Politics Record inflation low: is there a blind spot in our living standards debate? The UK inflation rate has fallen to a record low of 0.3 per cent in January – time to talk about consumer policy. By James Plunkett
Economics The Treasury has a point on living standards — but it ignores the role of inequality By James Plunkett
Statecraft without statism: governing for shared prosperity in an age of austerity The task is to seek material gains through a new, less transactional politics. By James Plunkett
The case for looser childcare ratios rests on confusion The government claims to want to reduce costs and increase quality. It can't have it both ways. By James Plunkett
Budget 2012: 20 minutes in, 1-0 Team Clegg The Lib Dems are right to identify higher rate pension tax relief as ripe for review. By James Plunkett
The coalition’s £11bn stealth cut: switching from RPI to CPI A technical quirk will allow the government to skim small amounts each year from lower income households. By James Plunkett
America’s skills crisis carries lessons for Britain There are few US ills that don't owe something to its faltering educational attainment. By James Plunkett
Why GDP growth does not mean recovery for everyone The old formula that “growth equals gains in living standards for ordinary workers” is no longer eno By James Plunkett