Economy 2030· Public spending Thinking about tomorrow Overcoming the UK’s low and volatile public investment problem UpcomingThursday 30 March 2023 Register to attend in person or to receive an access link for online viewers. The UK has been under-investing for decades. British business isn’t keen on investing, and the public sector if anything does even worse. Public investment is not only low by international standards, it’s very volatile. Politicians like to announce investment rises, but … Continued SIGN UP
Economy 2030· Cities and regions The future of the UK economy Navigating a route to a fairer and more prosperous South Yorkshire, and beyond Thursday 23 March 2023 The United Kingdom is facing a decisive decade of huge economic change, from restructuring after Brexit and the pandemic, to urgently transitioning towards a net zero future, and adapting to technological shifts amid an ageing population. But it is doing that against a backdrop of low growth and high inequality, a toxic combination that leaves … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Monetary policy· Macroeconomic policy A cost-of-living crisis Inflation during an unprecedented terms of trade shock Wednesday 8 March 2023 Speech by MPC member Swati Dhingra Britain has been buffeted by many different economic shocks in recent decades, but the most recent is a huge terms of trade deterioration following a spike in energy prices and disruption to global supply chains in the wake of the pandemic. This has given the UK the highest inflation … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Economic growth Saving capitalism, rescuing democracy Book launch for The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism by Martin Wolf Tuesday 7 February 2023 Recent decades have not been kind to liberal democracy. Growth has slowed, inequality risen. Powerful voices argue that capitalism is better without democracy, while others argue that democracy is better without capitalism. But despite the travails of democratic capitalism this system brings substantial benefits. Turning the tide on populism requires both reflecting on these advantages … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Net zero Getting warmth up and bills down How can the UK insulate its housing stock? Monday 12 December 2022 The current energy crisis has highlighted the disaster that is Britain’s poorly insulated housing stock – costing millions of households hundreds of pounds this winter alone. And it is about time, with drastically improving the energy efficiency of our homes the biggest net zero challenge of the 2020s. But progress has been far too slow … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Cities and regions The future of the UK economy The role of the West Midlands in renewing the UK’s economic strategy Tuesday 29 November 2022 The United Kingdom is facing a decisive decade of huge economic change, from restructuring after Brexit and the pandemic, to urgently transitioning towards a net zero future, and adapting to technological shifts amid an ageing population. But it is doing that against a backdrop of low growth and high inequality, a toxic combination that leaves … Continued READ MORE
Wales· Economy 2030· Cities and regions· Economic growth The future of the UK economy Navigating a route to a fairer and more prosperous Wales, and beyond Thursday 24 November 2022 The whole of the United Kingdom is facing a decisive decade of huge economic change, from tackling the energy bills crisis, to restructuring after Brexit and the pandemic, and urgently transitioning towards a net zero future. These shifts present big new opportunities for people and places throughout Wales, such as being a hub for renewable … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030 How to navigate economic storms Lessons from Britain’s past Thursday 17 November 2022 Britain is one of many countries today in the midst of an economic storm – battered by high inflation, rising interest rates and falling GDP, and set against a wider backdrop of low growth and high inequality. But this is merely the latest of many economic storms the country has had to weather in recent … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Productivity & industrial strategy· Cities and regions Stagnation Nation The role of Greater Manchester in renewing the UK’s economic strategy for the 2020s Wednesday 12 October 2022 A joint event with Resolution Foundation and Greater Manchester Combined Authority The United Kingdom is facing a decisive decade of huge economic change, from tackling the energy bills crisis, to restructuring after Brexit and the pandemic, and urgently transitioning towards a net zero future. But it is doing that against a backdrop of low growth … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Brexit & trade· Cities and regions· Economic growth The future of the UK economy Navigating a route to a fairer and more prosperous Northern Ireland, and beyond Monday 12 September 2022 The whole of the United Kingdom is facing a decisive decade of huge economic change, from tackling the energy bills crisis, to restructuring after Brexit and the pandemic, and urgently transitioning towards a net zero future. These shifts present big new opportunities for people and places throughout Northern Ireland, such as being a hub for … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Net zero· Firms· Productivity & industrial strategy· Brexit & trade· Economic growth Stagnation Nation? The Economy 2030 Inquiry conference Wednesday 13 July 2022 The UK is facing a decisive decade of economic change, as we emerge from the pandemic, adjust to Brexit, and urgently transition towards a net zero future. Some hope these changes will help us overcome the stagnation that has seen the UK enter the 2020s with low growth and high inequality – be that via … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Labour market· Pay Power, pay and profits What do shifts in firm and worker power mean for wages? Thursday 7 July 2022 Firms create value – at least the successful ones do. But who benefits, the firm’s owners or workers, and by how much, is often up for grabs. That’s why power in our labour market matters. It doesn’t just affect the level of wages, but the inequality of those wages too. The power of workers – … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Productivity & industrial strategy Mind the gap (part II) What drives productivity gaps across the UK? Thursday 30 June 2022 People’s incomes are fundamental to their living standards, and productivity is fundamental to those incomes. But Britain is beset by big productivity gaps – between North and South, and between metro and non-metro areas. Understanding what has driven these gaps and how they’ve changed over time is critical for an economic strategy that successfully tackles … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Incomes Mind the gap (part I) How do people’s incomes differ across the UK? Monday 27 June 2022 People’s incomes are fundamental to their living standards, and closing regional income gaps is central to levelling up the UK. But there are many moving parts to household incomes, they play very different roles across the country, and there are big gaps in what official statistics tell us about this crucial question. An economic strategy … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Brexit & trade Brexit Britain Assessing the impact of Brexit on people, places and firms Wednesday 22 June 2022 The British economy has altered substantially since the Brexit referendum result, as firms and workers have seen changes to investment and wages respectively. But the longer lasting impacts of Brexit on our economy are ahead, not behind us as our economy goes through the process of adjusting to life outside the single market. Some sectors … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Net zero The net zero job How will decarbonisation affect the world of work? Monday 20 June 2022 The net zero transition has changed debates about the future of the labour market, with new jobs – like wind energy engineering – growing year-on-year and worries about rapid declines in carbon-intensive industries like steel production. But the main effect of the net zero transition will be to change our jobs, as firms adapt to … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Cities and regions· Economic growth All change please? What going for growth could mean for different places across Britain Tuesday 7 June 2022 After a decade of stagnation and many decades of persistent regional economic divides, the task of securing a brighter economic future for a wider range of places is now up in lights. It’s an ambition that resonates with the public too, and if policy makers across local, city-wide and national government are to take effective … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030 Raising the bar What are the new frontiers for tackling low pay? Wednesday 25 May 2022 Over the past two decades, Britain’s low pay landscape has been transformed by the introduction and ramping up of the national minimum wage. This has been an unqualified policy success, so much so that the government is on course to eliminate hourly low pay this decade. With that landmark moment in sight, policy makers will … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Economy 2030· Firms· Productivity & industrial strategy Green growth: miracle or mirage? How might cutting down carbon give the UK economy a cutting-edge? Monday 23 May 2022 The UK’s net zero transition represents a major challenge for the UK, but also a major opportunity if we get it right. Many argue it could see the UK utilising its existing economic strengths to lead the way in cutting edge clean technology – creating jobs and new export opportunities. But with other countries holding … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Incomes· Prices & consumption· Wellbeing and mental health Whose economy? Exploring people’s experiences as workers, consumers and citizens Wednesday 11 May 2022 We all experience the economy in a myriad of different ways – from the jobs we do, to the things we buy and the communities we live in. The good, the bad and the ugly of those experiences are important considerations, not just for individual economic policy decisions, but in setting the objectives of our … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030 Advantage Britain? Understanding the country’s economic strengths Thursday 28 April 2022 Policy makers often focus on addressing a country’s economic weaknesses. But understanding Britain’s current, or likely future, economic strengths is equally important if our recent relative economic decline is to be put into reverse. Failing to recognise those strengths, or even actively disparaging them, undermines our prosperity but also risks us ignoring the specific challenges … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Economy 2030 The office strikes back Can post-pandemic remote working solve our productivity challenge? Thursday 10 March 2022 Book launch for The Nowhere Office by Julia Hobsbawm. Office work has had a mixed reception in recent decades, aiding team work but accused of driving our stress up and productivity down. The onset of the pandemic has triggered a workplace revolution as remote working surged and employers learnt workers can be trusted to work … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Skills· Tax Fees-ible reforms? Assessing the Government’s new plan for higher education Wednesday 9 March 2022 The UK’s universities are highly regarded abroad, but are controversial at home. While increasing participation has boosted people’s skills and their social mobility prospects, ‘edusceptics’ worry that too many people are attending university, and about the funding of the growth through fees and loans. Meanwhile the number of young people going to higher education continues … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030 Consuming carbon What does the net zero transition mean for households? Tuesday 1 March 2022 So far, the UK’s Net Zero strategy has caused minimal visible upheaval to people’s day-to-day lives. During the 2020s, however, emissions will need to be cut in ways that require real change for households – from minimising flights and meat consumption, to switching to electric vehicles and heat pumps. These bring opportunities to improve our … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030 Disruption nation How economic and political change has shaped our world Wednesday 23 February 2022 Book launch for Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century by Helen Thompson The 21st century has witnessed huge shocks across the world, with far-reaching consequences for our economies and democracies. But this should not come as a surprise, as unresolved issues – from energy and trade, to growth and migration – have been accumulating … Continued READ MORE
