Public First

New Public First study looking at Primark's role as an anchor institution on British High streets - drawing on new opinion research and economic modelling. When it comes to corporate impact studies, our approach is always to go beyond jobs and GDP numbers - which can be glossed over in isolation - and help companies articulate their unique stories. And Primark's story is one of acting as a strong draw for visiting town and city centres: our research found that, every week, Primark stores draw 2.3 million people onto the high street by acting as the *main* reason for visiting. Amid the rise in online shopping, Primark continues to invest in bricks and mortar retail on the high street. It will invest £100 million in 2024 alone, including opening new stores in Bury St. Edmunds, Teesside Park and Glasgow Fort. https://lnkd.in/gTEFi64M To find out more about our approach to impact assessment, get in touch: scott.corfe@publicfirst.co.uk

There is a housing crisis in the UK. The government has set an ambitious goal of building 1.5 million new homes in England over the next five years, however local councils are already struggling to meet their house building targets. Today we are publishing “The Case for Inclusive Planning” written in partnership with Leeds Building Society. The current system is dominated by vocal minorities (NIMBYs) who oppose new developments and hinder housebuilding. Through nationwide polling and immersive qualitative research we reached people who don’t take part in consultations or typical market research projects. We found that people understand and support the need for new houses in their communities. Our report recommends creating an inclusive system, based on New Zealand’s approach to representative consultation that is capable of meeting housing needs. We hope our report encourages wider community involvement and a more inclusive planning system. You can read our full report here: https://lnkd.in/gMS7KkMA Please get in touch with Tim Leunig, Yasmeen Sebbana or Jack Airey to hear more about our research.

I’m excited to share some important findings from recent research we conducted at Public First for the UK's second biggest apprenticeships provider Multiverse. In an ever-changing economy, it’s more critical than ever to ensure that workers are equipped with the skills they need to succeed throughout their careers. We carried out expert interviews and polled the public to understand how reskilling can unlock economic growth. The insights we uncovered highlight the opportunities – and the urgency – for improving access to training and development. Here are some key takeaways: 💡 90% of respondents support a Right to Reskill, demonstrating widespread demand for lifelong learning opportunities. 🏅 69% would be more likely to take a course if it were delivered by a government-approved and regulated provider. 📚 79% are inclined toward courses that can be completed in stages, while 74% favour training that takes less than 12 months to finish. ⏰ 78% would participate in training if they had the flexibility to choose when and how to engage. 🚫 47% of people haven’t completed training because it was never offered to them. 📊 82% are interested in additional training to help them adapt to technological change. These findings are a strong indicator that we need more flexible, high-quality training opportunities that align with the needs of both workers and employers. Was great to work with Ellie Daniel, Tim Smith, Doniya Soni-Clark and Michael Mander on this alongside Mike Crowhurst, Ben Murphy and Jonathan Simons. You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e_irG4qV

I am proud of the steps we have taken to support struggling customers, but the below findings show there is more for us all to do.   Our E.ON Next Fund and the Voluntary Debt Commitment (working with Energy UK, Ofgem and Citizens Advice) have already helped to ensure energy bills are treated fairly and equitably and last winter we provided support that amounted to more than £150m including reducing some customers’ bills by 50% over the winter period and writing off existing debts to help create a better footing going forward. But, as outlined by Citizens Advice, the Social Market Foundation and Public First, a market-wide social tariff could help be a real game changer for so many people on an enduring basis.   We’ll continue to work in partnership to ensure more support for struggling customers is available and long-term solutions are put in place.

The Public First team is tracking all policy announcements during the 2024 election campaign. We have used polling on public priorities, and our own experience of campaigns and manifestos, to order and outline the key areas where parties will need to give the public answers. You can use the tracker to see what's been announced, understand what the parties are choosing to talk about, and notice the gaps where no one is saying anything at all. Quibbles and additions welcome. As featured in Politico this evening (tracker at bottom of page) https://lnkd.in/eaq-F85M.

Opinion polls suggest Keir Starmer will be the UK’s next Prime Minister, with expectations of a sizable majority. Parallels are naturally being drawn between likely life after a 2024 Starmer victory and life after the last time Labour seized power from the Tories – Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide. Yet, Public First argues parallels are likely to be few and far between. 2024 Britain is a fundamentally different place to 1997 Britain – as shown in our new 97v24 dashboard. Looking at key economic and social markers – and comparing our new 2024 polling with similar historic polls from the British Social Attitudes survey and Mori (as was) – we see political challenges and public expectations differ wildly. Across the board, voters are less confident in our current generation of political leaders. When we compare senior frontbench politicians – from the Labour Party and the Conservative Party – they are less likely to be seen as real assets to their party than their 1997 equivalents. The path to victory for Starmer will therefore be paved with indifference, rather than the far greater enthusiasm that Blair enjoyed. Our findings are the top article on the Guardian website this morning: https://lnkd.in/ew2pw-C9 Our 97v24 dashboard of economic and social indicators, and polling, can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eMAPAmFs

New economic analysis from Public First demonstrates post-Covid tutoring has boosted the economy by more than £4 billion. This uplift comes from students achieving better grades, leading to higher lifetime earnings. The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) has helped students recover lost learning, and for every £1 spent on the programme, there is a £6.58 economic return. You can read more about the research here: https://lnkd.in/esuyngFD Action Tutoring, CoachBright, Get Further, Impetus - Backing the best, MANNING'S TUTORS LTD, MyTutor.co.uk, Quest for Learning, The CLC, Tutor Trust - Striving for equity in education, White Rose Education

We were delighted to host an evening with Labour’s shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson this week, in partnership with the Commission on Young Lives and Tes. Anne Longfield CBE, the chair of the commission and former Children's Commissioner for England, fielded questions from the audience of education leaders which covered topics from early years, to schools, colleges and universities. Thank you to Bridget, Anne and all those who attended what was an insightful conversation.

On Tuesday evening, Public First and the Commission On Young Lives were delighted to jointly host an "in conversation" with shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson. A fascinating evening.