Growth and Reform Network

💷Chancellor John Healey will deliver his first #Budget tomorrow The Budget is expected to outline the much-anticipated fiscal devolution roadmap Last month we published our report exploring how to build the capabilities to make fiscal devo deliver good growth👇 growthandreform.org/resource-hub...

How can innovation become central to the growth agenda? In our latest Substack, we explore the five shifts the UK needs to adopt in order to become a leading Innovation Nation. 🔗Read our reflections from the Innovation Nation Summit below: growthandreformnetwork.substack.com/p/what-are-t...

Innovation is central to how Britain can return to a higher level of inclusive growth and should be at the heart of local and regional growth plans. Ben Lucas shares his reflections from the Innovation Nation Summit with The MJ👇 www.themj.co.uk/forging-inno...

What needs to happen now to make the UK a leading Innovation Nation? 🎥 Watch our short film capturing the excitement, energy and contributions of political leaders, investors, and innovators at the Innovation Nation Summit. And read our conference paper: growthandreform.org/resource-hub...

Can Britain be the world's innovation nation again? It's a Q we posed at the @futuregovforum.bsky.social / @growthandreform.bsky.social 'Innovation Nation' summit in Manchester with Gordon Brown and Andy Burnham. Some thoughts on the event and what next: futuregovforum.substack.com/p/britain-sh...

Read the story by Alistair Houghton from @businesslive.bsky.social about last week's Innovation Nation Summit with Andy Burnham, Gordon Brown, business leaders, policymakers and investors. Hear more from GRN's Ben Lucas and FGF's @adamterryfgf.bsky.social : www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/g...

📆 Last week, FGF co-hosted the 'Innovation Nation' summit in Manchester with @growthandreform.bsky.social and Metro Dynamics. The summit had a simple message: that Britain has been the world’s innovation nation before, and we have the potential to be so again. Here's how 👇

Webinar | Funding places and prevention - how can the UK learn from international practice? 📅 12th November | 13.00-14.00 Join us with @healthfoundation.bsky.social for our webinar on how prevention can be embedded into place-based funding models 🎫 Register here: www.health.org.uk/events/webin...

How do we build healthier places? 🔗 Read our latest Substack, where Erica Fletcher discusses the value of taking a place-based, whole-systems approach to public health, how that works in practice, and what it means for devolution: growthandreformnetwork.substack.com/p/building-h...

Often the thinking around devolution simply assumes that our current data, digital systems and AI will exist and work. But to properly meet the needs of a devolved and democratic state, we must deliberately design these systems. 👏@gavinfreeguard.com @jenitennison.com shorturl.at/iguyG

In his latest piece for The MJ, GRN Executive Chair Ben Lucas reflects on how the Manchester economic growth model works and says it is here to stay after Burnham's departure as Mayor. 👉 Read the full article: www.themj.co.uk/moving-manch...

Watch Back | Devolution: an unfinished revolution Last week, GRN Executive Chair Ben Lucas joined an expert panel at NHS ConfedExpo exploring how devolution could address regional imbalances in health and economic outcomes 📹Watch the event recording: fsmevents.uk/nhs-confed/2...

New article | Why tackling the NEETs crisis means trusting places to deliver: learning from Europe Our latest by @catherineriachi.bsky.social explores lessons from the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland on tackling NEETs rates through devolution👇 growthandreformnetwork.substack.com/p/why-tackli...

Regional devolution can help rebuild trust in government through growth Read the latest article by Ben Lucas for the MJ, outlining how Mayors can grow and reform local economies and rebuilt trust in government 👇 growthandreformnetwork.substack.com/p/regional-d...

🔎 Evaluation is not boring - it has a PR problem. Read our latest article from Erica Fletcher on how places can turn evaluation from a box-ticking exercise into a tool for lasting power and change 👇 open.substack.com/pub/growthan...

📲 The Growth and Reform Network is now on Substack! Follow us to instantly receive articles on the state of devolution, inclusive growth and public service reform across the UK, as well as highlights and case studies from across our membership. 🔗 Subscribe here: substack.com/@growthandre...

Nearly one million 16-24 year olds in the UK are NEET, and 61% of those young people are economically inactive. Read our latest article on NEET rates and the case for place-based preventative action👇 growthandreform.org/ign-insights...

The complex intersection of child poverty and intimate partner violence Our latest piece by @kstipetic.bsky.social explores the link between violence against women and child poverty, and the potential to join up the strategies tackling them. 🔗 Read in full: growthandreform.org/ign-insights...

In our latest guest article, partners from the North of Tyne Local Community Partnerships share their tips, approaches and lessons for driving community-led investment. 🔗 Read more about the programme's ambitions and how the team approached the work: growthandreform.org/ign-insights...

💼 Youth unemployment is at 16%. Someone born in 2008 - the year of the financial crash - has never experienced the benefits of economic growth. Our latest article for The MJ by Executive Chair Ben Lucas sets out what needs to change. 👇 growthandreform.org/ign-insights...

New report by our two partner organisations @futuregovforum.bsky.social and Metro Dynamics outlines recommendations for national government to strengthen the role of strategic authorities to deliver for the 28 million people they serve 📄Read in full: www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/imp...

Poor health is now one of the biggest barriers to UK economic growth. Join us on 28 January for this webinar with @growthandreform.bsky.social​ to hear examples of good practice in economic development that are delivering benefits for health. Register now ⬇️

❄️ New article | Fuel poverty in the UK and policies to alleviate it in 2026 Fuel poverty affects at least 3.17 million English families. @kstipetic.bsky.social analyses the causes and effects of fuel poverty in the UK, as well as policies to address it in 2026. growthandreform.org/ign-insights...

🏘️New report: The Missing Links: Connecting Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods to New Economic Opportunities Our latest report with @iconeighbours.bsky.social explores how economic isolation shapes outcomes in disadvantaged neighbourhoods & how to connect them to growth growthandreform.org/resource-hub...

If you’re interested in ‘the quiet work that makes public service reform possible’, read this article by Annabel Smith, Director of @growthandreform.bsky.social on the important discussions that took place at December’s Britain Renewed 2025 conference futuregovforum.substack.com/p/the-quiet-...

💡Seven Things We’ve Learned About How Economics Shapes Our Health Read our newest blog by @tanyasingh99.bsky.social exploring the findings of our recent evidence review on health and economic development supported by @healthfoundation.bsky.social Full article👇 growthandreform.org/ign-insights...

📄New article | The politics of shaping place @annabel-smith.bsky.social, Director of the GRN, sets out the shift in focus towards local leadership at the Labour Party Conference. Read the blog: growthandreform.org/ign-insights...

We are pleased to support this new report from our colleagues @growthandreform.bsky.social, exploring how national policy can help local and regional government to embed health outcomes in economic development and ensure inclusive growth. Read more⬇️

📄New report | Inclusive Growth, Healthy Places We have launched a new report supported by @healthfoundation.bsky.social focusing on the role of national government in creating the conditions for integrating health and economic development at place level Read👇 growthandreform.org/resource-hub...

Powering Places: How the industrial strategy can deliver nationwide renewal Join this event on 29 Sept with @futuregovforum.bsky.social & Equinix at Labour Party Conference to hear from @mayorhelengodwin.bsky.social @annabel-smith.bsky.social Alex Bevan & James Tyler on growth delivery in the UK 👇

Last chance to apply! @growthandreform.bsky.social's two new openings close for applications on Monday - if you are looking for your first or next step into a think tank then look no further and apply: Senior Researcher: bit.ly/4m0YLxJ Operations Manager: bit.ly/4nbKTS8

🚨A few days left to apply! We are currently recruiting for an Operations Manager and a Senior Researcher to join our small and dynamic team. 🔗Learn more about the roles and apply: growthandreform.org/about-us/our...

🚨Job opportunity: Senior Researcher We are recruiting for a senior researcher to manage our research programme in support of inclusive growth, impactful devolution and public service reform policy 📄Learn more about the job and apply: growthandreform.org/about-us/job...

In July, the GRN convened leaders from local and central government, the NHS, and VCSE sector for a roundtable hosted by GMCA The discussion focused on the scale of opportunity and challenges of marrying preventative strategies with delivery in places. Read more👇 growthandreform.org/ign-insights...

July was a historic month for devolution and the mission to reshape the state, moving power closer to local communities. @annabel-smith.bsky.social, Director of the Growth and Reform Network, sets out how to effectively embed place-led collaboration 🔗Read more: growthandreform.org/ign-insights...