Covid-19· Low pay· Pay From loud claps to hard cash A new settlement for Britain’s low-paid workers Wednesday 3 June 2020 Low-paid workers have borne the brunt of Britain’s economic crisis. Almost one in three have been furloughed or lost their jobs completely, while many of those continuing to work have risked their lives in doing so. We clap many of our low-paid workers every Thursday. But gratitude alone won’t pay the bills or ensure they … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Welfare The safety net in action? Universal Credit’s role in the crisis and the recovery Wednesday 27 May 2020 Universal Credit (UC) has been rolled-out very slowly since 2015. But that all changed when coronavirus struck. Since mid-March over two million new claims have been made, a surge far in excess of anything experienced during the financial crisis. UC is the UK’s primary safety-net benefit, but this is the first time it has been … Continued READ MORE
Incomes· Inequality & poverty· Wealth & assets The hidden rise (and fall?) of the Top 1% Live online panel discussion Thursday 21 May 2020 For decades the incomes of the Top 1 per cent pulled away from the rest of society, before crashing back down in the 2008 financial crisis. But what has happened since then? Unfortunately, data on the incomes of the very rich often does a bad job of assessing how much they really receive, with capital … Continued READ MORE
Furloughing vs food stamps Comparing the UK and US responses to the corona crisis Tuesday 12 May 2020 When it comes to the labour market, the UK has long been said to have more in common with its cousin across the Atlantic than its neighbours across the Channel. But by adopting a Job Retention Scheme, in which the state is paying the wages of over six million private sector employees, the UK has … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Intergenerational Centre The corona class of 2020 How to support young people leaving education amid the crisis Monday 11 May 2020 Economic downturns can affect anyone’s job prospects, but history shows that young people are the worst hit. This is especially true for those who have the misfortune to leave education during a crisis – their pay levels and career prospects can remain scarred many years after the storm has passed. What are the challenges facing … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Economy and public finances· Macroeconomic policy An economic battleplan Assessing the design and delivery of Britain’s COVID-19 response Thursday 30 April 2020 Faced with an unprecedented economic crisis, the Government and the Bank of England have announced an unprecedented package of support measures – from business loans and more generous benefits, to paying the wages of a huge proportion of the private sector workforce. This bold action is costly but necessary – and more will be required … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Fiscal policy· Public spending· Economy and public finances The corona crisis The economic impact of COVID-19 Thursday 16 April 2020 The coronavirus public health crisis has quickly turned into an economic crisis. The necessary social distancing measures have closed down huge swathes of the UK economy, while the Government has committed hundreds of billions of pounds to supporting firms and workers through the downturn. Amid huge uncertainty about the scale and duration of the crisis, it is crucial that … Continued READ MORE
Big bangs for big bucks Making a success of the Budget’s £100bn infrastructure plan Wednesday 4 March 2020 Wednesday 4 March, 9.30-10.45am, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster The government wants to make ‘levelling up’ the country its defining mission – and it’s first big tool for making that happen will come at the Budget with the Chancellor expected to announce up to £100 billion of new capital spending. Our national infrastructure needs updating, our … Continued READ MORE
Budgets & fiscal events Blowing the Budget? The Resolution Foundation's pre-Budget report Monday 24 February 2020 The first Budget of a new parliament is always important as it frames the government’s economic agenda for the rest of the term. And the upcoming Budget is set to be big not just in political strategy terms, but in hard cash too – with £100bn of new capital spending expected to support the government’s … Continued READ MORE
Patrolling a ‘tight’ labour market The future of enforcing employment protections Thursday 13 February 2020 Thursday 13 February, 9.30-10.45am, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster A successful labour market needs to deliver on quantity and quality, creating a virtuous circle of better work and pay for everyone. The task facing policy makers is to set the rules of the labour market to make that a reality – and to ensure those rules … Continued READ MORE
New Decade, New Politics How should the Conservatives and Labour navigate the 2020s? Thursday 6 February 2020 Wednesday 29 January, 9.30-10.45am and Thursday 6 February, 9.30-10.45am, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster The 2010s was a tumultuous decade for politics, featuring four elections and three referendums, all under the long shadow of the global financial crisis. As we begin a new decade, the political landscape has completely changed – with the first strong government … Continued READ MORE
Working for your poverty Does work provide a reliable escape route from poverty? Tuesday 4 February 2020 Tuesday 4 February, 9.30-10.45am, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster Employment is at a record high, but working poverty has also risen across the UK – with two in three children living in poverty living in working households. Understanding why this is the case – and how it can be changed – is a critical question for … Continued READ MORE
Living standards· Housing Round the houses Will the new decade have any answers to the old question of Britain’s housing crisis? Thursday 30 January 2020 To mark the first edition of its new quarterly housing report, the Resolution Foundation will present new research on a decade of changes in housing, and the consequences for living standards today. An expert panel will join to discuss the issues. READ MORE
Right here, right now Assessing Universal Credit in policy and practice Tuesday 21 January 2020 Tuesday 21 January 10-11.15am, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster The decade-long roll-out of Universal Credit (UC) is at a critical juncture. This parliament, rather than the last one, will see the majority of people moving onto the benefit. Around seven million families across the UK will be receiving UC by 2024, following the final stage of … Continued READ MORE
Monetary policy· Low pay· Labour market· Pay· Economic growth Working Britain What does 2020 have in store for job prospects and pay packets? Friday 10 January 2020 Friday 10 January 2019, 9.30-10.45am, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster 2019 was a good year for the labour market – the area of the economy that matters most to households. Employment reached a new record high, while pay growth finally approached pre-crisis levels. The strong performance of the UK labour market is all the more remarkable … Continued READ MORE
Monetary policy· Public spending· Economy and public finances· Economic growth· Macroeconomic policy The Economic Outlook for 2020 and beyond Speech by MPC member Jonathan Haskel Friday 20 December 2019 Friday 20 December, 11am-12pm, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster The UK is about enter a new year, and a new decade, amid widespread economic uncertainty at home and abroad. Understanding the unique pressures facing the UK, and how our economy is influenced by wider economic trends, will be cruciall for policy makers as we enter a … Continued READ MORE
Political parties and elections Election dissection Analysing General Election 2019 Friday 13 December 2019 Friday 13 December, 12.15-1.30pm, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster On 12 December 2019 the UK had its third General Election in four years. After weeks and months of speculation, by lunchtime on Friday 13 December we had the results. But big questions remained. How – and where – was the election won and lost? What does … Continued READ MORE
Living standards· Tax· Welfare· Political parties and elections The choice facing Britain: What the manifestos reveal Thursday 28 November 2019 The manifestos have been published and the soundbites crafted – now the parties have only a few weeks left to make them land with voters. A few common themes have emerged: austerity is off and the spending taps are on, but there are big differences between the parties in terms of the size and role … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances· Welfare· Political parties and elections Beveridge mark II? The future of social security Tuesday 26 November 2019 From a new ‘triple-locked’ state pension to big welfare cuts for young families and the roll-out of the Universal Credit, no area of the state has undergone such a radical transformation over the past decade as social security. That transformation is set to continue in the next parliament too, as Universal Credit is extended to … Continued READ MORE
Don’t be evil What went wrong with big tech and how can we fix it? Tuesday 19 November 2019 Book launch for ‘Don’t Be Evil’ by Rana Foroohar When Google adopted their “Don’t be evil” motto in the late 1990s, many people believed new technologies would usher in a safer, happier, more-connected and more productive new world. Twenty years on, these technologies are now often associated with fears about privacy, fake news, and online … Continued READ MORE
Pay· Living Wage The floor’s the limit Examining the main parties’ plans for a higher minimum wage Monday 18 November 2019 An expert panel will discuss RF’s new analysis of the two main parties’ plans for the minimum wage, including how they compare with each other, with other countries, and how they might affect firms and workers across the UK. READ MORE
Tax· Political parties and elections A taxing election Do the parties’ tax plans match up to the needs of modern Britain? Wednesday 13 November 2019 At an event at its Westminster offices, the Resolution Foundation presented new analysis on the changing shape of the UK’s system, and the main parties’ tax plans. Panel including Edward Troup, former Executive Chair of HMRC. READ MORE
Inequality & poverty Growth vs equality: Trade-offs or complements? Book launch for ‘Unbound: How Inequality Constricts Our Economy and What We Can Do about It’ by Heather Boushey Tuesday 12 November 2019 Tuesday 12 November, 6-7.15pm, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster The US and UK have among the highest levels of inequality among advanced economies, and have remained stubbornly high across successive governments. Some policymakers have argued that that policies to prevent inequality rising, or to bring it back down, would cause wider harm by reducing economic growth. … Continued READ MORE
Intergenerational Centre Lending a hand Family support amid rising life expectancy Monday 11 November 2019 The Resolution Foundation will host an expert panel to discuss the changes a longer life will bring to our families. The panel – including Baroness Camilla Cavendish, journalist and author of Extra Time – will be chaired by Lord David Willetts. READ MORE
Intergenerational Centre Generation Pinched? Book launch for the new edition of The Pinch, by David Willetts Tuesday 5 November 2019 In 2010 David Willetts published The Pinch, the first book to warn that younger generations in Britain were losing out to the baby boomers. Ten years on, Lord Willetts has revised and updated The Pinch, drawing on new evidence from the Resolution Foundation. The evidence is even more overwhelming – and the problem is more … Continued READ MORE
