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Parliament is sitting for the first time since Andy Burnham took office and his government must now face a series of difficult trade-offs, and not a lot of money to help ease them. How the new PM handles them will be critical to the success of both his government and the country. Domestic issues loom large as concerns about the cost of living persist and public services continue to struggle. Questions remain about how Burnham’s devolution agenda will be delivered in practice, and whether it can foster greater equality between the regions. Hard choices must be made on how to fund new policy commitments, notably the Defence Investment plan and even more ambitious NATO targets. And with geopolitical crises causing shocks that are increasingly being felt at home, whether through inflationary pressures or rising energy and food costs, it’s unlikely to be a smooth road ahead. What are the biggest public policy challenges facing the new Government? How should the PM balance his domestic agenda with a turbulent foreign landscape? What might this shape the Budget next month? And how can the Government address these challenges in a way that resonates with a more and more fragmented public? Read the research here: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/policy-landscape-2026/

The UK’s net zero transition will have a major impact on our industrial mix and labour market. While the majority of new ‘green jobs’ are likely to be spread thinly across the UK, some local areas – particularly in the North of England and Scotland – will be much more acutely affected by the transition. How this is managed, and the effect on local living standards, is highly uncertain however – the replacement of old jobs with new ‘green’ ones, or the development of new low-carbon workforces, won’t happen overnight. To better understand the local impact of the UK’s net zero transition, the Foundation has spent the past six months diving deeply into two areas that will be at the heart of this change – Aberdeen and Grimsby. Will Aberdeen ever be able to replicate the oil-based riches of past decades? How can Grimsby maximise the clean energy opportunities taking place in and around the town? Where should net zero sit in the Government’s industrial strategy and in its push for more devolution? And what is the likely impact on living standards? Read the research here: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/second-wind/

In recent decades, fiscal policy in the UK has delivered the worst of all worlds. Satisfaction with key public services has fallen, taxes are at a record high, and yet levels of debt – and the cost of servicing it – have still shot up. Successive Prime Ministers and Chancellors have failed to face up to the true state of Britain’s public finances. The task now falls to PM-in-waiting Andy Burnham and whoever his Chancellor may be. If they fail to rise to the challenge, the trade-offs on public services, taxes and benefits will get very painful. How does Andy Burnham’s inheritance compare to his predecessors? What have been the biggest mistakes of fiscal policy in recent decades? Where is the UK’s debt trajectory heading if current tax and spend decisions continue? Is growth the only possible escape route? What kind of policies should the new PM and Chancellor consider to get the public finances on a healthier footing? Read the report here: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/the-great-escape/

For the first time in over a decade, over a million young people across Britain are not in employment, education or training. The causes of the crisis are myriad and complex, but at least one of the ways out of it is straightforward – businesses need to be incentivised to take on more young people. However,  these incentives could  take many forms, and finding the right hiring solutions is a crucial issue being explored by Alan Milburn’s Review into young people and work. What is really holding businesses back from hiring young people today? Is it high labour costs, a lack of appropriate skills, or are other barriers at play? What kinds of incentives have worked best in other countries? Are wage subsidies more effective than tax cuts? And how much might a bold new package for employers cost? The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions, featuring a keynote speech from Alan Milburn. Following a presentation of the key highlights from new Resolution Foundation research, we will also hear from leading employers and experts on how businesses can be incentivised to take on more young people.

Ten years ago, the UK voted to leave the EU – a decision that was always bound to cause significant economic disruption. But it’s far from the only big economic shock we’ve experienced since – from pandemics to trade wars and now the AI revolution. While many will spend this anniversary looking backwards, it’s just as important to look forward and consider how we can navigate economic change in the decade ahead. How has the UK’s trade in goods and services changed over the past decade, and how much is down to Brexit compared to other global shifts? How has the UK fared compared to its G7 peers? What does the past decade of economic change mean for the future of the UK’s industrial strategy?  And are there strengths to leverage, as well as weaknesses to defend? The Resolution Foundation has hosted an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of new research marking ten years since the Brexit vote and just over five years of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, we will hear from leading experts on at the scale of economic change the UK has experienced over the past decade and how to boost growth over the next ten years. Listen to High Resolution, our main podcast, here: https://open.spotify.com/show/5f5tUJPYEowcKhNS7cnZLY

We spend a lot of time thinking about money, but almost no time thinking about how odd it actually is. No other abstract concept plays such a significant role in our everyday lives, with this system built entirely on trust. The Bank of England, as the guardians of Britain’s money, have for the first time written a book about how it makes the world go round – and what happens when it breaks down. In their new book Money: The Inside Story, economists Rupal Patel and Jack Leslie pull back the curtain on how money is supposed to work, what happens when it doesn’t, and where it might be going next. How is money created? What happens in a crisis? And what might new technologies mean for the future of money? The Resolution Foundation has hosted an event to mark the launch of Jack and Rupal’s new book. Joining them on stage will be acclaimed author, journalist and co-host of the hit new FT Podcast The Story of Money Gillian Tett, who can shed light on how money has shaped history and taken down even the sharpest minds. Listen to High Resolution, our main podcast, here: https://linktr.ee/highresolutionpodcast

Collective bargaining has long been crucial to worker power in Britain. But after decades of union decline, a collective voice is increasingly rare leaving workers to assert themselves individually in the workplace instead. Yet in reality, many workers in low-paid and precarious sectors such as hospitality, cleaning and warehousing – the focus of new Resolution Foundation research – feel they have little to no influence over the decisions that impact them, including on pay and hours. How does the power balance between firms and workers play out in low-paid and precarious sectors? How have the key ways workers exert power changed? And what does this mean for wider labour market conditions and dynamism? The Resolution Foundation has hosted an event to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of research featuring a new survey and qualitative interviews with Organise members in precarious sectors of the economy, we will hear from leading experts on how power is experienced at the bottom of the labour market, and the implications for employers and policy makers. Read 'Take it or leave it' here: https://buff.ly/FpSAd0C  Listen to High Resolution, our main podcast, here: https://linktr.ee/highresolutionpodcast

Social security has been undergoing a quiet revolution across the UK. While attention has focused on the roll-out of Universal Credit, many other aspects of the benefits system are devolved, allowing governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to take different approaches to welfare. As newly elected MSs and MSPs prepare to take their seats in the Senedd and the Scottish Parliament, and as the issue of welfare reform continues to loom large over Westminster, understanding what these differences are, and what reforms have worked well, could help to improve the system for everyone. What are the key differences in social security across the four nations of the UK, and is it fair that families may be entitled to very different amounts in different parts of the UK? Which reforms have worked best, and hold lessons for other governments? Should we go further in devolving social security, or does the partially-devolved, partially-reserved nature of social security cause problems for claimants in devolved nations? And what are the wider lessons for welfare reform? The Resolution Foundation hosted an event to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of highlights from new research by the Safety Nets project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and which the Resolution Foundation has contributed to, on social security across the four nations, we will hear from leading experts on what lessons can be learned for further welfare reform.

The Labour Government has had a bruising start to the Parliament. It is trailing badly in the polls and is expecting a battering in the local, Welsh and Scottish elections in early May. Another relaunch and plan for a comeback in the second half of the Parliament is expected soon. But the parameters of this relaunch are hotly disputed. With:  Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University Yuan Yang MP, Labour MP for Earley and Woodley Tom McTague, Editor in Chief of the New Statesman James Smith, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation Ruth Curtice, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation (Chair)   To read the report: See it. Say it. Sort it. • Resolution Foundation

Nearly one million 16-24 year olds across the UK today are not in employment, education or training. There are many drivers of the recent rise in NEETs, from the costs of hiring to worrying trends in young people’s mental health. But the UK has long had a higher NEET rate than many other advanced economies, and so we also need to look deeper at structural issues like the education and benefits systems. With Alan Milburn’s independent review into tackling the NEETs challenge currently underway, now is the time to think how we can really improve the transition from education to employment for young people today. To what extent are young people today disadvantaged in the labour market? How could the benefit system be reformed to improve outcomes for young people? Why does post-16 education continue to let down those not taking the traditional A-levels to university path? And what would a holistic package to address our NEETs problem look like?

Although the eventual impact of the escalating war in the Middle East is unknowable, we do know that it is already adding to cost of living pressures, that inflation and the path of interest rates will be higher, and that growth rates for GDP and disposable incomes will be lower (and may turn negative). The Resolution Foundation is hosting a pair of events in April to unpack what the effects of the war are on the UK economy, and how policy makers should respond.   This second event will focus on the wider outlook for the economic and public finances. How much might the war reduce the UK’s growth prospects? What fresh policy support might be needed in the face of a potentially acute and prolonged price shock? How will this affect interest rates and mortgages? And what might an outlook for lower growth, higher inflation, higher debt servicing costs and fresh policy support mean for the public finances, and the Chancellor’s fiscal rules? Following a presentation of wider domestic economic implications of the war in the Middle East, the Foundation will be joined by leading experts in their fields to discuss what might unfold, and how the Government and Bank of England should respond. The event will be open for people to physically attend, alongside being broadcast via YouTube and the Resolution Foundation website. Viewers will be able to submit questions to the panel before and during the event via Slido.

Although the eventual impact of the escalating war in the Middle East is unknowable, the increase in the price of oil and gas means we already know energy and petrol costs are set to rise.   Knock on effects will hit food prices and wider inflation, not to mention the second-round effects on wage negotiations, interest rates, debt-servicing costs and wider economic growth. The Resolution Foundation is hosting a pair of events in April to unpack what the effects of the war are on the UK economy, and how policy makers should respond. Part I will focus on the coming cost of living crunch. What is the outlook for petrol prices, energy bills, the cost of a supermarket shop and wider inflation? How might this affect the outlook for family living standards? Can the Government respond to this coming cost of living crunch effectively? And how can it balance the need to provide clear, effective and targeted support with a price tag that the UK economy can afford? The Foundation will be joined by leading experts in their fields to discuss the impact on households, and how the Government should respond. Part II will focus on what the economic fallout of the war could mean for growth and the state of the public finances, and how this could shape future interest rate decisions and the next Budget. This event will take place on Wednesday 22nd April.

All developed countries are grappling with a falling birth rate, and the UK is no different. While the UK’s birth rate has often fluctuated, it has fallen sharply since 2012, and a rebound anytime soon looks unlikely. There are cultural and economic drivers behind the recent shortfall; and the implications will be both immediate and pose challenges well into the future. Is the UK’s declining birth rate worth worrying about in the first place? What explains the recent trend of falling birth rates? Should policymakers be acting on this, and if so, what could be done? The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and discuss these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from its latest research on the significant implications of Britain’s plunging birth rate, we will hear from leading experts on why it matters, how, and if, policymakers should respond, and what we can learn from across the globe.

The dream of owning your own home is a powerful life goal for many. Once realised, it comes with better living standards, as well economic security. But many families are failing to get over the barriers to accessing a mortgage – from finding a deposit to passing banks’ affordability tests. Indeed, many would say such regulation has gone too far and it is time for a loosening.   To what extent has falling home ownership among young and lower-income families been driven by regulation, wider market conditions or government policy? How many people are on the margins of home ownership, and what is stopping them from making that next step? Should policy makers intervene to support home ownership, and what are the risks of intervention in terms of elevated house prices, mortgage debt and loans on the Government’s balance sheet?

In his new book Why Populists Are Winning and How to Beat Them, British Labour Party Politician and the MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North Liam Byrne draws on original research from across Europe and America to explore why populism has seduced voters worldwide. Liam sets out populism’s ‘five tribes’ – and which of these voters can still be won back by the centre. Drawing connections between rising inequality and the growing appeal of populism, Liam sets out a game-plan to tackle the populist surge. The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate key questions – and answers – raised by Liam’s book. He will be joined by Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation Ruth Curtice, alongside David Guake and Gaby Hinsliff, to unpack this timely call to action.