David Lawrence

Ways to reduce food prices before 2029 Centre for British Progress and the Living Standards Coalition team up to outline how the UK Government can reduce food prices in the short term.

Read the full briefing from me, @yuanfenyang.bsky.social &
@kaneemerson.bsky.social here: britishprogress.org/briefings/wa...

Previous competition action that enabled the rise of Lidl and Aldi created estimated welfare gains of 3.5% on certain basic products.

The Government could go further and introduce a permitted development right for grocery stores, which would make it easier to open new branches in underserved areas.

1. 🇪🇺 Closer alignment with the EU: agreeing a deal on SPS + customs arrangement, could lower food prices by 3-6%.

2. 🏗️ Reform planning to increase supermarket competition: current planning constraints benefit incumbents and limit the availability of lower-cost shops.

So what can we do?

To answer this question, @britishprogress.org has teamed up with @livingstandardsc.bsky.social to publish new research, drawing on expertise and evidence from @systemiq.bsky.social

We find that there are two main levers the Government can pull to get prices down.

The main drivers of recent food inflation are:

🌾 a global squeeze triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine
🌡️ climate-related shocks
⚡ higher energy prices, also linked to the war, as well as Britain's dependence on gas.

Meanwhile, supermarket margins are razor-thin, and VAT is already set to 0.

Keir Starmer wants to make your food cheaper.

He says "every minute we focus on anything other than cost of living is a wasted minute”. Food is the most visible part of inflation, & prices have gone up 40% since 2020.

But there's a problem: the Government has little control over food prices...

Growing pains? | Fabian Society Fabian Society

“Those of us who care about growth should stop framing it as being in conflict with environmental objectives.”

The truism that economic growth threatens the climate may not be so true after all, writes @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social.

fabians.org.uk/growing-pains/

A customs union won’t fix Labour’s growth woes Brexit has been bad for our economy. But it's become an excuse not to pursue growth

And in @newstatesman1913.bsky.social here.

(Thanks @emilylawford.bsky.social for editing & publishing!)

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

A customs union won’t fix Labour’s growth woes The Government is, we are told, considering crossing its own red lines and rejoining the EU Customs Union. Indeed, according to one Cabinet source, this is “the only idea around” on growth.  Aside fr...

Read the full piece, and my recommendations, in @renewaljournal.bsky.social here

(thanks @dmk1793.bsky.social for editing and publishing!)

renewal.org.uk/blog/a-custo...

Dynamism ≠ innovation.

Europe has no shortage of founders & creators. The challenge is continually reallocating talent & capital to productive areas, turning ideas into companies that take on incumbents & scale.

Market structure, regulation & infrastructure matter more than ingenuity & skills.

Brexit didn’t cause our stagnation, but it created an excuse for it. Brexit sucked the air out of our debates, so we never properly interrogated the root causes of low growth.

Europe suffers a lack of dynamism. Our largest companies are older than those in the US & weighted towards legacy sectors.

I'm in the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social & @renewaljournal.bsky.social today arguing why rejoining the EU Customs Union won't fix Labour's growth woes.

The basic reason: UK and European stagnation predate Brexit, and the real challenge is competing with US and Chinese dynamism.

The UK has very few mass transit systems compared to peers

The map below shows how far behind France and Germany we are in mass transit. In France, every place with over 150,000 people has some form of tram or metro.

But if mayoral areas can 'become builders' as @tracybrabinmayorwy.bsky.social puts it in the foreword, we can turn this around.

🧵

1/9

🚨 NEW REPORT 🚨

The Alan Turing Institute has visibly struggled, and is now at a critical juncture. The Secretary of State has intervened. What happens next?

A new report for @britishprogress.bsky.social by me and @jujulemons.bsky.social sets out a plan: 🧵

Getting Britain off the ground Britain needs a new runway at Heathrow, the world's most capacity-constrained airport. Building in Britain can be slow: this paper sets out the options for the Government to speed up infrastructure de...

We can build a runway in 4 years. The barriers are all within Parliament’s control. Where there is political will, there is a new runway.

Read the full report from @morganwild.bsky.social, @pedroserodio.com, @dantomlinson.bsky.social & me

britishprogress.org/briefings/ge...

3️⃣ Start with short-haul

Instead of relocating the M25 - a requirement for a long runway - a short-haul runway could be built within the current footprint. This would boost domestic and European flights while freeing up space for more long-haul travel on the main runways.

2️⃣ Tighten the timetable

The Public Bill could be passed by early 2026. If ministers are prepared to override Standing Orders as the government did with Scunthorpe steelworks, the Bill could be enacted even faster.

1️⃣ Speed up planning

We struggle to build because our planning system is too slow and restrictive. A Public Bill on Heathrow expansion would empower Parliament to give the new runway the go-ahead, eliminating the risk of Judicial Review & reducing the number of veto players.

We believe that a new runway in 4 years is possible. But it will require bold decisions. Here’s how you do it:

But can we actually build a runway before the next election?

Doing so would not only deliver much-needed growth, it would send a clear message to ordinary people who have lost faith in politicians’ ability to deliver: a Britain that can build things again.

Heathrow Expansion: Britain’s Runway to Growth Heathrow is arguably the most capacity-constrained transport hub in the world. Allowing expansion could generate nationwide economic growth, but needs to be done in such a way to meet the Government’s...

While previous govts dithered and prevaricated, this government has a chance to succeed where they failed.

Heathrow expansion is good for growth, benefits the whole country, and consistent with our climate goals (see our previous piece!)

britishprogress.org/uk-day-one/h...

It is a source of national shame that governments have spent decades failing to expand Heathrow.

It is the world’s most congested airport and operates with fewer runways than its competitors (excl Dubai, which runs through the night, and is building a whole new airport)

🚧 A challenge for this Government, and for Britain: can we build a new runway in under four years?

Our answer? YES, but only if ministers use their powers decisively.

In a new paper, @labourtogether.bsky.social & @britishprogress.bsky.social set out a plan to let Britain fly 🛫

Here's how:

ISA & pension reform: Why forced investment is not real investment Compelling British households to invest in British assets risks undermining their pensions without improving the economy. Creating real investment opportunities requires addressing the barriers curren...

Full analysis by me and @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social here:
britishprogress.org/reports/isa-...

Will throwing more money at British companies actually help our economy?

Politicians keep threatening to direct British savings & pensions to UK equities. But this won’t fix the underlying reasons for Britain’s low investment & productivity – and could deliver worse returns. 🧵

🚨 NEW PAPER KLAXON 🚨

@britishprogress.bsky.social's first research report is out! It is all about the Government's announcement of a new defence innovation unit – UK Defence Innovation.

Here’s how to build this unit for maximum impact on security and prosperity: 🧵

Why we love Luton Airport, and a terrible plan for changing the London Mayoralty Plus the exciting launch of the Centre for British Progress

New episode of THE ABUNDANCE AGENDA!

Why we love Luton Airport, and a terrible plan for changing the London Mayoralty.

Plus we speak to @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social and @jujulemons.bsky.social about the launch of @britishprogress.bsky.social !

Listen:

www.abundancepod.com/p/why-we-lov...

@britishprogress.bsky.social
A new project focussing on policies for British growth for the material and social well being of the British people.
Very much worth following, and featuring the excellent @ersatzben.bsky.social

Very excited to be working with @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social @jujulemons.bsky.social and team to make the progressive case for growth as a fellow at the new Centre for British Progress @britishprogress.bsky.social

This is an intriguing addition to the centre-left think tank space, with an impressively dynamic leadership - I will be interested to see the ideas they produce!