Resolution Foundation Event Recordings
Episodes
The Great British Baby Bust Should we worry about the UK’s falling birth rate, and can we do anything about it?
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Stopping dreams coming true Is financial regulation holding back Britons’ aspirations of home ownership?
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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. B...
The populist party crashers Book launch event for Why Populists Are Winning and How to Beat Them by Liam Byrne MP
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Nor...
Social immobility scars: The persistence of earnings gaps facing graduates from lower-income families
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Britain has long seen lower intergenerational social mobility than many of its peers, with those from lower-income backgrounds receiving lower earning...
We interrupt this program to bring you an announcement...
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
... our podcasts are moving home! Subscribe to High Resolution to keep getting those insights. Follow us on: Substack: https://buff.ly/DVmDK0j  X:...
Taking the temperature: Spring Forecast 2026 and the prospects for borrowing, growth and living standards
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Understatement of the year?
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Where is the UK economy heading?
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 month...
Who are 'Unsung Britain'?
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Growing pains
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Resolution Foundation has documented two decades of UK economic underperformance and stagnant living standards. Â 18 months into a government ele...
Net zero farming: How can we kick-start the net zero transition in farming without making the cost of living crisis worse?
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ou...
Fixing the 13-year itch: How to make Universal Credit work for the millions of families who claim it
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
What can Westminster learn from Scotland on reforming disability benefits?
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Resolution Foundation Research Director Lindsay Judge talks you through the learnings from recent benefit reforms in Scotland, joined by Louise Murphy...
Taking better care of our workers: How can a Fair Pay Agreement improve conditions for social care staff?
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 wor...
Can UK governments ever get immigration policy right? Book launch event for 'Why Immigration Policy Is Hard' by Professor Alan Manning
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Immigration is one of the most salient and polarised issues among the British public – and one that successive Government policy initiatives have fa...
Second album syndrome? What Autumn Budget 2025 means for the public, financial markets and the cost of living
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 tha...
Finding the right keys for growth: How should housing feature in the Budget?
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Bud...
When the levies break?
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Resolution Foundation has recently published research assessing how the Government can help families with high energy bills. Our Chief Executive d...
Back for more? The Chancellor’s tax and spend options in her upcoming Budget
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Seeking a NEET solution: Why are so many young people not learning or earning?
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
Explaining the consumption gap: Keynote speech by External MPC member Dr. Catherine L. Mann
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years, UK households have faced a number of economic challenges, contributing to subdued growth and increased living costs. These pressures ...
Snakes and ladders: The shifting sands of wealth in Britain
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The story of wealth across Britain has, until recently, been a straightforward one – decades of rising prices, benefiting those lucky enough to own ...
Saviour or stagnator?: Technology, AI and economic growth
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Britain is desperate for stronger economic growth, and technological progress – notably through AI – is often touted as a route out of stagnation....
Call of duties: What should the Chancellor’s tax strategy be for the Budget?
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 sai...
Stronger shock absorbers: How to build the financial resilience of low-to-middle income households
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Hot topics, hard choices: Addressing the policy landscape for 2025-26
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, w...
Call of duties: What should the Chancellor’s tax strategy be for the Budget?
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 sai...
Saviour or stagnator? Technology, AI and economic growth
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Britain is desperate for stronger economic growth, and technological progress – notably through AI – is often touted as a route out of stagnation....
Making Britain work for everyone: How can employers go further to recruit and retain disabled workers?
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Making Britain work for everyone: How can employers go further to recruit and retain disabled workers? Speakers include Charlie Mayfield, lead of the ...
From healthcare to carers’ care How disabilities and caring responsibilities impact the lives of lower-income Britain
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From healthcare to carers’ care How disabilities and caring responsibilities impact the lives of lower-income Britain The rising prevalence of ill-h...
A new world order: The economic implications of global trade, tariffs, and uncertainty
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A timely discussion exploring the profound transformation of global trade, amid rising tariffs and mounting geopolitical tensions. What are the broade...
New deal or no deal? How will the Employment Rights Bill impact workers, businesses and the wider economy?
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New deal or no deal How will the Employment Rights Bill impact workers, businesses and the wider economy? Â Kate Bell Assistant General Secretary ...
The price is tight: How are the cost of essentials affecting low-to-middle-income families across Britain?
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The price is tight How are the cost of essentials affecting low-to-middle-income families across Britain? Â Speakers Clare Moriarty Chief Executive...
The pay postcode lottery: What is driving Britain’s place-based wage divides?
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Britain is racked by pay divides – on gender, race, age and education status. But one of its starkest inequalities centres on geography, which is fa...
Third time lucky: Has the Spending review delivered for middle Britain?
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Stat...
Stormy clouds or brighter horizons? The UK’s uncertain outlook for living standards
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, co...
Little Britain? What might happen if globalisation goes into reverse
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Book launch for Exile Economics: What happens if globalisation fails by Ben Chu
Britain’s new safety net: Where are the Government’s welfare reforms heading?
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where are the Government’s welfare reforms heading?
How to spend £100 billion wisely
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Which areas of public investment should be prioritised at the Spending Review?
The challenges for Britain’s migrant workforce: Understanding precarious work among foreign-born workers, and implications for wider labour market policy.
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are the labour market experiences of foreign-born workers? How do systemic issues allow poor practices to persist? What are the wider implication...
Turning up the heat How to quicken Britain’s heat pumps roll-out and hit our net zero targets
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 bo...
Making public services better for low-to-middle income families
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ye...
A league of their own: What can the UK learn from the US’ post-pandemic productivity acceleration?
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 an...
The metrics that really matter How can we better measure economic and societal change?
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Book launch for The Measure of Progress by Diane Coyle.
Minimum wage, maximum pressure - Assessing short-term impacts and long-term plans for the UK’s wage floor
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 increas...
Spring cleaning the public finances: Assessing the Chancellor’s Spring Statement and the UK economic outlook
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 fisca...
The headroom bind: What does the Chancellor need to do to hit her fiscal rules?
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In her Budget last Autumn, the Chancellor set out plans to boost public spending and investment by £300 billion, alongside the largest tax increases ...
Delivering the undeliverable: Reforming incapacity and disability benefits to make the system work
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Britain is becoming sicker, with a sustained increase in levels of ill-health and disability. This creates financial challenges for families, and a fi...
Unpredictable earnings: The volatility of pay packets and its impact on living standards
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 f...
Tackling the scourge of modern Britain: The policies and investment needed to reduce child poverty
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The new Government is currently preparing a child poverty strategy, and hoping to emulate the success of the last Labour government, which lifted over...
No place like home? The cost and conditions of housing for ethnic minority households
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In recent decades the UK has become an increasingly diverse country. And yet, persistent and significant ethnic inequalities remain. While the jobs an...
The jittersbug: How worrying data and market unrest could affect Britain’s economic outlook
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How worrying data and market unrest could affect Britain’s economic outlook.  Government debt markets across the world are having a jittery start ...
Are universities worth it? The returns from higher education for graduates and the economy
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 fu...
A squeezed middle of the decade? The political economy outlook for 2025
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 delive...
Work is where the heart is? How lower-income families experience the labour market
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rising employment has been one of the biggest economic changes for lower income families over the past quarter century, with the number of workless ho...
A new long-term plan for growth
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How should the Government set its new Industrial Strategy? Â The Government is gunning for growth, and a new Industrial Strategy lies at the heart of...
Trade in the age of Trumponomics: Navigating Britain’s trade in a post-Brexit, intra-Trump world
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
An Uneven Inheritance: Examining wealth inequalities within and between generations
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
British household wealth has been on a rollercoaster ride in recent years. Increased saving during the Covid-19 pandemic boosted wealth, only for inte...
Many helping hands: How intergenerational transfers support lifetime living standards
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Transfers between generations – from care given to younger or older relatives, to gifts, inheritances and a roof over one’s head – play a vital ...
Unsung Britain: Understanding the stresses and strains of low-to-middle income families
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 eco...
No pain, no gain? Assessing what the Budget means for the UK economy
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Getting the green light:How can we fairly share the costs of decarbonising transport?
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The next big hurdle on Britain’s path towards a green economy is decarbonising every-day travel. Emissions from getting around – from cars, vans, ...
Tough medicine: Assessing the Chancellor’s options in her first Budget
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Painful post-election Budgets are a time-honoured tradition in Britain, and the new Government’s upcoming fiscal event will be no exception, with th...
Living standards in later life: Are auto-enrolled workers saving enough for their retirement?
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Rebooting Brexit: Opportunities and challenges from resetting UK-EU trade relations
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ha...
Structurally Unsound: Social inequalities in the mid-2020s
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The UK has made progress in addressing societal inequalities, but continues to be shaped by interlinked structural disparities. That includes those re...
A build-up economic strategy: How much growth could the Government’s reforms deliver?
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The past 15 years of economic stagnation has caused families’ living standards to flatline, and the new Government is right to put ‘kickstarting’...
Building Blocks: Can the Government hit its housing targets?
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
Taxed into a corner
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Chancellor has set the date for the first Budget of Labour’s Government – 30th October – and has emphasised the stark fiscal difficulties f...
Making the ‘New Deal’ a good deal for low-paid workers
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
A brighter shade of grey? The current outlook for living standards
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The last Parliament was truly awful for growth in household living standards. The combination of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis left the count...
Net zeroing in on investment: Can the Government deliver a fair transition?
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The times are a-changin’: Assessing the political and economic outlook for the new Labour Government
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Is Britain working? The labour market context to the general election
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The cost of poor health: What does rising health-related benefit spending mean for the UK and its next government?
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Health-related benefit spending is rising – particularly among children and younger adults – and this increase is forecast to accelerate in the ye...
The state of welfare: How has Britain’s safety net changed since 2010 and what comes next?
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Ending stagnation: How to boost prosperity across Scotland
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
State crafting: Changes and challenges for managing the public finances
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tax and spend are at the heart of every general election – understandably as they represent the most significant choices made by most governments. T...
Inflation scarring: How has the cost-of-living crisis changed Britain?
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Setting a new path to greater, shared prosperity: How cities in the North East can help to end economic stagnation
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Building a better Britain: How cities like Bradford can help to end economic stagnation
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Policy making beyond Westminster: Keynote speech by Mark Drakeford MS
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 si...
Policy making beyond Westminster - Panel 2: Spending and strategy
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 si...
Policy making beyond Westminster - Panel 1: Devolved tax and benefits
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 si...
Policy making beyond Westminster: Keynote speech by John Swinney MSP
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 si...
Precarious profits? Why firms use insecure contracts, and what would change their minds
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over one-in-ten workers across Britain is employed on some form of precarious contract. The problems with such working arrangements for some workers a...
Powering Britain: Can we decarbonise electricity without disadvantaging poorer families?
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ha...
In credit? Assessing where Universal Credit’s long rollout has left the benefit system, and Britain
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Building pressure? Rising rents, and what to expect in the future
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The combination of high house prices and stagnating incomes over recent decades, coupled with the decline of social housing, mean that millions more o...
Setting a high bar: Celebrating 25 years of the minimum wage, and plotting its next path
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The introduction of the minimum wage back in April 1999 was a controversial policy choice, with businesses warning that it would lead to widespread jo...
Boosting prosperity across Britain: How cities like Bristol can help to end economic stagnation
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A toxic combination of 15 years of low growth, and four decades of high inequality, has left Britain poorer and falling behind its peers. Wages today ...
Living life to the full: How can we make our longer lives healthier, happier and more productive?
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Book launch for The Longevity Imperative by Professor Andrew J Scott Britain, along with many other countries, is getting older and living longer. T...
Game changer? Assessing the Budget’s economic, and electoral, impact
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The upcoming Spring Budget may be the last big fiscal event before the General Election, one of few chances for the government to set the terms of the...
Ending stagnation: The role of cities like Nottingham in boosting economic prosperity across Britain
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Healthy starts: How mental ill-health shapes the education and economic prospects of young people
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The rising prevalence of mental health problems among young people over recent decades is becoming increasingly concerning. While evidently distressin...
Tax cuts today, spending cuts tomorrow? How the Budget might shape the General Election and beyond
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
An election is coming, and therefore so are tax cuts in the Budget on 6th March. But the size of those tax cuts are dependent on the amount of fiscal...
Trading standards: How exposure to global trade shapes our living standards
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Britain is an open economy, and has become more open over recent decades – despite the impact of Brexit and ‘slowbalisation’. But the quantity a...
Saving for today. And tomorrow. How to boost households financial resilience now, and living standards in retirement
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
British households aren’t saving enough. Pensions auto-enrolment has got far more of us saving for retirement, but too many of us are not on track f...
New age or age-old appeal: How different generations view the parties and issues that will determine the General Election
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In recent decades age has replaced class as one of the key determinants of a voter’s values and voting behaviour. But these trends never sit still, ...
Turning a corner? The political and economic outlook for a critical election year
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The worst of the cost of living crisis appears to be behind us, with inflation more than halving since its peak. But 2024 may not be plain sailing eco...