Green Politics
Household incomes fall for second successive year and child poverty is up
Average incomes have fallen for the second successive year, leaving median and mean incomes six per cent and seven per cent below their 2009 and 2010 peaks, according to government figures released today.
The employment figures can’t hide the fact that Britain needs a pay rise
Today’s employment figures include a couple of headlines the government will be grateful for and what seems like an improvement on the pay front. But when you look at the labour market from a slightly longer perspective, the picture is less brilliant.
A further unearned and disproportionate increase in the size of executive pay packets
The annual Manifest/MM&K executive director Total Remuneration survey was released this week, finding that take home pay for the average FTSE 100 CEO was up to £4.3 million in 2012, an increase of 10 per cent on the previous year.
Unemployment down 5,000 to 2.51 million
Unemployment decreased by 5,000 between February 2013 and April 2013 to 2.51 million, with the unemployment rate rising to 7.8 per cent, today’s labour market statistics reveal.
Did the welfare bill really get out of control under Labour?
The idea that social security spending got out of control under Labour isn’t really backed up by Department of Work and Pensions evidence.
Labour should now look at the ‘triple lock’ state pension guarantee
Older people should of course expect a decent standard of living in retirement. But should they really expect a standard of living which outpaces that of the average worker, especially when the cost of proving it is likely to mean further cuts elsewhere in the welfare budget down the line?