Fiscal events and how to avoid them
Think tank: Resolution Foundation
Author(s): Elliott Christensen; Charlie McCurdy; James Smith
February 19, 2026
This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation assesses the economic and fiscal outlook based on news since the Autumn Budget.
In this slide pack we preview the upcoming Spring Forecast, assessing the economic and fiscal outlook based on news since the Autumn Budget.
Stepping back, growth remains weak, households cautious, and the labour market is loosening.
Given high policy uncertainty, avoiding a fiscal event is understandable, but that doesn’t mean economic policy should ‘clock off’ until the Budget.
As political pressures mount, the Government should double down on its growth agenda rather than change tack, and should work to strengthen the OBR rather than undermine it.
