Afternoon all, Hope everyone’s enjoyed the calmer week in politics. After last week’s Chancellor-related fireworks, losing a Downing Street adviser over a bit of eugenics chat is small fry. Things are so chilled across the pond that they’re focusing on films. Donald Trump doesn’t understand how Parasite can have won the top Oscar. Now he … Continued

Afternoon all, I’m hoping today is going to be a calmer day. At a minimum the goal is to get through writing TOTCs without resigning. There’s no special advisers to worry about but the trustees do make us share mugs and spreadsheets in RF towers, which is quite frankly more than any self-respecting policy type … Continued

Afternoon all, This week TOTCs comes to you from a Welsh mountainside of the vertically upwards variety. Now, this isn’t the perfect place for perusing economics reads, but you’re either committed to ‘levelling up’ or you’re not. These giddy Welsh heights also allow for some perspective on this week’s Brexit “it’s done but not over” speeches. … Continued

The latest from Resolution Foundation Chief Executive Torsten Bell’s weekly Observer column, Insights. Read more of the latest economics and policy research in our weekly reading email, Top of the Charts (sign up here). Why we’ll never get rich by putting cash away for a rainy day Norway has a wealth tax. Now, I’m in favour … Continued

Afternoon all, Immeasurably significant but incredibly calm is, it turns out, what Brexit day feels like. The calm bit isn’t what many would have expected a few months back amid the screaming. Which makes me reflect that while politics made a total dog’s dinner of the last three years, in another way democratic politics has … Continued

Afternoon all, Right, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. You’ve all been scoffing about economic forecasters getting it wrong (as literally every single one has been for the past decade). Well, this is your moment to show us you could do better. The government is recruiting for a new forecasting supremo to take … Continued

Afternoon all, Is it just me or are politicians actually spending the two weeks before the biggest constitutional change in half a century discussing bells, and their bonging? I don’t want to rub it in about the scale of political failure, but it has taken not years but barely a week for the Queen to … Continued

Afternoon all, 2020 is failing badly on the calming down stakes. Yes the Iran crisis has de-escalated (slightly), but the Royal Family has not. The Sussex’s want out, Barry Gardiner wants in. Neither’s going to happen. Ultimately this is about trust. We were promised less news and we have been betrayed. But don’t worry – … Continued

Afternoon all, Happy new decade. It’s been a bit of a shock returning to work today. The end of slow daytime drinking is tough, but especially when combined with the realisation that our personal (emails), national (rubbish growth) and international (Trump) traumas have crept across the space time continuum into the 2020s. Of course it’s … Continued

The latest from Resolution Foundation Chief Executive Torsten Bell’s weekly Observer column, Insights. Read more of the latest economics and policy research in our weekly reading email, Top of the Charts (sign up here). Keep us busy with babies and we’ve no time for crime Unless you’re in a mafia clan, we all want to … Continued

Afternoon all,   It’s been a busy week. New(ish) government, new (WEIRD) Cats film, and new top dog at the Bank of England. It’s all been going on. What’s clear is that there’s a lot of adjusting to be done. It’s ages since a government had a real majority. Politicians and journalists are slowly waking … Continued

Afternoon all, We’re not doing reads this week, we’re doing reflections. There is after all a lot to reflect on from last night – on what happened and where it leaves our politics and our country. I hope it’s of some use to you whether you’re spending your weekend in party mood, or at a … Continued

Afternoon all, Boris Johnson has decided it’s Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield yes, Andrew Neil no. Apparently this is the punters’ fault for not liking tough interviews any more – so shame on all of us, and definitely not on the PM for running scared. In more positive news, the whole thing is nearly over. … Continued

The latest from Resolution Foundation Chief Executive Torsten Bell’s weekly Observer column, Insights. Read more of the latest economics and policy research in our weekly reading email, Top of the Charts (sign up here). Even though it makes us unhappy, city life has never been more popular Cities make us richer, but not happier. To … Continued

Afternoon all, Brace, brace – we’re in the crash landing phase of this election campaign. I’m afraid to say none of us are likely to emerge unscathed. Jeremy Corbyn’s spending his time being mauled by Andrew Neil, while Boris Johnson’s gone into hiding. My admiration knows no bounds, and that’s before we get to the … Continued

Afternoon all, We’re in manifesto week (or fortnight if the Conservatives hold off until Monday). So far the parties are going LARGE. The Lib Dems, having warned about Labour’s big tax and spend plans back in 2017, decided to…. announce a slightly bigger increase in the size of the state than Labour proposed two years … Continued

Afternoon all, One operation and a whole world of painkillers later… I may not be making it out of the house but TOTCs can make it to your inbox. As this is the week the election campaign officially kicks off we thought we’d focus on the economic context that it’s taking place within. People used … Continued

Afternoon all, The election is off. In the horse-racing sense. And Corbs has definitely had the better first week. Donald Trump AND Mike Ashley slagging you off is what winning looks like in the “having the right enemies” school of politics. More worrying for Conservative MPs should be the fact that the campaign has knocked … Continued

The latest from Resolution Foundation Chief Executive Torsten Bell’s weekly Observer column, Insights. Read more of the latest economics and policy research in our weekly reading email, Top of the Charts (sign up here). Voters know the value of peace, even if politicians don’t When we think about violent conflicts and how to reduce them, … Continued

Afternoon all, The Budget’s off. This is very good news for the RF team’s workload. But it is very bad news for democracy, if the election’s still on. That’s because no Budget means no updated Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts for our economy and public finances – forecasts that should provide crucial context for the … Continued

Afternoon all, So, Boris Johnson has chosen his Brexiteers over unionism. The EU have chosen getting it done versus hoping remainers get their act together. The DUP have chosen a rock, having been offered a hard place. Labour want to choose a referendum, but may get a general election. The slightly odd thing of course … Continued