Why Britain should care about childcare: Onward Newsletter

In this week’s newsletter:

• Fixing Britain’s broken childcare system
• The pro-growth case for devolution
• Fan-led future of football

Kevambos Digresennans Kernow. The Government has signed a £360 million devolution deal with Cornwall, creating a new directly-elected Mayor and giving the area greater control over transport, housing, and adult skills. Now almost 50% of England is covered by a devolution deal. Our paper Give Back Control set out 25 recommendations for giving these mayors deeper and broader powers and greater fiscal firepower, alongside bolstered accountability and increased capability.

Cost of childcare. New Onward report First Steps reveals that British couples are paying three times as much on childcare than our OECD peers, in part the result of low public subsidies and an over-complex set of schemes. Adam Hawksbee points out in The Telegraph that high childcare costs not only erode our social fabric, but also limits growth by increasing economic inactivity. Our five point plan includes streamlining funding into simple ‘childcare credits’, funnelling skilled graduates into the early years workforce, and reducing regulation for providers.

Eco Plus Plus Plus. The Government has launched the next phase of the Energy Company Obligation schemes, Eco+, a £1 billion fund that extends help with insulating homes to the least energy efficient houses. Onward joined the Heating Hub, Energy Saving Trust and other industry leaders on the BEIS backbench committee this week to discuss energy usage reduction strategies. Although the scheme is delayed until April 2023, it intends to be a long-term solution to permanently reduce energy bills and secure energy independence for the UK. However, tackling the retrofit skills crisis means that Eco+ must be a “bridge to wider action”.

It’s coming home. England’s successes on the international stage in Qatar have seen the whole country descend into World Cup frenzy. But a shadow looms over the domestic game: more than a year has now passed since the publication of the Fan-Led Review into football governance and ownership, without a White Paper from the Government. Swindon North MP Justin Tomlinson penned an op-ed this week urging the Government to accelerate the reforms. Both Reading and Wigan recently failed to pay their players recently. The national game can’t wait for reform much longer.