Last week, as part of my role as a Commissioner of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, I attended a conference in central London to support and celebrate the latest cohort of Commonwealth Scholars. There were 291 extremely talented and driven young people from 24 different low- and middle-income countries, selected to study at UK universities to gain the knowledge and skills needed to have developmental impact in their home countries in the decades ahead, funded through the UK’s aid budget.
It really was an inspiring event, hearing how hungry the scholars were to learn and their imaginative ideas for improving the lives of their fellow citizens back home. Knowledge was gift for many of them, and they felt a responsibility to use it for good. They spoke of how honoured they felt to be selected to study and live in the UK.
It got me thinking. Despite the current doom and gloom about the state of our country, across the world, the UK is still widely viewed as such a prestigious and prosperous place. In fact, advanced liberal democracies across the Western world remain model countries that many millions of people want to migrate to or replicate. Liberal democracies may not be perfect. But they’re a damn sight better than any other political system.
There is talk – especially with the re-election of temperamental Trump – that the long twentieth century is finally coming to and end. That liberal culture, politics and economics which has been in ascendance since the end of the Second World War – and peaked from the 1980s to the 2010s – is in twilight. We are returning, at worst, to an era of imperial power and the celebration of might; at best, more nationalism and protectionism, and domestic cultures that prioritise community over individuality.
We shouldn’t just accept the decay of liberal society and multinationalism. Adjust to it. We should fight for it. Ensure our children are able to enjoy the peace and prosperity we enjoyed.
But being defensive alone won’t do. Liberals also need to be more radical. In particular, there needs to be more boldness in boosting private incomes, which have been stagnant for too long. The public are rightly restless, doubtful that moderate politics can deliver. So Bright Blue has started a major new project on how we can boost living standards, especially focussing on the role of employers, taxation and supply-side expansion.
The Government, I think, needs to take three radical actions as soon as possible. First, much more building – both housing and infrastructure. Second, drive innovation in and the adoption of generative AI, especially in the public sector. Third, get older people working more, reforming state and private pension drawdown policies and campaigning against age discrimination, so the cultural norm is to retire at 70 – and now, not in a few decades.
British politics is too slow. We can’t afford to be any longer. Policymakers urgently need to act more quickly and boldly.
This article first appeared in Bright Blue’s bulletin. To receive it, you can sign up our to mailing list here.
Ryan Shorthouse is the Executive Chair of Bright Blue. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Bright Blue. [Image credits: Suzy Hazelwood]
