Swindon & Wiltshire News
Can Bristol help to end UK’s economic stagnation?
The role of Bristol in ending the trend of economic stagnation in the UK and creating a more prosperous society for all is the topic of a debate hosted by Bristol Ideas, the Resolution Foundation, and Business West next month.
An expert panel including Bristol North West MP Darren Jones, shadow chief secretary to the treasury, Evelyn Welch, vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol, Sally Doherty, chief marketing officer of Graphcore, Nye Cominetti, principal economist at the Resolution Foundation, and Jessica Lee, director of strategy at the West of England Combined Authority, will discuss the UK’s productivity crisis and suggests solutions to the country’s economic malaise.
“A toxic combination of 15 years of low growth, and four decades of high inequality, has left Britain poorer and falling behind its peers,” say the organisers.
“Wages today are no higher than they were before the financial crisis, and England’s biggest cities beyond London all have productivity levels below the national average. Britain needs a new economic strategy to lift itself out of stagnation.”
While Bristol has long been a hub for high-value aerospace manufacturing and also has considerable strengths in services, including education, creative industries and green technology, it also faces considerable challenges – from poor public transport to high housing costs – that limits growth and reduces living standards.
The expert panel will discuss how harnessing the city’s many strengths will be critical to meeting the economic challenges of the coming years.
The event, which will be held the day after chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivers his Spring Budget, will debate whether it has helped or hindered Britain’s economic prospects.
The event will be chaired by Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Resolution Foundation, the independent think-tank focused on improving the living standards for those on low to middle incomes.
It will be held at Watershed on Thursday, March 7 from 1pm to 2.15pm. Tickets, which are free, are available from https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/boosting-prosperity-in-britain
