Publications
Terms of engagement
Rethinking conditionality to support more people into better jobs

By
Tom Pollard
23 July 2024

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Conditionality – the requirements placed on people on work-related benefits – is often presented as both necessary, to limit the time people spend on benefits, and popular with the public. This report, however, argues that increasingly strict and prescriptive conditionality is driving perverse outcomes and is neither understood by the

Podcasts
Why the far right is winning in Europe, with Yanis Varoufakis
Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Yanis Varoufakis

By
Ayeisha Thomas-Smith
02 July 2024

In the recent European elections, the far right won unprecedented gains. From the success of the AfD in Germany, to Le Pen’s National Rally in France, the elections saw nationalist and eurosceptic parties sweep up nearly a quarter of the seats in the European parliament.
In the UK, the next general election is just days away. Voters will be heading to the polls against a backdrop of

Blog
Party manifestos have little energy for our sky-high energy bills
Bills are due to rise again this winter, but we found little on offer to fix this from the main political parties.

By
Alex Chapman
28 June 2024

As the election period reaches its final stages, commentators and campaigners are beginning to point out the lack of detail from the main parties when it comes to tackling poverty. With an estimated 39% of UK households currently unable to afford everyday essentials, the cost of living crisis continues to bite. And the price of

Publications
The foundations of the housing crisis
How our extractive land and development models work against public good

By
Emmet Kiberd, Abi O’Connor
27 June 2024

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The economic model that underpins the development of places and homes in the UK is fundamentally broken. It serves to extract value that is collectively created through the economic life of these places for the benefit of relatively few private owners. In doing so, it reinforces

Publications
A piece of the housing puzzle
Context, barriers and opportunities for community housing in the north-east

By
Martin Wood, Abi O’Connor
20 June 2024

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Over the last century, various models of community housing – co-operatives, self-build associations, community land trusts – have arisen at different stages, with peaks and troughs in the levels of activity. Given the current extreme pressure on safe and affordable homes, community

Blog
The politics of ​“welfare” has distorted public perceptions of social security
New polling commissioned by NEF suggests that most people don’t have a clear sense of the level of support people currently receive

By
Tom Pollard
17 June 2024

When general elections come around, the question people often ask themselves is whether they feel better off than they did last time they voted. Alongside people’s experiences of public services and the general state of where they live, many will be mindful of how their level of disposable income has

Blog
Scrap fiscal rules and stop subsidising banks to fix our broken economy
Instead of coming up with fiscal tricks that move costs around we need policies that will make a real difference

By
Dominic Caddick
12 June 2024

In the past five years, the UK has been through a global pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis with a threadbare state due to the austerity that preceded it. This has amplified the struggle of poverty for millions, pushed public services to breaking point and has continued the trend of living standards stagnating since 2008.

Podcasts
Neoliberalism: the invisible ideology, with George Monbiot
Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by George Monbiot

By
Ayeisha Thomas-Smith
11 June 2024

We live under an invisible ideology. It tells us that we are not citizens but consumers. That intervening in the free market compromises our freedom. That we are all millionaires-in-waiting — and if we are struggling to make ends meet, then we only have ourselves to blame.
This is capitalism on steroids. But few of us can even identify the doctrine we live under. It’s called ​“neoliberalism”,

Publications
Switching to social rent
Delivering the homes we need through the Affordable Homes Programme

By
Sam Tims
06 June 2024

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The housing emergency in England has become so deeply entrenched that it has soared up the political agenda and is now playing an important role in the general election debate. Nothing short of wholesale restructuring of our housing system is needed to deliver the high-quality, affordable, secure homes we all need. Secure and

Blog
Benefits debt deductions trapping people in poverty and debt
DWP taking £1.6bn a year from low-income households for debt repayments

By
Sam Tims, Hollie Wright
02 June 2024

The erosion of our income safety net is no secret. Between 2010/​11 and 2019/​20, working-age social security was cut by £29bn. These cuts, targeted at the poorest in society, have left levels of income support at their lowest in 40 years, forcing destitution on almost 4 million households.
The inevitable result of people trying to get by on

Blog
Five ways the next government can build a strong economy for all
Whoever forms the next government, they cannot be afraid to invest – otherwise our economy will never improve

By
Lydia Prieg, Tom Pollard, Chaitanya Kumar, Hollie Wright, Benedikt Stranak, Emmet Kiberd
31 May 2024

We’re going to hear a lot about the state of the UK economy during this election. But from the way politicians talk, you could forget that our economy is made up of

Blog
The aviation industry claims more flying is essential for the economy, the numbers say otherwise
Latest data shows that in 2023, there were 3.9 million fewer business air trips compared to 2019

By
Alex Chapman
24 May 2024

This week I attended an event the aviation industry hosted in parliament aimed at convincing the next UK government of the ​“crucial role of the sector in underpinning economic growth”. The decline of business use of air travel undermines their argument.
New data released by the Office for National Statistics last week

Blog
Energy bills are falling — but the UK is still not protected from future price shocks
A lower Ofgem price cap shouldn’t lead to complacency – fuel poverty is still a huge problem in the UK

By
Paulo Yunda
23 May 2024

Tomorrow, Ofgem will announce the new energy price cap for July-September 2024. This announcement will significantly impact households’ finances and their energy consumption. While the cost of energy is expected to fall, energy prices remain one of the main drivers of inflation. Despite inflation dropping to 2.3%, polling

Podcasts
New Economics Podcast: Do we need to fight for the right to protest?
Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Akiko Hart and Audrey Cherryl Mogan

By
Ayeisha Thomas-Smith
22 May 2024

In February, the prime minister warned that ​“mob rule is replacing democratic rule” in the UK. He encouraged police to take action on pro-Palestine protests which, he said, had descended into ​“intimidation, threats, and planned acts of violence”. Over 50 organisations responded by accusing this government of placing draconian restrictions on the right to

Podcasts
New Economics Podcast: What do the local elections mean for the UK
Hannah Peaker is joined by Abi O’Connor and Jack Shaw

By
Hannah Peaker
10 May 2024

Three years’ ago, the Conservative Party celebrated their best local elections performance since 2008. But after last week’s local elections in England and Wales, the Telegraph called the results a ​“dire day” for the Conservatives.
Now that the dust has settled, we’re taking a closer look. Local elections aren’t just about Count Binface and potholes. With the next general election

Publications
Reforming right to buy
Options for preserving and delivering new council homes for the twenty-first century

By
Alex Diner, Hollie Wright
10 May 2024

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Over almost four and a half decades since its introduction in 1980, the right-to-buy scheme has had a transformative impact on our homes and our lives. Over two million homes have been sold to around 4.5m sitting tenants, allowing them to own their own homes and access wealth to which

Blog
Devolution won’t work unless we fix local government funding
There is a broad consensus on devolving powers, but the next government first needs to fix local government finances, otherwise it will push more responsibility onto an already broken system.

By
Benedikt Stranak, Emmet Kiberd, Abi O’Connor
02 May 2024

Today, voters will head to the polls to choose 10 metro mayors in the biggest set of devolved elections in England to date. After the election, there will be 12 metro mayors in total,

Blog
Childcare deserts: the reality of access to early years education
How the current approach fails to support more low-income households to access care

By
Tom Pollard, Tom Stephens
01 May 2024

There has been intense media scrutiny over recent weeks of the government’s roll-out of additional ​‘free hours’ of childcare for working parents in England. Critics are concerned if the government is providing enough funding to providers to cover these hours of care and whether there is a sufficient workforce to deliver them. In

Publications
Reclaiming our regions
How combined authorities can help to build more inclusive local economies

25 April 2024

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In 2023 the New Economics Foundation (NEF), the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), Co-operatives UK and the Centre for Thriving Places (CTP) came together to create the Reclaiming Our Regional Economies (RORE) programme. RORE will operate for five years until 2028, alongside three pilot combined authority areas, to bring communities together with political and institutional leaders to test

Podcasts
New Economics Podcast: Why is the benefits system failing disabled people
Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Kaliya Franklin and Mikey Erhardt

By
Ayeisha Thomas-Smith
23 April 2024

Almost three million people in the UK are unemployed and unable to work because they are ill or disabled. According to the right-wing media, these people aren’t nearly as unwell as they claim. Meanwhile a UN committee warned that disabled people in the UK are subjected to a ​“traumatising” benefits system.
We have a social security system that’s been stripped

Blog
Sharing the carbon pie with a frequent flyer levy
How do we fly less without air travel becoming the preserve of the wealthy?

By
Alex Chapman
18 April 2024

We want to raise £20,000 through Big Give to campaign for a frequent flyer levy. To donate, click here
If we’re going to stop climate breakdown, we’ve got very little carbon left in the tank. For any chance of limiting global heating to under 2C (a level which will still lead to profound and widespread climate damage) the UK must emit less than 5,000 mega-tonnes of carbon dioxide and

Blog
Cost of housing homeless people skyrocketing for councils
Amidst council bankruptcies, local authorities are spending more than ever on temporary accommodation.

By
Hollie Wright
11 April 2024

England’s housing crisis has reached boiling point. Soaring rents are leaving millions vulnerable to ​“no-fault” eviction and homelessness, as landlords evict tenants to capitalise off higher market values. Far from providing stability, our housing system has become a source of hardship for many. At the sharpest end are the 109,000 homeless families,

Podcasts
New Economics Podcast: Should we be going for growth?
Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Kate Raworth and Michael Jacobs

By
Ayeisha Thomas-Smith
10 April 2024

Britain’s favourite broadcaster David Attenborough once said: ​“Anyone who thinks you can have infinite growth in a finite environment is either a madman — or an economist.”
But our political leaders don’t seem to agree. Both our major political parties have made growing the economy a key metric for their success in government.
So what is economic growth? How did it become so

Blog
Helping people into good jobs rather than just any job could save the government billions
The government’s current approach is pushing people into lower paid jobs that leave many with inadequate and insecure incomes

By
Sam Tims
09 April 2024

In recent years, the guiding mantra of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when it comes to supporting people into work has been ​‘ABC’ – ​“Any job first, a Better job next and into a Career”. In reality, the government’s approach is too often pushing people into lower paid jobs that leave many

Blog
Ending stealth subsidies to banks is vital — but so is scrapping our borrowing rules
When a policy that would save billions doesn’t create more spending headroom, our fiscal rules aren’t fit for purpose

By
Dominic Caddick
29 March 2024

Gordon Brown has said the UK needs to get out of its ​“doom loop of poverty”. In doing so, he has endorsed a proposal from us at NEF to change the way the Treasury currently subsidises the Bank of England’s interest payments to the banking sector. He’s right that the Treasury could make billions from

Blog
What do Labour’s green finance plans mean for the UK and the climate crisis
Reinstating the Bank of England’s climate remit would be a win for green finance but Labour must go further to achieve their Green Prosperity Plan

By
Theo Harris
25 March 2024

Last week, Rachel Reeves announced that a Labour government would reinstate climate change as a policy priority for the Bank of England (something NEF has advocated for and would warmly welcome!). While Labour has watered down its flagship £28bn green investment pledge, by prioritising green

Blog
Flights, farmers and food
Our government’s greed for ever more air travel could come back to bite them

By
Alex Chapman
20 March 2024

A wave of farmers’ protests has swept across Europe in recent months. Tractors blocked high streets and highways, united under the slogan of ​“No farmers, no food”. But it was another of their banners that caught my eye: ​“Flights over food”. That was the slogan held above a convoy of 60 tractors gathered outside Cork Airport last month. So what does air travel have to do with farmers?
While the motivations

Videos
Big power for Little London
Their landlord left derelict buildings their estate. But now the community of Little London has found their voice — and they are fighting back.

19 March 2024

Their landlord left empty derelict buildings to decay on their estate. But now the community of Little London has found their voice — and they are fighting back.
After 40 years of government failure, our broken housing system allows wealthy landowners to dodge their responsibility to provide safe, decent homes. The Little London residents are an inspiration for anyone who has felt powerless against their

Publications
Solving the UK’s skills shortage
How a National Skilling Wage would future-proof our economy

By
Alex Chapman, Chaitanya Kumar, Paulo Yunda
19 March 2024

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The UK is facing a skills shortage and a productivity problem. A key driver of this stagnation has been the decline in both state and private sector investment in skills. Alongside austerity-era cuts to state spending on adult education, total employer

Videos
Mould is political
Over 2 millions people in the UK are living in homes with black mould. It’s time to demand change.

13 March 2024

Over 2 million people in the UK are living in homes with black mould which is a serious risk to their health and wellbeing. But it’s not tenants who have gotten us into this situation — it’s politicians. For too long politicians have prioritised landlords wealth over people’s health, now we’re saying enough.
A new film produced by NEF as part of the Homes for Us alliance, Mould is political, shows the impact of black mould on one family and how ordinary people are