The UK has great strengths, but is a decade and a half into a period of
stagnation. The toxic combination of slow growth and high inequality
was straining the living standards of low- and middle-income Britain
well before the cost of living crisis struck. It is time to embark on a new
path.

This, the Final Report of The Economy 2030 Inquiry, sets out what such
a path – a serious attempt to end Britain’s relative decline – looks like. It
navigates, rather than ignores, the constraints and trade-offs involved,
and is hard-headed about what it takes to drive growth and ensure
fairness.

Prosperity must be built on an understanding of Britain’s strengths, and
a resolve to invest in our future rather than live off our past. Good jobs
must become a central objective – not a by-product – of our economic
strategy, while our tax and benefit systems must fairly share reward and
sacrifice. Economic change must be steered towards securing a higher
growth and lower inequality Britain, as we wrestle with major shifts
from Brexit to the net zero transition.

The Economy 2030 Inquiry is a collaboration between the Resolution
Foundation and the Centre for Economic Performance at the London
School of Economics, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. This Final
Report is underpinned by the Inquiry’s rigorous analysis, drawing on
70 reports, as well as extensive conversations with citizens and policy
makers across the country.