A letter from Onward’s new Director: Onward newsletter

In this week’s newsletter:

• Hello from our new Director
• How mayors can tackle economic inactivity
• Our Star-Studded Science Superpower panel

It is my delight and pleasure to kick off a new year and a new political season as the new Director of Onward. Following Will Tanner’s departure to Downing Street, Adam Hawksbee has done an outstanding job in seeing the organisation through the transition to the Sunak Government.

Over the coming months and years, we’ll continue to run Onward as a collaboration, with our excellent team making the very best use of the time before the next general election is upon us. As Westminster’s focus has moved away from personalities and back to policy, we will strive to be at the centre of what lies ahead.

Although the political agenda of 2023 has chiefly been dominated by the rolling waves of strikes, the trajectory of the Government continues to be in Onward’s favour. We have begun 2023 with a keynote address by Science Minister George Freeman, seizing on our unrivalled expertise in science and technology to examine what life might look like if the UK bids farewell to the Horizon Europe programme. We also have a webinar on Thursday with some of the most respected names in the UK’s science community, do sign up here.

Westminster has just over a year before both all the political parties will shift fully into campaigning mode. At Onward, we will make the most of it. We have a comprehensive programme of events and research papers across our five work streams – with much more to be announced very soon. Our 17-strong team are beavering away on a host of exciting projects, trying to unravel some of the biggest, thorniest challenges facing the country.

Our five research programmes are at the heart of where British politics is now and will go next: boosting growth and delivering levelling up; examining and repairing the nation’s sometimes frayed social fabric; getting to net zero while achieving energy security; boosting our science and technology prowess; and exploring the future of politics and political ideas.

It could not be a more exciting time for British politics and the Onward team are thankful for your support. Like everyone else here, I can’t wait to really get stuck in.

Sebastian Payne

News and media

Cllr. Ben Bradley MP and Adam Hawksbee argue that devolution is the key to tackling economic inactivity for Times Red Box. 

Onward childcare report First Steps is cited in the Times, Prospect, and ConservativeHome. 

Adam Hawksbee is quoted in The Big Issue in an article about the diminishing homeownership figures in the UK.

Upcoming event

Science Superpower: The UK’s Global Science Strategy beyond Horizon Europe

Following the Science Minister’s speech yesterday, we will be joined by a panel of experts to react to the Minister’s remarks and set out their views on the future of the UK’s international science strategy. The panel will consider:

What are the major opportunities and threats when it comes to our ambitions to be a Science Superpower? 

What are the practical considerations to setting up Horizon Plan B and the challenges and opportunities this new relationship may provide?

Where does the UK sit in the global race to science and tech dominance and who should we see as foes to protect against or friends to collaborate with?

This online webinar, via Zoom, will be taking place at 4pm on Thursday 12th January. Sign up for the event here.