A new long-term plan for growth How should the Government set its new Industrial Strategy? UpcomingMonday 9 December 2024 The Government is gunning for growth, and its new Industrial Strategy lies at the heart of this agenda. But while Industrial Strategies are supposed to set long-term policy thinking, Britain’s recent experience has been anything but – with strategies often experiencing a shelf life more akin to a Premier League manager (or Prime Minister…). As the new Government sets out fresh long-term thinking on how it can support British industries, what should inform a new Industrial Strategy for the decisive decade ahead? SIGN UP
Trade in the age of Trumponomics Navigating Britain’s trade in a post-Brexit, intra-Trump world UpcomingWednesday 4 December 2024 British firms are still adjusting to the Brexit shock that has affected UK firms’ ability to trade with our biggest trading partner bloc. Now a new shock is looming from the country we trade most with via threats of universal tariffs from the President-Elect Donald Trump. But the impact of these huge trade shocks will differ across different sectors, and across importing and exporting firms. Understanding where the UK’s trade strengths and vulnerabilities lie will be crucial as the Government develops a new trade strategy for the decade ahead. SIGN UP
Wealth & assets An uneven inheritance Examining wealth inequalities within and between generations Thursday 28 November 2024 British household wealth has been on a rollercoaster ride in recent years. Increased saving during the Covid-19 pandemic boosted wealth, only for interest rate rises during the cost-of-living crisis to wipe out wealth gains. Since the late 1970s overall measures of wealth inequality have been relatively stable. But this hides big changes in wealth gaps both within generations, and between them. And as wealth is passed down through generations, the state of wealth in Britain today has huge implications for current and future living standards, for young, old and middle-aged alike. READ MORE
Intergenerational Centre Many helping hands How intergenerational transfers support lifetime living standards Thursday 21 November 2024 Transfers between generations – from care given to younger or older relatives, to gifts, inheritances and a roof over one’s head – play a vital role in society. But despite their importance to family living standards, they are often misunderstood. If we’re to better appreciate how modern Britain operates, we need to understand the economic significance of these intergenerational transfers, and what they mean for individuals and families. READ MORE
Unsung Britain· Living standards Unsung Britain Understanding the stresses and strains of low-to-middle income families across the country Wednesday 13 November 2024 There are around 13 million low-to-middle income families across Britain today. This diverse group of families are at the heart of the country’s economic prospects, and any government’s political mandate. And yet they are poorly understood – who they are, how their lives have changed, and the stresses and strains they are under. In order to better understand low-to-middle income Britain, the Resolution Foundation is launching a new 12-month project – with support from JPMorganChase – which will also investigate what can be done to boost their living standards. READ MORE
Budgets & fiscal events No pain, no gain? Assessing what the Budget means for the UK economy Thursday 31 October 2024 The Resolution Foundation is hosting its traditional ‘morning after the night before’ event to debate and answer questions about the Budget. Following a presentation of the key highlights from its overnight analysis of Autumn Budget 2024, we will hear from leading experts – including the Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility Richard Hughes – on the state of the public finances, the decisions taken or ducked by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and what the Budget means for firms, families and the future of the UK economy. READ MORE
Net zero Getting the green light How can we fairly share the costs of decarbonising transport? Thursday 17 October 2024 The next big hurdle on Britain’s path towards a green economy is decarbonising every-day travel. Emissions from getting around – from cars, vans, buses, trains and planes – make up the greatest share of the country’s carbon footprint, and have hardly shrunk in the past decade. So, if we want to go green, we need to overhaul the ways in which families get from A to B. Moving from polluting petrol to cheaper electric vehicles (EVs), ensuring lower income families can access EVs or affordable public transport, and that flying pays its way, are vital if the transition is to achieve widespread public consent and support. READ MORE
Five challenges· Budgets & fiscal events· Economy and public finances Tough medicine Assessing the Chancellor’s options in her first Budget Monday 14 October 2024 What tax and spend decisions might the Chancellor consider in order to put the public finances on a more even keel, and what might this mean for family finances? Can the tough medicine in the Budget be squared with the need to kickstart growth? How might the new Government navigate the politics of a post-election Budget? And what could this mean for the rest of the Parliament? READ MORE
Living standards· Pensions & savings Living standards in later life Are auto-enrolled workers saving enough for their retirement? Thursday 10 October 2024 One of the key goals of the Pensions Commission, published almost two decades ago, was to reform pension saving so that more people were encouraged to save enough for a decent income in retirement. The main policy recommendation of the Commission – auto-enrolment – has been rolled out and ramped up since then, and in … Continued READ MORE
Brexit & trade Rebooting Brexit Opportunities and challenges from resetting UK-EU trade relations Wednesday 9 October 2024 Britain has left the EU almost five years ago, and the economic damage – particularly when it comes to trade – is now clear. The new Government has put resetting UK-EU relations at the heart of its growth mission. But the concrete actions announced so far are unlikely to make much difference. A far more ambitious approach to rebooting our trading relations will be needed to really shift the economic dial. READ MORE
Structurally Unsound Social inequalities in the mid-2020s Tuesday 8 October 2024 The UK has made progress in addressing societal inequalities, but continues to be shaped by interlinked structural disparities. That includes those related to gender, race, class, sexuality, age and disability. Five years ago, the Resolution Foundation and UCL collaborated on a commission exploring the interactions between these inequalities. Since then, the UK has gone through significant challenges, including a pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis, so how have UK inequalities evolved? READ MORE
Party Conferences 2024 Resolution Foundation fringe events at Conservative and Labour Party Conferences Monday 23 September 2024 LABOUR: Better work across Britain: How can Labour improve pay and conditions for low earners? Monday 23rd September | 6:30 – 7:30pm The new Labour Government has proposed a broad range of employment reforms, which could amount to the biggest shake-up of UK workplaces in a generation. From greater protection against unfair dismissal to new … Continued READ MORE
Five challenges· Economic growth A build-up economic strategy How much growth could the Government’s reforms deliver? Thursday 19 September 2024 The past 15 years of economic stagnation has caused families’ living standards to flatline, and the new Government is right to put ‘kickstarting’ growth at the heart of its agenda. Already, Ministers have set out what many of their pro-growth reforms will be – from reforming planning rules to delivering 1.5 million homes, to setting … Continued READ MORE
Five challenges· Housing Building Blocks Can the Government hit its housing targets? Thursday 12 September 2024 The new Government has set an ambitious target of delivering 1.5 million new homes over a five-year period – at a rate that hasn’t been achieved since the 1960s – and has put planning reform at the heart of its agenda. But successive governments have aimed high, but delivered low, when it comes to housebuilding. … Continued READ MORE
Five challenges· Tax Taxed into a corner? The Chancellor’s options in the upcoming Budget Tuesday 10 September 2024 The Chancellor has set the date for the first Budget of Labour’s Government – 30th October – and has emphasised the stark fiscal difficulties facing the country, even if she goes ahead with the £23 billion a year of future tax rises announced by her predecessor but not yet implemented. The strains on the public … Continued READ MORE
Household debt· Pensions & savings· Wealth & assets A new era? Wealth and savings policy in the decade ahead Monday 9 September 2024 Register to attend in person or to receive access link for online viewers. Britain’s economy has been reshaped by 16 years of weak growth and stagnating incomes, and by a four-decade wealth boom that has only just been tempered by the recent rise in interest rates. This wealth boom – which has not been shared … Continued READ MORE
Five challenges· Labour market· Low pay Making the ‘New Deal’ a good deal for low-paid workers How should the Government deliver its planned changes to employment law? Thursday 5 September 2024 Register to attend in person or to receive an access link. The Government has come into office promising major workplace reforms that could amount to the biggest shake-up of the workplace in a generation. The ‘New Deal for Working People’ pledged a number of reforms, including to unfair dismissal, sick pay, employment status, zero hours … Continued READ MORE
Living standards A brighter shade of grey? The current outlook for living standards Thursday 29 August 2024 Register to attend in person or to receive an access link for online viewers. The last Parliament was truly awful for growth in household living standards. The combination of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis left the country on course for the worst parliament for disposable income growth since the early 1950s. But while the possibility … Continued READ MORE
Net zero Net zeroing in on investment Can the Government deliver a fair transition? Monday 22 July 2024 Register to attend in person or to receive an access link for online viewers. The new Labour Government says it wants clean energy – and wider action on climate change – at the heart of its new economic strategy, pledging to go further and faster on decarbonising electricity, insulating homes, and shifting to electric vehicles … Continued READ MORE
Political parties and elections The times are a-changin’ Assessing the political and economic outlook for the new Labour Government Thursday 11 July 2024 Labour has returned to power in Westminster for the first time in 14 years. The new Government has a big electoral mandate but faces a momentous task in delivering lasting economic and social change. From kickstarting growth and reducing poverty, to reforming the planning system, energy market and workplace conditions, Labour’s agenda is fraught with … Continued READ MORE
General Election 2024· Labour market Is Britain working? The labour market context to the general election Tuesday 25 June 2024 Since 2010, Britain’s labour market has gone through a period of boom and bust – with record jobs growth in the last decade followed by a struggle to return to pre-pandemic employment rates in the 2020s. And while the country has experienced an unprecedented pay depression, a rising minimum wage has driven down low pay … Continued READ MORE
General Election 2024· Universal Credit· Welfare The cost of poor health What does rising health-related benefit spending mean for the UK and its next government? Thursday 20 June 2024 Health-related benefit spending is rising – particularly among children and younger adults – and this increase is forecast to accelerate in the years ahead. With record numbers of people claiming disability benefits, incapacity benefits or both, there are serious questions to answer about what lies behind this trend and its impact on the health of … Continued READ MORE
General Election 2024· Welfare The state of welfare How has Britain’s safety net changed since 2010 and what comes next? Thursday 13 June 2024 Britain’s welfare system has undergone a major overhaul over the past decade, with major reforms as well as major cuts. In more recent years it’s faced unprecedented pressures, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the cost-of-living crisis. The social security system is at the heart of many general election debates, and this one looks set to … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Cities and regions· Scotland Ending stagnation How to boost prosperity across Scotland Thursday 6 June 2024 This event was in Glasgow. A toxic combination of 15 years of low growth, and four decades of high inequality, has left Britain poorer and falling behind its peers. Productivity growth is weak and public investment is low, while wages today are no higher than they were before the financial crisis. Britain needs a new … Continued READ MORE
General Election 2024· Public spending· Economy and public finances State crafting Changes and challenges for managing the public finances Wednesday 5 June 2024 Tax and spend are at the heart of every general election – understandably as they represent the most significant choices made by most governments. The size and shape of the state has changed substantially since 2010. Despite spending cuts and tax rises, public debt levels are up. Whoever wins the next election will have to … Continued READ MORE
