Neil O'Brien's Substack

Why is welfare spending rising even faster than expected?

It's not just Starmer's direct choices - wider forces are increasing the bill

Jan 18 • Neil O'Brien

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Too long a winter (1973)

Here’s something to watch during the cold snap - an incredible short film.

Jan 11 • Neil O'Brien

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December 2025

Local government funding: how the government is trashing incentives

Yesterday the government published the final funding allocations for local authorities following its overhaul of local government finance. The result…

Dec 18, 2025 • Neil O'Brien

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Another bad day for Nick, 30

Budget delivered another walloping to the long-suffering hero of the social contract meme.

Dec 4, 2025 • Neil O'Brien

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The driving test crisis has got even worse

New data shows DFT haven't got a grip, and young people are suffering

Dec 3, 2025 • Neil O'Brien

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November 2025

Budget 2025: Oh what a tangled web

What a mess.

Nov 28, 2025 • Neil O'Brien

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The effects of ending the two child limit on Universal Credit

The Budget after the 2015 election announced that there would be a limit on claims for the child element of Universal Credit (UC) at two children, for…

Nov 24, 2025 • Neil O'Brien

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New data on migrants earnings

And the importance of comparing by age

Nov 14, 2025 • Neil O'Brien

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Thirty times Rachel Reeves said she wouldn't raise tax

Since January 2024

Nov 4, 2025 • Neil O'Brien

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October 2025

The castle of lies is collapsing

A dynamite letter from the CPS blows up the Government's handling of the China spy case

Oct 24, 2025 • Neil O'Brien

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The China Spy Scandal

The government deliberately collapsed the trial of two men who spied on MPs for China, then Ministers lied to Parliament about it.

Oct 10, 2025 • Neil O'Brien

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July 2025

Is Britain Balkanising?

Whether by age, migration, or education - are we flocking together, or coming apart?

Jul 18, 2025 • Neil O'Brien

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