Autumn statement 2022: what Sunak's first big announcement tells us about how he will lead the country

By Martin Smith, Anniversary Professor of Politics, University of York
Dave Richards, Professor of Public Policy, University of Manchester
Sam Warner, Postdoctoral research associate, University of Manchester

Understandably, much of the focus on the autumn statement – the plan for the UK’s finances outlined by chancellor Jeremy Hunt on November 17 – is on its economic impact. But all economic policy making has considerable political significance.

The statement is the first major policy event of the Sunak government and it provides important pointers to the direction he intends to lead the country. What is also clear is that the statement creates considerable political and economic risks for his government in terms of internal party and electoral politics. So what can we take away from the…

Read complete article

~	South Africa’s constitution was set up as the bedrock of its democracy: it’s been challenged over last 30 years, but has held firm

~	‘Polite littering’ is a rubbish problem – here’s why the British approach to tackling clean ups is not working

~	TikTok users claim freezing bread can make it healthier – here’s what the science actually says

~	Purple Hibiscus: Ibrahim Mahama’s Barbican installation wraps the brutalist building in bright cloth and reveals a hidden history

~	Liz Truss’s lessons on how not to be a prime minister

~	Focus on Rwanda’s safety is a distraction from the dangerous conditions for asylum seekers in the UK

~	Think you’ll never retire? Here are four things young people can do to prepare

~	Philadelphia has a lot more deadly shootings than expected for a big city − and NYC is much safer, new study says

~	Cybersecurity researchers spotlight a new ransomware threat – be careful where you upload files

~	Under the influence and under arrest − what happens if you’re drunk in the interrogation room?