Iain Duncan Smith's Commons statement on universal credit: Politics live blog
Andrew Sparrow's rolling coverage of all the day's political developments as they happen, including Treasury questions in the Commons.Andrew Sparrow
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Defence secretary abandons plan to privatise equipment procurement
Philip Hammond had planned to replace MoD equipment agency despite opposition from industry and military figuresPhilip Hammond, the defence secretary, has abandoned a highly controversial plan to give...
View ArticleAre the UK's carbon targets too low?
Should the government have more, not less, ambition on carbon reduction? With your help, Karl Mathiesen investigatesKarl Mathiesen
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Royal Mail to join FTSE 100 two months after stock flotation
Postal firm's share price has nearly doubled since its high profile and controversial partial-privatisation in OctoberTwo months to the day that Royal Mail made its debut on the stock market it was...
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UK economy set to pass pre-recession peak next year, BCC forecasts
British Chambers of Commerce upgrades growth forecasts, bringing forward likely date to third quarter of 2014The UK downturn is finally expected to be left behind next year as the size of the economy...
View ArticleGeorge Osborne questioned by Treasury committee on autumn statement: Politics...
• Osborne's evidence to the Commons Treasury committee - Summary• Lunchtime summary• Afternoon summaryAndrew Sparrow
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Immigration is not the problem | Kenan Malik
Behind hostility to migrants lies a sense of the dissolution of national identity and abandonment by politiciansThere has recently been built in Merton in south London a "mega mosque" that has...
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Strong construction performance could see UK GDP growth revised upwards
Revised ONS construction data could see third-quarter economic growth estimate raised to 0.9% next weekStronger-than-expected output from Britain's builders means the pace of economic growth for July...
View ArticleOsborne opts for short back and sides
Chris Riddell on the Chancellor's welfare cutsChris Riddell
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Let's rethink the idea of the state: it must be a catalyst for big, bold...
As George Osborne envisages a smaller state, economist Mariana Mazzucato argues instead that a programme of forward-thinking public spending is crucial for a creative, prosperous society. We must stop...
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Pope says he is not a Marxist, but defends criticism of capitalism
Pope Francis says trickle-down economics do not help the poor, in a wide-ranging interview with Italian daily La StampaPope Francis has rejected accusations from rightwing Americans that his teaching...
View ArticleTo get the Australian budget on track, it's time to wind those tax cuts back...
Matt Cowgill: We're going to hear a lot about the need for deep spending cuts to get the budget back in the black. But the real problem isn't on the spending side. It's unsustainable tax cutsMatt Cowgill
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The working poor: Westminster discredited
George Osborne's frenzied wielding of the axe on 'welfare' extends to benefits that do not yet existHas British politics given up on the working poor? It is an extraordinary question to have to ask...
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So what if the pope were a Marxist? | Priyamvada Gopal
By querying the the absolute autonomy of the marketplace, Pope Francis is hardly making a radical critique. But such 'red scares' have long historySome of his best friends are Marxists, Pope Francis...
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UK banks benefited from £38bn 'too big to fail' state subsidy
New Economics Foundation argues despite huge government subsidies, big banks are not supporting the real economyBritain's biggest banks benefited from a "too big to fail" subsidy from the taxpayer of...
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Danny Alexander renews attacks on Scottish independence costs
Questions over costing of pledges raised as Alex Salmond accuses Westminster of driving many Scots into food povertyThree of the Scottish National party's main independence pledges, including free...
View ArticleJoe Hockey's axe falls hardest on health, education and welfare
Mid-year financial update reveals $1.1bn in cuts – what are the programs and services that are going to be most affected?Oliver Milman
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Why the reissue of my book criticising GDP is depressing news
In 1991 I argued that infant mortality and emissions were better economic indicators than GDP. Decades later, nothing's changedWhen I received an email recently telling me that the publishers had...
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Labour shouldn't emulate France's economic disaster | Mark Wallace
Ed Balls's plan B has lost all credibility as the UK is doing better than expected – and France's alternative to austerity doesn't workBusiness confidence is falling. Unemployment has risen to 10.9%, a...
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David Cameron calls Ed Balls a 'turkey' over anonymous Labour briefings
PM mocks shadow chancellor after speculation Ed Miliband may bring back Alistair Darling or promote a rising starDavid Cameron has mocked the shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, for being a "turkey" after...
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