Australia needs a parliamentary inquiry into intergenerational fairness

Thomas Walker is the Economist-in-Residence at Think Forward. Think Forward is an advocacy group for young Australians who want to see issues of intergenerational fairness front and center in Australian policymaking. In this article for IF’s Worldwide Blog Week, Thomas argues that a parliamentary inquiry would reap great benefits for younger generations in Australia. Youth… Read more »

Abolishing stamp duty can help us achieve intergenerational equity

In this contribution to IF’s Worldwide Blog Week 2022, Andrew Dixon, Founder of Fairer Share, a UK-based property taxation campaign group, explains how abolishing stamp duty can make society fairer for younger generations. Growing gerontocracy The basis of our society, as well as many foundational economic models, is that people will tend to vote in… Read more »

The leadership will change – will any policies?

Alec Haglund, IF researcher, explores whether the 2022 Conservative leadership race will provide an opportunity for a renewed national debate and discussion about solving the country’s problems. Empty talk For a democracy to be healthy and thriving, there must always be space for an open discussion about how to improve people’s lives and how to… Read more »

Should the 3 million pensioner millionaires be benefiting from the pensions triple lock?

With new figures recently published showing that the wealth gap between pensioners and the rest of society is as wide as it has ever been, IF Co-Founder Angus Hanton considers the ramifications of this growing inequality, and asks whether the triple lock on the state pension has had its time. Almost quadrupled in ten years… Read more »

On Borrowed Time: who pays for Net Zero, and when?

A new IF report, entitled “On Borrowed Time”, produced in collaboration with the Social Market Foundation, launches today. John Hobby, co-author and IF Researcher, explains how the report tackles the economic and moral questions involved in thinking about intergenerationally fair ways to share the costs of the Net Zero transition between current and future generations.… Read more »

Never had it so good: the Platinum Jubilee generation

Robert Ashton, IF supporter, writes about how fortunate his Platinum Jubilee generation – born around the time that Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne – has been. Having reached 75 I wish somebody would tell me the purpose of old age. Some more worthy than myself will doubtless say that they care for their… Read more »

Packhorse Generation: how the cost of living crisis disproportionately impacts the young

On 7 June IF is hosting a webinar (sign-up here) on the cost-of-living crisis facing young people. In this article, John Hobby, IF researcher, explains the economic backdrop to the mounting financial pressures facing younger generations. Consumer price inflation hit 9% in April, a four decade high that will squeeze the spending power of the… Read more »

Should Housing Association tenants have the right to buy?

Recent reports have suggested that the UK government is considering an extension of the Right to Buy to housing association homes. IF Co-Founder Angus Hanton considers how this would affect the UK’s already-skewed housing market, how it would interact with the housing crisis and how it might impact future generations in the UK. The sale… Read more »

Local elections – will you vote?

Many areas of the England, Scotland and Wales will have local elections tomorrow, 5th May. With turnout historically very low, particularly among younger people, Liz Emerson, IF Co-founder, investigates what issues younger generations can influence locally and why voting locally matters. What does your local councillor do? Local councils are responsible for a wide range… Read more »

Spring Statement: compounding the cost of living crisis for young people

On March 23, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his Spring Statement to Parliament, announcing a number of measures intended to alleviate the cost of living crisis. However, IF Co-Founder, Angus Hanton, argues that this package, combined with the government’s longstanding economic and fiscal policies, will do very little to solve the cost of… Read more »