Take a look for yourself: we've made an interactive map that lets you explore council tax and property value data across England and Wales: taxpolicy.org.uk/2025/11/25/c...

(sorry Scotland, Northern Ireland)

Council tax is based on 1991 valuations. This map shows house price rises in the last 30 years (darker colour = more rise). It's been very unequally spread.

That means a Band H property in Cumbria is worth nothing like a Band H property in London.

It is like the VAT on small vs large marshmallows and whether they are ingredients or confectionary. Maybe makes sense legally or in relation to tax, but a marshmallow tax would be a gift to the opposition over a relatively small area of revenue versus other issues (maybe reform Council Tax?)

And FT are once again running their (excellent) seasonal campaign to raise financial literacy! Bravo FT.
www.ft.com/ft-seasonal-...

This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.

Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.

I said this to the first years in the opening lecture and even pointed out what ChatGPT regularly does wrong. Pre-honours I wonder if it is people picking up a module they just want to pass then ditch.

It is also just more convenient. I provide loads of essay writing content (a handbook, lecture and slides) and seemingly there are a decent number of students choose instead to go to AI (and therefore not do what was asked).