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Resolution Foundation Event Recordings

Recordings of live Resolution Foundation events covering our latest research and policy debates on improving the living standards of lower income families.
Find the event slides referenced in each event recording on the events section of our website: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/
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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 end of the honeymoon? Policy choices and challenges for the year ahead

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/

Re-industrialising the North? Net zeroing in on Aberdeen and Grimsby

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/

Breaking free of fiscal chains: How to get the public finances back on a sustainable path

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.

Firm handshakes: How can businesses 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

Leaving EU behind How Britain lost its trading edge and how to get it back

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

Money talks Book launch event for Money: The Inside Story by Rupal Patel and Jack Leslie

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

The (im)balance of power | Can workers in precarious sectors exert influence over pay and working conditions?

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 welfare of nations: How does social security differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

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

Second half comeback? Resetting Government economic priorities for the remainder of the Parliament

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?

Closer to work: How to tackle Britain’s NEETs challenge

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.
 

The economic fallout from war in the Middle East Part II: The outlook for the economy and public finances

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. 

The economic fallout from war in the Middle East Part I: Tackling the cost of living crunch

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 Great British Baby Bust: Should we worry about the UK’s falling birth rate, and can we do anything about it?

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?

Stopping dreams coming true: Is financial regulation holding back Britons’ aspirations of home ownership?

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.

The populist party crashers: Book launch event for Why Populists Are Winning and How to Beat Them by Liam Byrne MP

Britain has long seen lower intergenerational social mobility than many of its peers, with those from lower-income backgrounds receiving lower earnings as adults than those from more affluent backgrounds. University is often seen as the ticket out of this social mobility trap, but is this true? Unpacking the factors driving persistent earnings gaps for young people based on their background is vital if we’re to lift living standards for those from lower-income backgrounds.
How significant is the earnings gap between graduates from different backgrounds and how does this change over time? To what extent can this be accounted for by educational choices and where people work – and how much cannot?

Social immobility scars: The persistence of earnings gaps facing graduates from lower-income families

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We interrupt this program to bring you an announcement...

The Treasury promised us a boring non-event, which on the day was massively over-shadowed by events in the Middle East anyway. Ruth Curtice discusses the merits of annual fiscal events, the difficulty of getting growth going, and what to expect in the Chancellor's upcoming (and unprecedented) *second* Mais Lecture, with James Smith (Chief Economist at the Resolution Foundation) and Giles Wilkes (Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government). 
Read Understatement of the year on our website today, for the full detail of our Spring Forecast response.
 
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Understatement of the year?

The Government came into office promising to tackle policy uncertainty by limiting major fiscal events to one a year. They failed to deliver this last year, but are determined to deliver a ‘policy free’ Spring Forecast next week. Have they achieved greater policy certainty, or been scuppered by the cost of policy U-turns, public service pressures, major changes in the UK economic outlook, or problems that need fixing before the Autumn Budget?
 
Speakers

David Miles
Member of the Budget Responsibility Committee at the OBR


Dharshini David
BBC’s Deputy Economics Editor


James Smith
Chief Economist at the Resolution Foundation


Ruth Curtice
Chief Executive at the Resolution Foundation

Taking the temperature: Spring Forecast 2026 and the prospects for borrowing, growth and living standards

Catch up on a recording of our recent event discussing the outlook ahead of the Chancellor's Spring Forecast.
The Autumn Budget was barely three months ago, but the UK has experienced plenty of economic and political drama since then. In the short time between OBR forecasts, there have been encouraging signs on the public finances and the outlook for inflation. But growth remains sluggish and uncertainty elevated amid rising geopolitical tensions. There are some signs of productivity ‘green shoots’, but the risk is they are indicative of higher unemployment.
 
Speakers

Karen Ward - Managing Director at JPMorgan Asset Management


Yael Selfin - Vice Chair and Chief Economist KPMG in the UK


Andy King - Specialist Partner at Flint Global


James Smith - Chief Economist at the Resolution Foundation


Ruth Curtice - Chief Executive at the Resolution Foundation (Chair)

Where is the UK economy heading?

Britain does not feel like a nation at ease – and hasn’t done for a very long while. By more than two-to-one, Britons last year judged the country to be on the “wrong track” rather than heading in the “right direction”. Ruth Curtice, the Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, discusses the experiences and prospects for the nation's poorer half with Scarlett Maguire and Tom Clark.

Who are 'Unsung Britain'?

The Resolution Foundation has documented two decades of UK economic underperformance and stagnant living standards.
 
18 months into a government elected on a mandate of change and growth, and following the publication of Mountain climbing, we're assessing their growth strategy – its intentions, its achievements, and its prospects moving ahead into an uncertain world. Lord David Willetts, the President of the Resolution Foundation, is joined by Sophie Hale, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation, and Anna Leach, Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors.

Growing pains

The UK has made good progress towards net zero in recent decades. But the agriculture sector stands out as having made barely any progress. To meet our legally-binding climate targets, agriculture and land use will need to decarbonise seven times quicker this decade than in the past 15 years. Fundamental changes to how we make food and use land will be needed. But decarbonisation in this area is hard and any efforts will need to overcome considerable political and living standards barriers to reform.
 
How can policy makers meet the decarbonisation challenge while protecting living standards for farmers and consumers, while also upholding food security? How can better-designed land-use policy play a role? How should the sector’s generous subsidy system be overhauled? And who should pay for greening food production?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of our latest policy proposals on the farming sector, we will hear from leading experts on the challenges of cutting emissions from food production, reshaping how land is used, and how to take a living standards-first approach to these.

Net zero farming: How can we kick-start the net zero transition in farming without making the cost of living crisis worse?

The roll out of Universal Credit began way back in April 2013, a process that has been beset by delays, design changes, controversy and criticism from across the political spectrum. But 13 years on, the roll out is almost complete and Universal Credit is here to stay. As we approach this crucial milestone and the Government is undertaking its own internal review of the benefit, now is a good opportunity to take fresh look at UC’s design and structure and ask what operational changes could be made to improve the experience and outcomes for the seven million families claiming UC today.
How could changes to Universal Credit improve income stability for its claimants? How could the interaction between the benefit system and work be smoother? What could be done to improve trust in Universal Credit? And can make Universal Credit be made to work better without breaking the bank?

Fixing the 13-year itch: How to make Universal Credit work for the millions of families who claim it

Resolution Foundation Research Director Lindsay Judge talks you through the learnings from recent benefit reforms in Scotland, joined by Louise Murphy and Ben Geiger. Read 'Delivering dignity' on our website today to learn more.

What can Westminster learn from Scotland on reforming disability benefits?

Adult social care is a vital public service. But this is not reflected in the pay and job quality on offer for England’s 1.5 million social care workers. Low-pay, zero-hours contracts, and breaches of labour market rules are worryingly widespread, and have contributed to a longstanding recruitment and retention crisis. The Government has rightly sought to address this by setting up a new Adult Social Care Negotiating Body (ASCNB), that brings together workers and employers to draw up a Fair Pay Agreement (FPA). But there are still big questions about how to turn this worthy ambition into deliverable improvements across the sector.
How can the ASCNB be set up quickly while delivering lasting improvements to care workers’ conditions? Which workers should be covered by the FPA, and what terms and conditions should be included? And how should the FPA be enforced in a sector currently rife with labour market non-compliance?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person event and interactive webinar to debate and discuss these questions. Following a presentation of the key recommendations from a new Resolution Foundation report, we will hear from leading experts on the key policy questions the Government needs to resolve to ensure the success of the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body and Fair Pay Agreement.

Taking better care of our workers: How can a Fair Pay Agreement improve conditions for social care staff?

Immigration is one of the most salient and polarised issues among the British public – and one that successive Government policy initiatives have failed to resolve. Now central to the UK’s political debate, the issue regularly makes headlines and is used as a device by parties to win public opinion. Seen by some as a missing part of the UK’s growth strategy, and by others as having gone too far, any discussions are often binary and divisive. And while politicians recognise the need to get immigration policy right; they continue to be torn over what strategy is best, let alone how to deliver it.
In his latest book Why Immigration Policy Is Hard, Professor of Economics at the LSE and former Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee Alan Manning makes the case that while immigration policy will never satisfy everyone, that doesn’t mean it can’t be (and needs to be) done much better. Using cutting-edge international research, Alan seeks to inform debate by first building a picture of migration across the world, then assessing the issue from both the migrant and receiving countries’ perspective. Alan then assesses options for policy design, pushing for decisions to be made even where there are difficult trade-offs.

Can UK governments ever get immigration policy right? Book launch event for 'Why Immigration Policy Is Hard' by Professor Alan Manning

The Chancellor has prepared the pitch for a tough second Budget, with tax rises expected as part of a fiscal strategy designed to reassure markets that the UK’s public finances are firmly under control. But the Chancellor has also promised to protect the NHS, boost growth and support families with the cost of living. Acting decisively on all of these priorities would be no mean feat as part of a Budget that takes more than it gives.
How tough a settlement has the Chancellor delivered on tax rises and spending cuts? To what extent have manifesto pledges been breached? How much will the measures announced help or hinder economic growth? Who are the main winners and losers? And to what extent has this Budget laid the groundwork for the rest of the Parliament?
Speakers

Richard Hughes
Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility


Kamal Ahmed
Columnist at the Daily Telegraph


Yael Selfin
Vice Chair and Chief Economist at KPMG


James Smith
Research Director at the Resolution Foundation


Ruth Curtice
Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation (Chair)

Second album syndrome? What Autumn Budget 2025 means for the public, financial markets and the cost of living

Please note that due do technical difficulties the last couple of minutes of this event are not included in the recording. 
November 13th 2025
The Budget run-in has centred around what taxes the Chancellor will need to raise to meet her fiscal rules. But housing could potentially play an equally decisive role. Ambitious planning reform could deliver the economic growth that Britain so desperately needs, the current mess of property taxation is ripe for reform, and better support for families in rented accommodation could raise living standards and reduce child poverty. Successive governments have failed to grapple with Britain’s housing challenges, but can the Chancellor afford not to grasp it?
How can planning reform be strengthened, and what might it mean for growth? How much appetite is there for touching the terrible twin taxes of stamp duty and council tax? And how should housing feature in the Government’s new Child Poverty strategy that will sit alongside the Budget?
SPEAKERS

Emily Williams
Director of Residential Research at Savills


Paul Cheshire
Emeritus Professor of Economic Geography at the LSE


Jamie Carswell
Director of Housing and Safer Communities at the Royal Borough of Greenwich


Hannah Aldridge
Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the Resolution Foundation


Ruth Curtice
Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation (Chair)

Finding the right keys for growth: How should housing feature in the Budget?

The Resolution Foundation has recently published research assessing how the Government can help families with high energy bills. Our Chief Executive discussed the proposals with Jonathan Marshall (one of our Principal Economists) and Adam Scorer, the Chief Executive of National Energy Action. Tune in to learn about the drivers of Britain’s stubbornly high household energy bills, and how reform of the costs added onto bills offers a route for helping families with the cost of living this winter. To learn more, read 'Splitting the bill' on our website today: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/splitting-the-bill/

When the levies break?

After delivering her first Budget last autumn, which included the biggest tax rises in decades to fund a major boost to public services, Rachel Reeves said that she would not be coming back with more tax increases. Fast forward 12 months and she’s about to do just that given a deteriorating outlook for the public finances risk the fiscal rules being broken. So the task for the Chancellor at this Budget is to show that she is serious about meeting her rules, boosting growth, and relieving cost of living pressures. Delivering all three in one Budget is an unenviable task.
How has the UK’s economic outlook changed since March? To what extent is our economic future being shaped by present uncertainty, or past poor performance? How much tax and spend tightening might the Chancellor need to? And how can she raise more revenue in a way that does the least harm to economic growth and living standards?

Back for more? The Chancellor’s tax and spend options in her upcoming Budget

The number of 16-24 year olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) is increasing, and drawing more political focus. Policy makers are right to worry about this major living standards concern – not earning or learning in early adulthood can stunt careers and earning potential for many years into the future. But if we’re to help NEETs we need to understand who they are and why they’re NEET, so that solutions are based on actual rather than imagined problems.
How many young people are NEET in Britain today? What’s driven the recent change, and how does it differ by age and gender? What are the key education and labour market problems facing young people today, and what can policy makers do to help them?

Seeking a NEET solution: Why are so many young people not learning or earning?

In recent years, UK households have faced a number of economic challenges, contributing to subdued growth and increased living costs. These pressures have been particularly noticeable during the period of elevated inflation following the pandemic, and higher interest rates in response. These conditions have influenced household finances and behaviours, which affects how policymakers seek to shape the monetary policy environment.
In a keynote speech at the Resolution Foundation, External Member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee Dr. Catherine L. Mann will discuss how the recent episode of above-target inflation and higher interest rates have affected households’ consumption, savings, and financial behaviour. As part of that assessment, she will also consider how above-target inflation tends to be associated with higher volatility and uncertainty, and what that means for households’ decisions.
Following Catherine’s keynote address, we will hear a response from former MPC member Michael Saunders before both panellists take part in a Q&A, chaired by President of the Resolution Foundation David Willetts.

Explaining the consumption gap: Keynote speech by External MPC member Dr. Catherine L. Mann

The story of wealth across Britain has, until recently, been a straightforward one – decades of rising prices, benefiting those lucky enough to own assets. But that story has been upended in the past few years as interest rates rocketed off their historically low levels in response to the highest inflation in decades. Britain needs to look again at the size and distribution of household wealth, and people’s ability to become wealthier.
What happened to household wealth during the pandemic? What has that meant for wealth inequality? Were some families financially vulnerable even before the cost of living crisis? To what extent do people become more or less wealthy over time? And how does wealth mobility – or the lack thereof – affect people’s lifetime living standards?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from the Foundation’s Wealth Audit we will hear from leading experts on the level, distribution and mobility of wealth across Britain, and why it matters.

Snakes and ladders: The shifting sands of wealth in Britain

Britain is desperate for stronger economic growth, and technological progress – notably through AI – is often touted as a route out of stagnation. After all, technological change is commonly thought to have been the main driver of economic growth throughout history. However, if that reading of technological change is far too simplistic, with progress in fact far stilted, what does that mean for our future economic prospects?
In a groundbreaking new book, economist Carl Benedikt Frey looks back over the past millennium to show how technological change has driven growth, but also stagnation. Using these lessons from history, Carl then looks ahead to the impact of AI – whether it will really deliver the stronger economic growth we all crave, or what can be done to shape that change.
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer the questions by Carl’s new book. He will be joined by Resolution Foundation President Lord Willetts to discuss the impact of technical change on economic growth and living standards, and what policy makers can do to shape that change in a positive direction.

Saviour or stagnator?: Technology, AI and economic growth

The Chancellor has fired the starting gun on the run-in to one of the most challenging second Budgets in living memory. The Chancellor has already said her fiscal rules are sacrosanct, but higher gilt yields, policy u-turns and a likely growth downgrade mean she is on track to miss them without further fiscal consolidation. With spending plans agreed only last June, all roads point to more tax rises.
What should be the tax strategy for the upcoming Budget and beyond, and what might that mean for who loses out? Is there an economic case for breaking Labour’s tax manifesto commitment, and is it worth the political cost of doing so? And how should the Chancellor align her tax strategy with wider ambitions to boost growth and living standards?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from its latest research on how to deliver tax reform that doesn’t damage growth, we will hear from leading experts on the trade-offs the Chancellor is likely to face on tax in her upcoming Budget.

Call of duties: What should the Chancellor’s tax strategy be for the Budget?

Savings are supposed to be the first line of defence against financial shocks. But in reality, millions of families across Britain don’t have enough to be more than a few pay-days away from trouble. For many low-income households in particular, the focus is less about building up savings and more avoiding the building up of debts and arrears. All of this can leave families vulnerable to one-off costs such as a car break-down or bust boiler – let alone bigger shocks such as redundancy.
How financially resilient are the 13 million low-to-middle income families that make up Unsung Britain? After the cost of living crisis and the rise of ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ schemes, how many families are in problem debt? How can those on lower incomes be encouraged to save more? And how should we deal with the large rise in rent, council tax and utilities arrears?
Speakers
Tim Jarvis
Director for Markets at Ofgem
Vikki Brownridge
Chief Executive of StepChange
Sebastian Burnside
Group Chief Economist at NatWest Group
Felicia Odamtten
Economist at the Resolution Foundation
Ruth Curtice
Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation
 

Stronger shock absorbers: How to build the financial resilience of low-to-middle income households

After a not-so-quiet summer, MPs are returning from recess to a torrent of public policy challenges. Immigration remains the public’s top concern, with the economy and the NHS not far behind. Defence has also climbed the list – with the extra spending it brings adding to already daunting public finance pressures. Decisions on these issues come with unavoidable trade-offs; at a time when the parties will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on their own performance in the polls.
What are the biggest public policy challenges facing the UK? Which of these are most important to the public? What are the options for addressing these, in the immediate and long-term? And what might the implications of potential decisions the Government make on these be?
Speakers
Rob Ford
Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester (Virtual)
Anita Charlesworth
Senior Economic Adviser at The Health Foundation
David Bailey
Professor of Business Economics at the Birmingham Business School
Anand Menon
Director of UK in a Changing Europe
Ruth Curtice
Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation (Chair)

Hot topics, hard choices: Addressing the policy landscape for 2025-26

The Chancellor has fired the starting gun on the run-in to one of the most challenging second Budgets in living memory. The Chancellor has already said her fiscal rules are sacrosanct, but higher gilt yields, policy u-turns and a likely growth downgrade mean she is on track to miss them without further fiscal consolidation. With spending plans agreed only last June, all roads point to more tax rises.
What should be the tax strategy for the upcoming Budget and beyond, and what might that mean for who loses out? Is there an economic case for breaking Labour’s tax manifesto commitment, and is it worth the political cost of doing so? And how should the Chancellor align her tax strategy with wider ambitions to boost growth and living standards?
SPEAKERS


Dan Neidle
Tax lawyer, journalist and commentator


Lord David Willetts
President of the Resolution Foundation


Adam Corlett
Principal Economist at the Resolution Foundation


Ruth Curtice
Chief Executive at the Resolution Foundation

Saviour or stagnator? Technology, AI and economic growth

Making Britain work for everyone: How can employers go further to recruit and retain disabled workers?
Speakers include Charlie Mayfield, lead of the Keep Britain Working review 
Boosting employment among people with a health condition or disability is a crucial part of this Government’s agenda; from reaching an employment rate of 80 per cent, to reducing economic inactivity and curbing welfare spending. Yet disabled people continue to face barriers to employment. Encouraging employers to go further in hiring and retaining disabled people is key to shifting the dial on this.

Making Britain work for everyone: How can employers go further to recruit and retain disabled workers?

From healthcare to carers’ care
How disabilities and caring responsibilities impact the lives of lower-income Britain
The rising prevalence of ill-health and disability across Britain has been under the spotlight recently; not least the implications for the country’s benefits bill. But the impact on those who are ill or disabled, and the family members who care for them, has been less discussed. Disability and the caring needs that can come with it already disproportionately affect the poorer half of Britain, and many of these families face a severe income penalty as a result.

From healthcare to carers’ care How disabilities and caring responsibilities impact the lives of lower-income Britain

A timely discussion exploring the profound transformation of global trade, amid rising tariffs and mounting geopolitical tensions.
What are the broader economic implications for the UK, US and wider global landscape?
The discussion will be chaired by Chaired by the Rt Hon Lord David Willetts, joined by an expert panel; Professor Meredith Crowley, Russell Napier and Sherman Robinson.
Brought to you by the Resolution Foundation, Society of Professional Economists and Royal Economic Society.

A new world order: The economic implications of global trade, tariffs, and uncertainty

New deal or no deal
How will the Employment Rights Bill impact workers, businesses and the wider economy?
 



Kate Bell
Assistant General Secretary at the TUC


Neil Carberry
Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation


Darren Newman
Employment Law Consultant


Nye Cominetti
Principal Economist at the Resolution Foundation


Greg Thwaites
Research Director at the Resolution Foundation (Chair)

New deal or no deal? How will the Employment Rights Bill impact workers, businesses and the wider economy?

The price is tight
How are the cost of essentials affecting low-to-middle-income families across Britain?
 

Speakers

Clare Moriarty
Chief Executive of Citizens Advice


Peter Levell
Deputy Research Director at the IFS


Lalitha Try
Economist at the Resolution Foundation


Mike Brewer
Deputy Chief Executive at the Resolution Foundation (Chair)

The price is tight: How are the cost of essentials affecting low-to-middle-income families across Britain?

Britain is racked by pay divides – on gender, race, age and education status. But one of its starkest inequalities centres on geography, which is far more complex than Londoners earning more than everyone else. But while regional pay inequality is widely discussed, what drives these divides is less well understood. And that really matters if we’re to tackle these inequalities.

The pay postcode lottery: What is driving Britain’s place-based wage divides?

The Government’s fiscal events have had a shaky start so far. The Autumn Budget unveiled £41 billion of tax rises by 2029-30, while the Spring Statement was dominated by controversial welfare reform that will hit poorer families the hardest. The Spending Review provides a fresh opportunity to focus on growth and living standards, as it sets out the details of over £40 billion additional annual day-to-day public service spending, and over £100 billion worth of infrastructure funding. But with Britain facing the strong headwinds of global economic turbulence and strained public services, will it be third time lucky for the Chancellor?
Has the Government boosted public services across the board, or has the NHS taken the lion’s share of the cash? Has public investment centred on repairing Britain’s fraying social infrastructure – its schools, hospitals and housing stock – or building new economic and energy infrastructure? Have limited resources been effectively prioritised to support growth and improve living standards? And how might the Spending Review shape the upcoming Budget this Autumn?

Third time lucky: Has the Spending review delivered for middle Britain?

The effects of Covid-19 and double-digit inflation may have faded, but the cost of living remains a top concern for families. Recent tax increases, coupled with rising utility bills and housing costs, are adding to the pressures that households face. The jobs market is loosening with unemployment rising and real-pay rises shrinking. And these domestic pressures sit aside global economic uncertainty that will inevitably impact families at home.
How has the outlook for living standards changed in light of recent events? What do these developments mean for the experiences of different households?  How might changes in the economic or policy outlook affect households, for better or for worse? And what policies would have the biggest impact for lower-income families?
 

Stormy clouds or brighter horizons? The UK’s uncertain outlook for living standards

Book launch for Exile Economics: What happens if globalisation fails by Ben Chu

Little Britain? What might happen if globalisation goes into reverse

Where are the Government’s welfare reforms heading?

Britain’s new safety net: Where are the Government’s welfare reforms heading?

Which areas of public investment should be prioritised at the Spending Review?

How to spend £100 billion wisely

What are the labour market experiences of foreign-born workers? How do systemic issues allow poor practices to persist? What are the wider implications for the UK labour market? And how can policy – including the measures in the upcoming Employment Rights Bill – better protect workers?

The challenges for Britain’s migrant workforce: Understanding precarious work among foreign-born workers, and implications for wider labour market policy.

Our homes are now the second biggest contributor the UK’s carbon footprint, and efforts to address this rely on the widespread replacement of gas boilers with electric heat pumps. But the rollout of heat pumps is slow and behind schedule, despite generous grants on offer, and particularly so among low-to-middle income families and those living in urban areas. Home heating is one of the most visible parts of the net zero transition to households, and a policy shift is required to get more fitted into homes and ensure that all families ultimately benefit via lower energy bills. But these shifts are neither free, nor straightforward.

Turning up the heat How to quicken Britain’s heat pumps roll-out and hit our net zero targets

Despite the cuts announced in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, spending on public services is set to be on average £43 billion higher over the years of the upcoming Spending Review, compared with what was set out by the previous Government at the 2024 Spring Budget. But with much of this extra spending front-loaded to this year and next, questions remain about funding pressures in the years after that. These services are vital for families – providing ‘in kind’ benefits which provide a huge boost to the living standards of lower-income households. So future provision will make a difference to the outlook for living standards.

Making public services better for low-to-middle income families

What is driving the US’ impressive productivity outperformance? How does it differ from the UK, and what lessons can be drawn? And what can firms and policy makers do to reverse the UK’s productivity woes, and prevent another decade of economic stagnation in Britain?

A league of their own: What can the UK learn from the US’ post-pandemic productivity acceleration?

Book launch for The Measure of Progress by Diane Coyle.

The metrics that really matter How can we better measure economic and societal change?

The minimum wage has been a huge success story since its introduction in 1999 – but 2025 might be its trickiest year yet. The combination of increases to employer National Insurance and a bigger-than-expected 6.7 per cent rise in the National Living Wage has left businesses warning of jobs cuts and hiring freezes. Previous such warnings haven’t materialised, but with the jobs market already in recession territory, might this year be different? It is amidst this uncertainty and challenging backdrop that the Government will need set out a longer-term plan for the minimum wage.

Minimum wage, maximum pressure - Assessing short-term impacts and long-term plans for the UK’s wage floor

How has the economic outlook changed since last Autumn? What are the impacts of any tax and spend decisions the Chancellor has made to meet her fiscal rules? How might they affect households across the income distribution? And what does the latest outlook, and the Chancellor’s response, tell us about Britain’s quest for stronger growth and rising living standards?

Spring cleaning the public finances: Assessing the Chancellor’s Spring Statement and the UK economic outlook

In her Budget last Autumn, the Chancellor set out plans to boost public spending and investment by £300 billion, alongside the largest tax increases in over 30 years. She also announced new, binding fiscal rules and left herself £10 billion of headroom against meeting them. But the UK economy – and the world – has changed in the past five months…
 
To what extent will the UK’s poor recent economic performance feed through into the Office for Budget Responsibility’s new economic and fiscal outlook, and how it will affect the amount of headroom the Chancellor has? What policies may be required – on tax, welfare and public service spending – to hit the fiscal rules? And how do these policies sit in the wider context of the UK needing to defend itself and its allies, grow its economy, and boost living standards throughout the country?

The headroom bind: What does the Chancellor need to do to hit her fiscal rules?

Britain is becoming sicker, with a sustained increase in levels of ill-health and disability. This creates financial challenges for families, and a fiscal challenge for the Government, with spending on incapacity and disability benefits forecast to rise from £40 billion today to £60 billion by the end of the Parliament. Everyone agrees that the current system is not working. But no-one can agree on how to change it. The Government will need to break that stalemate in its upcoming Green Paper.

Delivering the undeliverable: Reforming incapacity and disability benefits to make the system work

Most people are used to receiving regular monthly pay cheques, hopefully with the occasional bonus and an annual rise. But while this is often taken for granted, for other workers the size and timing of their pay cheques are far more volatile – with knock on effects on their ability to pay bills, save, plan ahead and smooth their living standards over time. But with Brits notoriously adverse to talking about pay, the scale of earnings volatility across the country is unknown.

Unpredictable earnings: The volatility of pay packets and its impact on living standards

The new Government is currently preparing a child poverty strategy, and hoping to emulate the success of the last Labour government, which lifted over half a million children out of poverty over its first five years. This ambition is needed too, because unless action is taken, poverty rates are expected to rise over the course of the parliament. But Britain in the mid-2020s is very different to the late-1990s – a new approach will be needed to lift children out of poverty over the next decade.
What reduced child poverty in the late-1990s and 2000s, and to what extent can that approach be repeated today? What is the role of work, housing, and social security in lifting families above the poverty line? How much might it cost to deliver a successful child poverty strategy? And what are the costs of not doing so?

Tackling the scourge of modern Britain: The policies and investment needed to reduce child poverty

In recent decades the UK has become an increasingly diverse country. And yet, persistent and significant ethnic inequalities remain. While the jobs and pay gaps experienced by those from an ethnic minority are becoming better understood, the key living standards question of housing affordability is still under-discussed. With even higher-income ethnic minority groups spending a greater share of their budgets on keeping a roof over their heads compared to White British households, the puzzle of why they are paying more for their housing remains unsolved.
How much of the housing affordability gap can be explained by age, tenure and location? How do housing conditions differ between ethnic minority groups? How do these inequalities feed into the country’s wider housing crisis? And what can policy do to ensure the most disadvantaged groups benefit from improvements to Britain’s housing stock? 
Speakers:
Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee
Kwajo Tweneboa, Social issues campaigner
Camron Aref-Adib, Researcher at the Resolution Foundation
Ruth Curtice, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation (Chair)

No place like home? The cost and conditions of housing for ethnic minority households

How worrying data and market unrest could affect Britain’s economic outlook.
 
Government debt markets across the world are having a jittery start to 2025, and the UK is one of the most affected economies with gilt yields volatile amid concerns about stagflation, though they have started to fall back in recent weeks. While these movements pass most people by, they can have a material impact on their living standards. For policy makers, a deteriorating economic outlook may need to be confronted too – either through a changed path for interest rates, or tough choices on tax and spend. 
 
Speakers: Katharine Neiss, Deputy Head of Global Economics at PGIM Fixed Income Mohamed El-Erian, President of Queens’ College, Cambridge University James Smith, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation Ruth Curtice, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation (Chair)
 
 

The jittersbug: How worrying data and market unrest could affect Britain’s economic outlook

Doubts about the financial returns from gaining a degree and concerns about too many people now going to university persist in the debate about the future of UK higher education. But in a new paper published by the Policy Institute at King’s College London, Resolution Foundation President and former universities minister David Willetts challenges this pessimistic outlook. 
The Resolution Foundation and the King’s Policy Institute are hosting an in-person and interactive event to discuss the controversial question of the returns from university for graduates, firms and the wider economy, and how we can better assess the long-lasting benefits of higher education. Following a presentation from Lord Willetts, we will hear from leading experts including the Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith, the minister responsible for universities in the Department for Education. Chaired by Professor Bobby Duffy. 

Are universities worth it? The returns from higher education for graduates and the economy

2025 is shaping up to be a big year in UK politics, as the Government’s ambitions set out across various White Papers start to be turned into deliverable action on the ground. The Spending Review could also set the tone for the rest of the Parliament, as the Chancellor sets out how to invest £100 billion wisely, and Ministers show how they intend to improve public services in the face of severe financial constraints. The living standards outlook is no less challenging. If 2024 was the year of the election, then 2025 looks set to be the year of the post-election squeeze, as real earnings growth falls while taxes go up. The new economic milestone of raising living standards across the UK may feel some way off.

A squeezed middle of the decade? The political economy outlook for 2025

Rising employment has been one of the biggest economic changes for lower income families over the past quarter century, with the number of workless households falling by a third since 1996. But while more people from poorer households are entering the workforce, they are not necessarily getting on in their careers or enjoying the work they do. This second report of the Unsung Britian project – supported by JPMorganChase – examines low-to-middle income families’ experiences of employment, pay and job quality.
What constraints do low-to-middle income families face when it comes to raising employment? Which industries do they work in, and how does this impact on their pay and hours security? Which aspects of work are important to them, and what do they consider when making employment decisions? What barriers do they face to job mobility?

Work is where the heart is? How lower-income families experience the labour market

How should the Government set its new Industrial Strategy?
 
The Government is gunning for growth, and a new Industrial Strategy lies at the heart of this agenda. But while an Industrial Strategy is supposed to set long-term policy thinking, it also comes to the fore in acute political crises, as Ministers have already found with threatened closures to steel plants and car factories. 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?
How should industrial strategy balance a front-footed focus on leveraging the strengths of many of its services sectors, with a more defensive approach to protecting vulnerable industries, like advance manufacturing? To what extent should place feature in a national strategy, and should any of that strategy be devolved to City-regions and local areas? Where does policy help or hinder firms’ expansion? And how much difference can a new Industrial Strategy make in terms of boosting jobs, living standards and economic growth?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of key highlights from new RF research and a speech from Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, a panel of Britain’s leading politicians and policy experts discuss how a new Industrial Strategy might succeed in boosting growth.

A new long-term plan for growth

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.
Which sectors have been vulnerable to recent shocks, and which have continued to grow? How have firms responded to Brexit in the way they trade, and what does this mean for people’s lived experience of trade trends? Is Britain’s status as a services superpower under threat? And what does this mean for the Government’s new UK trade strategy that can navigate a post-Brexit, intra-Trump world?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from major new research on how the UK’s trading relations are evolving, we will hear from leading experts on what this means for devising a new UK strategy in a turbulent world for trade.

Trade in the age of Trumponomics: Navigating Britain’s trade in a post-Brexit, intra-Trump world

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.

How has recent economic turbulence affected Britain’s story of growing wealth, and growing wealth gaps? How have higher interest rates affected wealth inequality, and how might wealth transfers through inheritances and gifts affect future trends? What are the long-term implications for continued wealth inequality, particularly for younger generations? And is there a role for policy in tempering these trends?

An Uneven Inheritance: Examining wealth inequalities within and between generations

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.
How has the extent and intensity of care provided across generations changed over time, and for what reasons? Have demographic and economic changes increased the need for intergenerational support? Who can access intergenerational financial support, and who provides it? And what does this mean for different people’s ability to work, live comfortably and get ahead in a career?
Speakers:
Ann Berrington, Professor of Demography & Social Statistics University of Southampton
Eliza Filby, Author and historian of generations and contemporary values
Molly Broome, Economist, Resolution Foundation
David Willetts, President of the Resolution Foundation (Chair)

Many helping hands: How intergenerational transfers support lifetime living standards

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. 
The Unsung Britain project was launched with new research, and a speech by Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook at an event at our Westminster offices.
Speakers:
Matthew Pennycook, Minister of State for Housing and Planning
Polly Toynbee, Author and Columnist at The Guardian
Abigail McKnight, Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at the LSE
Lalitha Try, Economist at the Resolution Foundation
Gavin Kelly, Executive Chair of the Resolution Foundation (Chair)

Unsung Britain: Understanding the stresses and strains of low-to-middle income families

The first Budget of the new Parliament is a particularly important one, giving the Chancellor a unique opportunity to set the economic framing for the next five years. It’s also often a chance to take painful decisions – post-election tax rises are a time-honoured tradition. 
The Resolution Foundation hosted 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 heard from leading experts – including the Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility Richard Hughes.

No pain, no gain? Assessing what the Budget means for the UK economy

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.
How can we support lower-income families to access EVs which are more expensive at the point of purchase, but cheaper to run? Will public transport continue to get more expensive relative to driving in the future, and if so how can we support families who don’t or can’t drive? And with high emissions flights bouncing back after the pandemic, how can we ensure that frequent flyers pay their way in the net zero transition?
 

Getting the green light:How can we fairly share the costs of decarbonising transport?

Painful post-election Budgets are a time-honoured tradition in Britain, and the new Government’s upcoming fiscal event will be no exception, with the PM and Chancellor already warning of tough decisions being made. Expectations are being set for higher taxes, higher borrowing or lower spending – or perhaps a combination of all three.
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?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from new research – the last in a five-part series about the economic challenges facing the new Government – we will hear from leading experts on the Chancellor’s options in her first Budget.

Tough medicine: Assessing the Chancellor’s options in her first Budget

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 doing so has completely transformed the savings landscape across Britain. But is it meeting the key goal of boosting pensions adequacy?
How much do people need to save for a decent income in retirement, and how does it vary across the income distribution? How have the pensions adequacy targets suggested by the Pensions Commission back in 2006 been affected by policy and economic changes since then – from taxes and the triple lock, to interest rates and annuities? Are people saving enough for their retirement now? And what does that mean for the new Government’s pensions review?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from new research – funded by the People’s Pension – on pensions adequacy, we will hear from leading experts – including the Chair of the Pensions Commission Lord Turner – on whether auto-enrolment is delivering in terms of securing decent retirement incomes for workers, and where the policy might go next.
 

Living standards in later life: Are auto-enrolled workers saving enough for their retirement?

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.
How much difference will reducing uncertainty make, compared to actively removing barriers to trade? Should the UK pursue closer regulatory alignment with the EU, and if so which sectors should be prioritised? What meaningful changes can be made within the UK protocol, and where might the UK need to rethink existing agreements? And how much is both economically and politically feasible?
The Resolution Foundation and UK in a Changing Europe are co-hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from new Resolution Foundation research on UK-EU trade priorities, we will hear from leading experts on what reforms would have the most impact, and what the new UK government might be able to achieve.

Rebooting Brexit: Opportunities and challenges from resetting UK-EU trade relations

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?
How have disadvantaged groups been affected by recent economic shocks, and what structural barriers persist? How do the issues of health and disability – which have risen up the political and public policy agenda – interact with other inequalities? And how do structural inequalities fit into the new Government’s agenda, and what key policy challenges must they address?
The Resolution Foundation, in partnership with UCL, hosted a webinar to explore these important questions. After presenting the key findings from the Structurally Unsound report and new research on the changed landscape of structural inequalities in the UK, leading experts discuss how to tackle persistent societal inequalities. 
Speakers:
Alesha De Freitas, Head of Policy, Advocacy and Research at the Fawcett society
Imran Rasul, Professor of Economics at UCL
Olivia Stevenson, Deputy Director of Public Policy at UCL
Nye Cominetti, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation (Chair)

Structurally Unsound: Social inequalities in the mid-2020s

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 up Great British Energy, devolving more power to City mayors, and creating a new deal for workers. Delivering these policies is a huge challenge in itself – but will they do enough to kickstart growth?
How big an effect can these reforms have on growth and productivity? How can policy makers ensure the biggest economic bang for their buck? Are there important pro-growth reforms that the Government is missing out on? And what might the combined, long-term effect of these reforms look like in terms of the size of the UK economy by the end of the decade?

A build-up economic strategy: How much growth could the Government’s reforms deliver?

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. Overcoming this record will require a lot of capital expenditure, in both political and cash terms.
What are the devils in the detail when it comes to getting controversial planning reforms right? What other interventions might be needed to enable firms to build new properties at scale? Where should new homes be built, and what role should social housing play? And how will future homeowners – and their neighbours – be affected by a successful housebuilding drive?

Building Blocks: Can the Government hit its housing targets?

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. 
 
What can we expect on tax in the upcoming Budget? How will the Chancellor navigate tax policies that may be economically sound but politically challenging? 
 
Catch up on this Resolution Foundation event now. 

Taxed into a corner

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 contracts, the minimum wage, as well as changes to how employment rights are enforced. And while many of these reforms affect all workers, low earners will be most affected as they are disproportionately likely to have insecure work contracts, receive statutory rather than occupational sick pay, and not receive basic legal entitlements such as paid holiday leave.
But, although the Government has set a clear direction of travel, there are many questions still unanswered. How will probationary periods be used – will protection against unfair dismissal really be a ‘day one’ right? Does announcing a cautious one-year minimum wage policy mean there are bigger changes still to come? How should possible trade-offs with employment be handled? What would be the impact of giving zero-hours contract workers a right to regular hours?

Making the ‘New Deal’ a good deal for low-paid workers

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 of future growth remains, it currently looks set to fall a long way short of the levels Britain experienced in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.
What is the overall outlook for living standards over the parliament? From real wages, to employment, housing costs and tax and benefit changes, what is driving the outlook for disposable income growth? Which groups are most likely to receiving a living standards windfall, and who’s most at risk of further stagnation? And what can the new Government do to ‘beat the forecasts’ and secure strong living standards growth across Britain?

A brighter shade of grey? The current outlook for living standards

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 than plans in the previous parliament.
These changes will facilitate economic growth and climate recovery in the long run, but the short-term costs in both political and actual capital investment should not be underestimated, and will need to be carefully considered. In particular, the Government should be acting now to ensure the costs are fairly shared, and do not lead to further declines in living standards for low-to-middle income households.
What scale of public investment can be achieved, given the condition of the public finances? How should the Government encourage the levels of private investment required? How can these costs be fairly shared across different regions and households? And will there be enough political will to deliver the investment needed for a fair transition?
 
Read the report: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/net-zero-investment/ 
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/net-zeroing-in-on-investment/ 

Net zeroing in on investment: Can the Government deliver a fair transition?

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 political and economic risk. Yet it also arrives in office with a commanding majority and the opportunity to set out an ambitious governing agenda.
What are the biggest challenges that the new Government faces? How should the new Chancellor approach her first Budget and Spending Review? When should we expect Labour’s extensive list of reforms and new strategies to start making a difference to people’s lives? And what are the prospects of the Starmer government forging a new political and economic settlement in the country?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Bringing together a panel of Britain’s political scientists, commentators, policy experts and economists, we’ll discuss the outlook for a new Labour Government.
View the election briefings: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/major-programme/election-2024/ 
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/times-are-changing/ 

The times are a-changin’: Assessing the political and economic outlook for the new Labour Government

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 to its lowest level in decades. Debates about that record, and different parties proposals for the future, are central to this general election.
How has Britain’s labour market changed since 2010? How well have we dealt with the big issues of the past? What will be the most immediate challenges facing whoever takes office after 4th July? And how do the different parties plans measure up against those challenges? Where are the big areas of conflict and consensus? And what does this mean for workers?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from its latest General Election 24 briefing on the state of the UK labour market, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, we will hear from leading experts on a range of key issues from the future of low pay to boosting the quantity and quality jobs.
Read the report: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/job-done/ 
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/is-britain-working-2024/ 

Is Britain working? The labour market context to the general election

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 those affected, the public finances and the wider economy. Worryingly, too often the understanding of this change is poor, posing a major challenge for whoever governs after the election.
What is driving the rise in health-related benefit spending? Is it the inevitable consequence of an ageing society, a sign that we are a sicker Britain than we used to be or have changes to the benefit system over the last 14 years played a role? How big an issue could this be over the next parliament, and how are the main political parties planning to address it?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from its latest General Election 24 briefing on health-related benefits, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, we will hear from leading experts on what’s driving the rise in claims and spending, previous efforts to tackle the issues, and what might lie ahead.
Read the report: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/under-strain/ 
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/the-cost-of-poor-health/ 

The cost of poor health: What does rising health-related benefit spending mean for the UK and its next government?

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 be no exception.
How has our social security system changed since 2010? Who has gained or lost out from these changes? What are the main challenges facing Britain’s welfare today and in the years ahead – from an ageing population, to high levels of child poverty? And what are the main parties’ plans for the future of our welfare state?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from its latest General Election 24 briefing on the UK’s changing welfare state, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, we will hear from leading experts on where these reforms have left our social security safety net, and why that matters for families, the public finances and the wider economy.
Read the report: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/ratchets-retrenchment-and-reform/ 
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/the-state-of-welfare/ 

The state of welfare: How has Britain’s safety net changed since 2010 and what comes next?

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 economic strategy to lift itself out of stagnation.
Scotland is in many ways a microcosm of this challenge. It has become a hub for creative industries, is home to several world-class universities and a thriving community of businesses – strengths that need to be harness and leveraged. But it also has high levels of deprivation, with homelessness reaching a record high and nearly half a million people living in very deep poverty last year. Scotland won’t be truly thriving unless it finds ways to ensure that all its inhabitants benefit from growth and investment. This is the central challenge facing policy makers both in Holyrood and Westminster.
What should a new national economic strategy for Scotland include? What would the pursuit of stronger economic growth mean for local, national and UK-wide policy makers? How will economic change affect the jobs we do, the places we live and the businesses we work for? And what are the prospects for cities like Glasgow, and nations like Scotland, in rising to these challenges?
Read Ending Stagnation here: https://economy2030.resolutionfoundation.org/reports/ending-stagnation/
View the event slides here: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/ending-stagnation-glasgow/

Ending stagnation: How to boost prosperity across Scotland

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 wrestle with the same forces, as Britain looks to deliver public services for an ageing population, in a less peaceful world, and with the public finances already under considerable strain.
How has the size and shape of the state changed since 2010? Why are taxes and debt levels up? What are the biggest challenges and opportunities going into the next parliament? How have the main parties responded so far to these questions? And what will their plans mean for the public finances, and public services, in the years ahead?
To kick off a series of over a dozen timely, topic-based General Election 2024 briefings, supported by the Nuffield Foundation, the Resolution Foundation hosted an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer questions about the changing size and shape of the state. Following a presentation of the key highlights from new research on this topic, we heard from leading experts on the challenges for the next parliament.
Read the report: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/debt-dramas/ 
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/state-crafting/ 

State crafting: Changes and challenges for managing the public finances

Economies around the world exited the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, and jumped straight into the biggest inflation surge for four decades, with a cost-of-living crisis accelerated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But with inflation finally back close to its target of two per cent, to be confirmed by the ONS on Wednesday 22nd May, now is the time to assess where the cost-of-living crisis has left our economy.
How does the UK experience compare to that elsewhere? Where has it left the relative prices of different goods and services, and the wages of different kinds of workers? How has it affected living standards, and households’ behaviour in terms of their spending and saving? And what might its legacy be in terms of the public and personal finances?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from new research on the cost of living crisis, we will hear from leading experts on both its impact, and lessons learned, for policy makers and the wider public.
Read the report: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/paying-the-price/ 
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/inflation-scarring/ 

Inflation scarring: How has the cost-of-living crisis changed Britain?

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 economic strategy to lift itself out of stagnation.
This national picture is also reflected in cities across the North East. These cities have built on their industrial heritage to become hubs for economic development, with economic strengths in subsea technology, games development and medical science – helping to reduce its ‘jobs gap’ with the rest of the UK. But there are also high levels of deprivation and low levels of productivity, so the region won’t be truly thriving unless it finds ways to ensure that all its inhabitants benefit from growth and investment.
What should a new national economic strategy for Britain include? How will economic change affect the jobs we do, the places we live and the businesses we work for? What are the prospects for cities like Newcastle in rising to these daunting but reachable challenges? And how can we ensure that the benefits of thriving city centres reach other parts of the North East too?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting this event, in partnership with Insights North East, to debate Britain’s future economic strategy, building on the analysis of The Economy 2030 Inquiry – a three-year collaboration between the Resolution Foundation and the LSE, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. We will be joined by leading experts from policy and business in the region to discuss how different areas of the UK – particularly in the North East – can secure widely shared prosperity.
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/setting-a-new-path-to-greater-shared-prosperity/ 

Setting a new path to greater, shared prosperity: How cities in the North East can help to end economic stagnation

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 economic strategy to lift itself out of stagnation.
This national picture is also mirrored in Bradford. The city and surrounding area have built on their industrial heritage to become hubs for economic development, while the award of City of Culture reflects the city’s thriving creative industry. But the city also has high levels of deprivation, and won’t be truly thriving unless it finds ways to ensure that all its inhabitants benefit from growth and investment.
What should a new national economic strategy for Britain include? How will economic change affect the jobs we do, the places we live and the businesses we work for? And what are the prospects for cities like Bradford – and regions like West Yorkshire – in rising to these daunting but reachable challenges?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting this event, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, to debate Britain’s future economic strategy, building on the analysis of The Economy 2030 Inquiry – a three-year collaboration between the Resolution Foundation and the LSE, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. We will be joined by leading experts from policy and business in the region to discuss how different areas of the UK – particularly Bradford and the wider West Yorkshire region – can secure widely shared prosperity.
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/building-a-better-britain/ 

Building a better Britain: How cities like Bradford can help to end economic stagnation

1999 saw the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Senedd all meet in their full form for the first time. This marked the most significant act of devolution of the 20th Century, and it has changed the United Kingdom significantly over the past quarter of a century. The process of devolution has continued to evolve, with the extent of the devolution of economic powers building over time. And those powers have been used, with different tax, spending, and social security choices made across the nations. As devolution hits its 25th birthday, now is the time to take stock of what has been done, and what has been learned.
How have devolved nations used policy levers differently, whether to raise revenue or address priorities like reducing child poverty? Have different growth strategies been pursued across the nations, and what are the different approaches to strategic economic policy making? Has devolution of economic powers gone too far or not far enough? And what lessons can policy makers in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Westminster learn from devolution so far – and from each other – to improve economic decision making across the whole United Kingdom?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting a major conference, in partnership with PolicyWISE, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We will hear from leading politicians, economists and policy makers on the lessons from devolution, including keynote speeches by the Former Deputy First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, and the Former First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford.

Policy making beyond Westminster: Keynote speech by Mark Drakeford MS

1999 saw the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Senedd all meet in their full form for the first time. This marked the most significant act of devolution of the 20th Century, and it has changed the United Kingdom significantly over the past quarter of a century. The process of devolution has continued to evolve, with the extent of the devolution of economic powers building over time. And those powers have been used, with different tax, spending, and social security choices made across the nations. As devolution hits its 25th birthday, now is the time to take stock of what has been done, and what has been learned.
How have devolved nations used policy levers differently, whether to raise revenue or address priorities like reducing child poverty? Have different growth strategies been pursued across the nations, and what are the different approaches to strategic economic policy making? Has devolution of economic powers gone too far or not far enough? And what lessons can policy makers in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Westminster learn from devolution so far – and from each other – to improve economic decision making across the whole United Kingdom?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting a major conference, in partnership with PolicyWISE, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We will hear from leading politicians, economists and policy makers on the lessons from devolution, including keynote speeches by the Former Deputy First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, and the Former First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford.
Speakers:
Chair: Clodagh Rice, Business Correspondent for BBC NI

David Phillips, Associate Director at the IFS


Professor Katy Hayward, Queen’s University Belfast


Jonathan Tench, Director of Well-being Economy and Programmes, Future Generations Commission

Policy making beyond Westminster - Panel 2: Spending and strategy

1999 saw the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Senedd all meet in their full form for the first time. This marked the most significant act of devolution of the 20th Century, and it has changed the United Kingdom significantly over the past quarter of a century. The process of devolution has continued to evolve, with the extent of the devolution of economic powers building over time. And those powers have been used, with different tax, spending, and social security choices made across the nations. As devolution hits its 25th birthday, now is the time to take stock of what has been done, and what has been learned.
How have devolved nations used policy levers differently, whether to raise revenue or address priorities like reducing child poverty? Have different growth strategies been pursued across the nations, and what are the different approaches to strategic economic policy making? Has devolution of economic powers gone too far or not far enough? And what lessons can policy makers in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Westminster learn from devolution so far – and from each other – to improve economic decision making across the whole United Kingdom?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting a major conference, in partnership with PolicyWISE, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We will hear from leading politicians, economists and policy makers on the lessons from devolution, including keynote speeches by the Former Deputy First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, and the Former First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford.
Speakers:

Chair: Clodagh Rice, Business Correspondent for BBC NI


Emma Congreve, Deputy Director at the Fraser of Allander Institute


Dyfed Alsop, Chief Executive of the Welsh Revenue Authority


Lindsey Whyte, Director General of International Finance at HM Treasury

Policy making beyond Westminster - Panel 1: Devolved tax and benefits

Policy making beyond Westminster: Keynote speech by John Swinney MSP

Over one-in-ten workers across Britain is employed on some form of precarious contract. The problems with such working arrangements for some workers are well known: they have limited control over their working patterns and insecure incomes too. But why firms use, or even come to rely on them, is rarely discussed and poorly understand. We need a far better understanding of both the causes of precarious employment and the consequences if work practices were to change.
What kinds of firms and sectors are most likely to employ staff on precarious contracts? Does that vary across different types of employment, from fixed term to zero hour contracts? Do firms choose this approach to better serve their customers, give workers the flexibility they want, or does it boil down to the bottom line? What would it take for firms to change their approach – and what would the consequences be?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate these questions, and share new evidence from a specially commissioned survey of firms. Following a presentation of this research, which marks the start of a major new project on precarious work, supported by Unbound Philanthropy, we will hear from leading experts from the world of business on firms’ use of insecure contracts.
Read the report here: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/firm-foundations/ 
View the slides from the event here: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/precarious-profits/ 

Precarious profits? Why firms use insecure contracts, and what would change their minds

The UK’s transition towards a net zero economy requires a complete overhaul of our power sector. We don’t just need electricity generation that has been decarbonised, but a huge amount more of it as we switch away from heating our homes with gas and powering our cars with petrol. This will require a huge step up in investment – we must raise wind turbines, build nuclear power stations and expand the national grid. And that investment will need to be paid for.
How big is the investment required to decarbonise our energy systems? What will it cost – and how will that cost vary depending on the choices we make and the interest rates markets charge? How big is the impact on household bills likely to be? And what will it take to ensure the costs and benefits are spread fairly across society?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from new research on how the power sector can be decarbonised in a fair and efficacious way, we will hear from leading experts on how they think the UK can rise to this challenge.
Read the report: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/electric-dreams/ 
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/powering-britain/ 

Powering Britain: Can we decarbonise electricity without disadvantaging poorer families?

Universal Credit, announced back in 2010 and introduced in 2013, will be fully rolled out by whoever wins the next election. The benefit has been on a rollercoaster over those years – with the IT underpinning it causing major teething problems, and later success in processing unprecedented numbers of claims during the pandemic. In the long years since Universal Credit was planned, both the system and Britain have changed a lot. So now is the time to step back and review the system the next government will inherit.
How has the eventual form Universal Credit has taken differed from the system of legacy benefits it replaced? Has Britain changed since 2010 and how has that affected Universal Credit – including which groups the benefit supports? Who wins and loses from the switch, and how has that been shaped by wider cuts to social security in recent years? And what comes next, for Universal Credit and Britain’s social security system more broadly?
The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from new research assessing the rollout of Universal Credit so far, we will hear from leading experts on what the future of social security in the UK might look like.
Read the report: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/in-credit/ 
View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/in-credit/ 