New research out today "Retirement Voice 2025: How an era of uncertainty is affecting our attitudes towards retirement" We used a new 6k survey of the UK population. I had fun designing the charts! Find out how people feel about finances, work and retirement www.standardlife.co.uk/centre-for-t...

A textbook case of how not to report polls. '50%? Oh my god!' 'Oh, you mean a 9-point increase'?

1. Looks like skills is moving to DWP. What might this mean? I assume it's 19+ funding, which these days is the Adult Skills Fund (£1.5bn, 2/3 devolved to mayors) & apprenticeships (£3bn, inc small numbers of 16-19s). All Govt structures create silos. You need to pick least bad & work around them.

🚨 New research published today 🚨 Our analysis finds that inactivity is rising and unemployment has not yet peaked. Learn more 👉 buff.ly/a9SnWhw

Today’s labour market statistics show that the jobs market is continuing to loosen, with jobs, vacancies and pay growth all weakening. Our @resfoundation.bsky.social take, from myself and @hannahslaughter.bsky.social, is below...

Good piece in the FT which cites our research from the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement on the demographics of the Industrial Strategy workforce.

If AI is being used extensively in office jobs, then should we be letting students use AI in the classroom? No - here's why. With reference to 3 papers that show what you do in a job isn't the template for what you do in the classroom. substack.nomoremarking.com/p/education-...

I’m not back at work for another couple of weeks so will leave full thoughts until then but something to bear in mind: if we don’t like our MPs doing this sort of thing (as replies to Mark indicate) then we need to rethink what we expect of our MPs vs what time and resources they actually have

I want to come back properly on this Economist piece that questions Britain's approach to net zero. It gets three things wrong imo: 1. Ignoring periods of v cheap renewable energy 2. Misdiagnosing the relative costs of renewables 3. Looking backwards, not forwards.

New workplace pension participation statistics were published this morning, revealing that certain groups remain at greater risk of heading into retirement with insufficient savings. Here’s what you need to know 🧵

A great example here of that neat trick where you highlight the rise in the cost of offshore wind… (absolutely true, and largely linked to higher interest rates and inflation)

Dazed and confused? Policy ideas behind the NHS 10 year plan www.health.org.uk/reports-and-...

Today’s labour market stats shows that the jobs market is continuing to weaken, with signs that pay growth may also be slowing. Our take below (h/t @nyecominetti.bsky.social)

NEW What the Afghan ‘super-injunction’ tells us about the UK polity Parliament and regulators are shrugging off a decision that freed the government from accountability By me, (back) at @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/1f1c...

The 10-Year Health Plan was supposed to herald a preventative shift, but @davefinch.bsky.social​ argues that it ultimately lacks ambition, and the commitments to systemic change and funding required to reduce inequalities and keep people in good health. Read more ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4nQEPzF

REVEALED | More than 16,000 Afghans were secretly brought to the UK in largest covert peacetime evacuation after MoD put them in danger of being targeted by the Taliban

Expectations vs reality

Amid all the talk about the Government's cuts to health and disability benefits, it's worth pausing to reflect on the backdrop: a large and growing number of adults in the UK are in poor health. Today we got new high-quality data on the prevalence of mental health conditions across England...

Delivering the new industrial strategy will be a huge test for government @gilesyb.bsky.social warns that white paper represents a daunting delivery challenge that requires unprecedented levels of cross-departmental working www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/indu...

As we all digest the government's Industrial Strategy, have a look at our analysis of the existing workforce across the eight IS sectors. Retaining existing workers is just as important as attracting new entrants. www.standardlife.co.uk/centre-for-t...

Who do you picture working in the high-growth, high-tech sectors of rhe Industrial Strategy? These sectors are older than average and all have a higher rates of early retirement. We estimate this costs economy £31bn - we need to plan for this www.standardlife.co.uk/centre-for-t...

The government has today published a long-awaited consultation on reform of the local government funding system in England - the first in at least 13 years. Read the immediate response from Kate Ogden here: ifs.org.uk/articles/imm...

📢 New research! 📢 Who are the workers in the Industrial Strategy's eight growth-driving sectors? Find out in new research from the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement. Lots of great charts which the Bluesky community will enjoy I think! www.standardlife.co.uk/centre-for-t...

The government published its infrastructure strategy today setting out how it plans to invest over the next decade. Overall, long-term investment planning is most welcome but there's still a lot up for grabs. A short thread...

Definitely agree - the Census is really important for providing high-quality data especially for smaller geographical areas and demographic groups. And it's a great tradition which we should continue!

Great to be at the @workfoundation.bsky.social's Work and Health Summit this afternoon. #WorkHealthSummit

I have written about how you cannot possibly know if the Spending Review was good for growth, and not just because of the maddening way the Treasury has with numbers freethinkecon.wordpress.com/2025/06/16/y...

The think tank I work for has rebranded - previously called Phoenix Insights, we're now the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement. Our core research and policy topics will continue to be how we work, save and retire - both today and in the future. www.standardlife.co.uk/centre-for-t...

If you’re interested in the future of retirement - sufficient occupational pensions, decent employment, sustainable state pension, that sort of thing - the work of my rebranded think tank might be of interest: www.standardlife.co.uk/centre-for-t...

Our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk spending review analysis is out! Take a read here www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/spen... Our key takeaways: 1/7

This morning’s labour market stats mark another month of a weakening jobs market and slowing pay growth. Thread and charts from me and @nyecominetti.bsky.social...

New comment from @alexgathomas.bsky.social and me: Local authorities are caught between the triple pressures of lower funding, rising demand, and legal obligations to deliver services. Reform's "DOGE" cannot change that brutal reality Short 🧵👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/doge...

Great to see the first Pathfinder of the new National Jobs and Careers Service has now been launched in Wakefield. More Pathfinders to follow later in the year. Good to see a 'test and learn' style of approach. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Do read Kate's discussion paper setting out practical ideas for how Jobcentres can be transformed into the new National Jobs and Careers Service. With the first Pathfinder launching in Wakefield, this is the ideal time to trial some of these ideas in action!

I think the word "important" is overused when it comes to the publication of words. It should be used sparingly. This new piece of research from @teraallas.bsky.social and co-author Dimitri Zenghellis *is important*. www.productivity.ac.uk/news/mind-th... It explains weak UK productivity. 1/

Other things that would improve NHS productivity include radical ideas like modern computers, electronic patient records and diagnostic equipment. Oh, and fixing crumbling hospitals so that operations don't have to be cancelled because of collapsing ceilings. www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcar...

I’ve seen it again today, so here goes: this chart, and the research note it comes from, is extremely silly and misleading. It purports to show a drop in electricity availability in Britain coinciding with the productivity slowdown. It shows nothing of the sort…

extraordinary use of Ukrainian drones hidden in trucks to destroy bombers in several Russian air bases www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg...

A good report from @jrf-uk.bsky.social on 'the care expectation gap'. Longer lives mean more of us will need care and/or be carers in the future. 65% of us are likely to provide care during our life, yet only 32% of us expect to care for someone else in the future. www.jrf.org.uk/care/the-car...

Really interesting article - at a global level, duration of working life is rising in parallel with life expectancy. UK is slightly different: life expectancy (at birth) has stalled since 2011, but working lives have lengthened anyway - for several reasons, including rising State Pension Age.

NEW: L&W research funded by @phoenixgroup.bsky.social explores the employment-related impact of #lifelonglearning. 🔍 People qualified at or below GCSE level benefit most from learning in the immediate term, while employers who invest in training enjoy improved retention and workforce productivity.

📢 New research! Learning/training as an adult increases likelihood of being in employment. Here at Phoenix Insights, we're excited to publish new research with @learnworkuk.bsky.social - one of the first studies on the causal impact of learning as an adult. www.thephoenixgroup.com/phoenix-insi...

We've launched a new campaign, Get the Nation Learning! Because when adults learn, our society and economy thrive. 💡 We need you to be a part of it, and there's a range of ways that you can get involved. Find out how: getthenationlearning.org.uk #GetTheNationLearning

Friendship's quiet power to boost social mobility - great piece from @raviguru.bsky.social at Nesta - also relevant to cohesion, combatting loneliness, a whole host of issues we face - with some proven solutions we actually understand www.ft.com/content/2978...

What should the Government prioritise when tackling its welfare trilemma (means-tesing winter fuel payments, cutting disability benefits and the persistence of the two child limit)? @ruthcurtice.bsky.social‬ considers the options ⤵️ buff.ly/5ibPBVM

‘What was really striking was how appallingly dated the “Brexit debate” felt. The real challenges Britain faces demand more than slapstick outbursts about betrayal or surrender.’ Great FT weekend essay from @anandmenon.bsky.social analysing where UK-EU relations have got to on.ft.com/4mvoRtW

In this new blog @hughalderwick.bsky.social and Phoebe Dunn review the proposals of a ‘model ICB blueprint’ recently shared with NHS leaders and ask if the reshaping of integrated care boards signals a change in direction for the NHS? Read more ⬇️ https://bit.ly/3Sk1dmr

NEW: Sure Start generated widespread, long-lasting benefits for children in education, health, absences, and SEND. Every £1 of up-front spending on Sure Start could generate around £2 in total benefits over the long run. THREAD on our new ‪@nuffieldfoundation.org‬-funded report: [1/11]

Speaking at the launch of this research today. The pandemic generation deserves so much better. on.ft.com/44LV2ir

An interesting post from Ilan Gur, CEO of ARIA - was my lunchtime read! open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...