies double-check their taxes for unpaid liabilities, and the largest US companies are facing two starkly different financial futures after the election. The UK Conservative party elects right-wing Kemi Badenoch as le ... Show More

Rachel Reeves' first statement as the new Chancellor has kicked off a huge political row. She accused her predecessor Jeremy Hunt of lying about the 'true state' of the UK's finances - and he hit back calling her ‘shameless’. So was there actually a ‘cover up’ by the previous gov ... Show More

Last week hundreds of tractors drove through Parliament Square. It was the latest protest by UK farmers against changes to inheritance tax announced by the chancellor. From farmers’ protests to the poll-tax riots in the 90s, the amount of tax we pay to the government churns up in ... Show More