Mike Hale: Running to stay still

Blossom is appearing on the trees, sport watchers have enjoyed the finale of the Six Nations, and the Spring Budget has been delivered. We are, however, still awaiting another classic sign that winter is definitively over; the announcement of the GOS fee increase (or not) for England.

This is a subject of particular interest this year as the cost of living crisis continues to bite. As is well-known, the price of essential goods in the UK has been outpacing household incomes since late 2021. Generally ascribed to a confluence of diverse factors, including the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; and Brexit, the crisis has stretched the nation’s finances on every scale.