IPPR is an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener and more prosperous society.

Whether we look at the courts, hospitals, prisons or GP services, the nation’s public services are in a dire state.

Asylum accommodation costs have soared in recent years, with billions of pounds being spent on housing people in inadequate conditions, which is both a waste of public funds and a failure to meet policy objectives.

The Labour party won the last election by ‘de-risking’ a Labour vote on key economic policy agendas. At the heart of this was a strategy to regain Labour’s reputation for economic competence.

Ahead of the new government’s first budget, the chancellor’s challenge is twofold.