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Why does the UK have a problem with productivity?

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the UK's productivity problem and the consequences for this month's budget.

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves has been widely trailing this month鈥檚 budget and the difficult decisions she鈥檒l have to make in just under two weeks time. This is being taken as code for tax rises and a possible break in Labour鈥檚 manifesto pledge with a rise in income tax. She鈥檚 said one of the key reasons for this is that the government's official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility or OBR, is likely to lower its UK productivity growth forecast for the coming years. So why is UK productivity a problem and what can be done to improve it?

Guests:
Chris Giles, Economics Commentator, The Financial Times
Helen Miller, Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Duncan Weldon, economist and author
Greg Thwaites, Research Director, Resolution Foundation.

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Cordelia Hemming, Kirsteen Knight
Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound engineers: Rod Farguhar and James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon

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29 minutes

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  • Thu 13 Nov 2025 16:00
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