Are England’s youngest children getting the best possible start? Or are too many beginning school already behind?

One of the government’s five ‘missions’ is to break down barriers to opportunity by tackling inequalities in early childhood. Its ‘Best Start in Life’ strategy aims for 75% of children to reach a ‘good level of development’ by age five - but with only 68% meeting that bar today, how ambitious is that goal, and what will it take to get there?

In this episode of IFS Zooms In, Helen Miller is joined by Christine Farquharson (Associate Director, IFS) and Carey Oppenheim (Nuffield Foundation) to discuss:

• Why the early years matter for long-term outcomes
• The role of childcare, parenting and home environment
• What the evidence says works to close development gaps
• How government policy can (and can’t) deliver change

📩 We want your questions for our final Q&A episode! Send them – voice notes welcome – to podcasts@ifs.org.uk or comment on the episode.

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Is the UK heading for a fiscal crisis? Or can policymakers still steer the public finances back to a sustainable path?

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest Fiscal Risks and Sustainability report warns that, without action, UK government debt could climb above 270% of GDP by the 2070s - driven by rising borrowing, an ageing population, and the fiscal impacts of climate change.

In this episode of IFS Zooms In, Helen Miller (Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies) is joined by Richard Hughes (Chair, OBR) and Ben Zaranko (Associate Director, IFS) to explore the forces shaping the long-term outlook for the public finances, the 50 risks highlighted by the OBR, and what can be done now to avoid a crisis later.

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Has Keir Starmer’s Labour government really brought in a “new way of doing government”? Or are its five missions more rhetoric than reality?

To mark the one-year anniversary of Labour’s 2024 general election victory, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Institute for Government held a joint event exploring the government’s approach to governing – and whether its decisions, trade-offs and spending priorities reflect a genuinely mission-driven approach.

In this episode of IFS Zooms In, we bring you the recording of that event, hosted by Hannah White (Director, Institute for Government), with panelists Helen Miller (Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies), Stephen Bush (Columnist, Financial Times) and Gemma Tetlow (Chief Economist, Institute for Government).

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Today, we’re zooming out to ask: what are the biggest economic challenges facing the UK in the years ahead?

As Paul Johnson hosts his final episode before stepping down as IFS director, he’s joined by incoming director Helen Miller to reflect on the country’s fiscal outlook, the importance of economic growth, and the pressures of an ageing population.

With rising demands on public services, debates over tax policy, and uncertainty around fiscal rules, how should policymakers navigate the road ahead? What choices will the government face to deliver sustainable growth?

Paul and Helen discuss these big-picture questions - and what the coming years might hold.

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Today, we’re asking whether people in the UK will be able to afford a decent standard of living in retirement.

While the foundations of the system—like the state pension and automatic enrolment—are strong, there are growing concerns. Rising state pension ages, the unpredictability of the ‘triple lock’, low private saving rates, and the complexity of managing pension wealth in later life all pose challenges for future retirees.

So, what changes are needed to improve outcomes? What’s the right balance between state support and private saving? And how can pensions be made easier to navigate?

Paul Johnson is joined by IFS Deputy Director Carl Emmerson and Senior Research Economist Laurence O’Brien to discuss the findings of the IFS pensions review.

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Today, we’re looking back at one of the most ambitious policies ever introduced for young children in England – Sure Start.

Launched by the Labour government in 1999, Sure Start aimed to give every child the best start in life by bringing together early education, childcare, health services, and parental support under one roof. At its peak, more than 3,000 centres were operating across the country. But since 2010, the programme has been scaled back, with funding cut by around two-thirds.

So, what difference did Sure Start really make? How was it implemented? And why does it still shape today’s debates around early years services?

Paul Johnson is joined by IFS Associate Director Christine Farquharson and former Education Secretary Ed Balls to explore the legacy and lessons of Sure Start.

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Delays in the Crown Court are at record highs, despite more funding and longer court hours. So what’s really causing the growing backlog of serious criminal cases in England and Wales?

In this episode, Paul Johnson is joined by Ben Zaranko (IFS) and Cassia Rowland (Institute for Government) to explore why court productivity may have slowed, what the consequences are for victims and defendants, and whether more money alone can fix the problem.

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In this episode, we unpack the government's 2025 Spending Review with analysis from experts at the IFS.

Paul is joined by Helen Miller and Ben Zaranko to discuss what the Chancellor’s plans mean for public services, government investment, and the broader economic outlook.

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