As baby boomers hold an increasing share of wealth, younger generations are finding it harder to build financial security, often relying on family support for major milestones like homeownership.

In her book Inheritocracy, Eliza Filby argues that – because of this – baby boomers have been good parents but not always great citizens.

To explore the issue, IFS Director Paul Johnson is joined by Eliza and David Sturrock, a Senior Research Economist at the IFS.

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As the OBR comes up with its forecast, which will underpin the Chancellor’s decisions at the Spring Forecast, one of the concerns may be that it tells her that she is not meeting her fiscal targets. That will require some action.

Helping Paul explore this are Andy King and Gerard Lyons. Andy previously worked at the OBR and is now a Specialist Partner at Flint Global. Gerard has spent over thirty years in senior roles in the City and in public policy. He is currently Chief Economic Strategist at Netwealth.

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This week, President Trump was inaugurated for his second term and announced plans to impose significant tariffs on imports. But what exactly are tariffs, and how do they work?

In this episode, we dive into the economic consequences of tariffs, why governments use them, and whether they actually achieve their intended goals.

Joining Paul to unpack these questions is Peter Levell, Deputy Research Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and an expert on trade economics.

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The UK’s housing market has long been a source of frustration for renters and homeowners alike, with issues of affordability and availability topping the agenda. The new government has identified housing market failures as a major barrier to economic growth—but what role does the tax system play in these challenges?

In this episode, we’ll dig into how taxes impact the housing market, from the cost of buying and renting to the incentives—or disincentives—they create for landlords, developers, and homeowners. We’ll explore everything from capital gains tax to stamp duty surcharges and council tax policies. Are these tax measures helping or hindering progress? And if reform is needed, where should policymakers begin?

To help answer those questions, Paul is joined by Stuart Adam, Senior Economist at IFS and Tim Leunig, economist at the London School of Economics and former Economic Advisor to Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak.

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Today, we’re turning our attention to France, where a recent Budget has sparked intense debate and raised major questions about the country’s economic future.

France is tackling some big economic challenges: rising public debt, slow growth, and the need for major reforms in areas like pensions and energy. In this episode, we’ll explore what was in the budget, why it caused such a stir, and how it compares to the recent UK budget.

To help us make sense of it all, we're thrilled to welcome Dr. Antoine Bozio, Director of the Institut des Politiques Publiques in Paris.

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From healthcare to education to local government, the public sector delivers essential services—but how can it stay effective and efficient with tightening budgets and rising demand?

In this episode, we examine the UK government’s push to improve public sector productivity. Rachel Reeves is enlisting private sector leaders to tackle inefficiencies in Whitehall, while Wes Streeting has proposed NHS reforms to boost output. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, President-elect Trump has stirred debate by appointing Elon Musk to a new ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ to slash costs.

Are public services keeping pace with private sector innovations? What’s driving productivity trends in the UK? And how can policies create better outcomes for everyone?

We’re joined by Ben Zaranko, Associate Director at IFS, and Sam Freedman, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and former senior policy adviser to Michael Gove, to unpack these questions and more.

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In the recent budget, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced a £40 billion tax increase, pushing tax as a share of national income to an all time UK high.

Just 6% of that came from an increase in inheritance tax, and just a small fraction of that will come from farmers. And yet it is the tax increase on farmers that has dominated the news headlines. But beyond the change to agricultural reliefs, there were some other big reforms as well - to pensions and business reliefs.

So to discuss how inheritance tax actually changed in the budget, who will be affected and whether it was a good idea, Paul is joined by Helen Miller and David Sturrock, colleagues at the IFS.

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At the end of October, the ONS announced that the fertility rate in England and Wales had fallen to 1.44 births per woman in 2023 - the lowest figure since records began in 1938.

What will this mean for the population make-up of the country? What other big demographic shifts are occurring? Why is this trend occurring across the developed world? And what will its implications be for the public finances?

To discuss those questions, Paul is joined by Melinda Mills, Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science and Nuffield Professor of Demography at Oxford. And by Carl Emmerson, Deputy Director at IFS and one of the leading experts on the UK's public finances.

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