The Week, 30 August 2019
REFORMER OF THE WEEK
The Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Digital Secretary, for announcing a £30 million plan to boost 5G technology adoption in rural communities.
Quotes of the week
"Nobody is fooled that this is a proper and normal spending review. It is a one-year only, panic-driven stunt budget." Rt Hon John McDonnell MP speaking at Church House on Thursday
Reactionary of the week
The Prime Minister for announcing yet another delay to the publication of the long-awaited Social Care Green Paper on Monday.
GOOD WEEK FOR
Redeveloping the high street
The Government has announced that the £1 billion Future High Streets Fund would be expanded to 50 more towns to help transform the high street into modern community hubs.
Households in work
The proportion of working households reached a record high this month, with the number of people in work rising to 32.81 million.
BAD WEEK FOR
Students
An investigation by the Times has found that in 2017/18 Universities made more than £2 million in commissions through exclusivity deals with gown and photography suppliers.
Routes to employment
Statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Work and Health Programme show that 9 in 10 participants have not yet achieved a job outcome, showing no improvement compared to the last release published in May.
REFORM’S WEEK
Charlotte Pickles, Director at Reform, was quoted in The Guardian discussing the projected fall in prison population numbers.
Imogen Farhan, researcher at Reform, wrote an article for Public Sector Focus on why the NHS needs to go back to basics in order to realise the 'digital revolution' in mental health
With the summer recess ending, the Reform team is looking forward to restarting its programme of work on public service reform.