Onward Newsletter – 23/06/2023

What’s Onward This Week

Inflation is the most pressing and problematic challenge presently facing Britain. When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to half it earlier this year, many scoffed that it would happen almost automatically and be an easy win.

But as the latest inflation data and Bank of England’s rate rise confirmed, grappling it is going to be tough. Whatever other challenges the Sunak Government faces, inflation and the public finances are fundamental. Until it is fixed, other policy areas will be adversely affected by it.

✍️ Research

Recent figures from financial information service Moneyfacts show that the typical two-year fixed mortgage deal has reached an interest rate of over 6%. This will have a severe impact on the housing market, renters and new homeowners, something that Onward’s recent report ‘Missing Millennials’ has investigated.

Our report found that Millennial voters (25-40 year olds) ranked housing as a top-five issue, with 29% concerned about ‘finding good quality housing at an affordable price’ compared to 21% for all respondents.

More data from our report can be found here.

📰 Media Mentions

Onward Director Sebastian Payne spoke at the Royal Society of Arts Fellows Festival on regenerating the economy.

Deputy Director Adam Hawksbee wrote for CityAM on the stigma attached to standing for office, and spoke to Matt Chorley from Times Radio about why this might be the case. Adam also appeared on the Radical Reformers podcast to discuss the practicalities of levelling up.

A New Statesman article on Labour’s climate policies quoted Onward’s Head of Energy and Climate Jack Richardson, and referenced polling from our report ‘Missing Millennials’.

Senior Researcher Anna Dickinson spoke at a Royal Society panel on the challenges in keeping up with the pace of scientific and technological change.

Onward Policy Fellow Tim Pitt and author of ‘Road to Credibility’ was quoted in The Daily Telegraph about the current mortgage cost crisis.

🌐 Onward Online

Jack Richardson shares his favourite graphs from the Government’s recent public attitudes tracker on energy and net zero.

🗓️ Upcoming Events

Upskilling: Building a Science Superpower

This summit will consist of a keynote address followed by a panel event.

Keynote address: Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP 

Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP, Secretary of State for Education, will give a keynote address on the need to upskill the UK’s workforce to give young people access to high quality jobs. 

In this address, the Secretary of State for Education will explore how businesses offering high-quality technical roles and jobs in advanced manufacturing can better target school leavers to respond to local skill deficits, create new routes into jobs and build partnerships. This will be a priority for any government committed to levelling up and spreading opportunity.

Panel Event: Upskilling: Building a Science Superpower

Jobs in defence stretch well beyond the military. Firms across the UK can offer high-quality technical roles with clear progression paths in towns and smaller cities where other industries struggle to grow. But these businesses are struggling to recruit. 

However, the Prime Minister recently set out a science and technology framework that aims to put the UK at the forefront of global science and technology this decade. But what skills will we need to achieve this? And how do we create the right educational pathways for both school leavers and adults looking to upskill?

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Lost in Translation: Bridging the gap between research and practice

Life sciences research is one of the most valuable parts of the UK economy and key to unlocking the ‘science superpower’ ambitions. But for research to fully benefit, fresh ideas must be translated into practical interventions.

This event will consider how researchers can be better supported in their quest for funding. What are the barriers faced and how are they addressed? And how can we bridge the gap between early-stage investment and support for companies becoming more established?

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🐥 Tweet of the week