A paper examined the implications of different policy choices that were most likely to deliver a higher level of well-being to European citizens in the period to 2030. It analyzed the context, challenges, and potential societal outcomes of different social policy choices, focusing specifically on the trade-offs involved.
Source: Fabian Zuleeg with Claire Dheret and Benedetta Guerzoni, Enhancing the Well-Being of Europe's Citizens: Hard Choices?, Working Paper 34, European Policy Centre
Links: Paper
Date: 2010-Dec
The Office for National Statistics began consultation on the development of new measures of national well-being, designed to cover the quality of life of people, and environmental and sustainability issues, as well as the economic performance of the country.
Source: Measuring National Well-Being, Office for National Statistics
Links: Consultation document | ONS press release | PM speech | Action for Children press release | CAF press release | Relationships Foundation press release | RSS press release | Working Families press release | Telegraph report | BBC report | Morning Star report
Date: 2010-Nov
A new book provided a critique of choice in contemporary society and policy. It examined how choice worked in the areas of healthcare, education, and pensions. It also reviewed the impact of choice through the life-cycle, in areas such as careers, relationships, fertility, retirement, and death. It considered whether greater choice enhanced or burdened people's lives, and questioned the assumption that more choice was always for the better.
Source: Michael Clarke, Challenging Choices: Ideology, consumerism and policy, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Oct
A paper examined what was meant by the term 'subjective well-being', why it was important to measure it, how it could be measured, what subjective well-being questions were being asked in major social surveys, and what the potential uses of subsequent data might be.
Source: Sam Waldron, Measuring Subjective Wellbeing in the UK, Office for National Statistics
Date: 2010-Sep
An article examined measures of economic performance and social progress that were wider in scope than gross domestic product, including the impact on the environment and sustainability.
Source: Jennifer Thomas and Joanne Evans, 'There's more to life than GDP but how can we measure it?', Economic & Labour Market Review, September 2010, Office for National Statistics
Links: Article | ONS press release
Date: 2010-Sep
An article presented alternative measures of economic activity that might be more suitable indicators of society's well-being. It explained how the different measures were calculated and the additional insights they offered.
Source: Blessing Chiripanhura, 'Measures of economic activity and their implications for societal well being', Economic & Labour Market Review, July 2010, Office for National Statistics
Links: Article
Date: 2010-Jul
A new book criticized 'growth sceptics' who emphasized the damaging consequences of economic growth. It said that society as a whole benefited from greater affluence.
Source: Daniel Ben-Ami, Ferraris For All: In defence of economic progress, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Jul
A paper examined the impact of survey design on measures and models of subjective well-being.
Source: Stephen Pudney, An Experimental Analysis of the Impact of Survey Design on Measures and Models of Subjective Wellbeing, Working Paper 2010-20, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2010-Jun
An audit report reviewed the data systems used to support delivery of the Labour government's public service agreement 18 – to 'promote better health and wellbeing for all' – over the period from 2008.
Source: Review of the Data Systems for Public Service Agreement 18, National Audit Office
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jun
The opposition Conservative Party published its manifesto for the 2010 general election. It said that parents, charities, and private organizations would be allowed to set up state-funded schools. Police authorities would be overseen by a directly elected official setting policing priorities, budgets, and strategies. Married couples, and people in civil partnerships, would be given a tax cut of £150 per year. The inheritance tax threshold would be increased to £1 million. Council tax would be frozen for two years. There would be a voluntary 'national citizen's service' for 16-year-olds. The national identity card scheme would be scrapped. There would be an annual cap on non-European Union migrants who were allowed to live and work in the United Kingdom.
Source: Invitation to Join the Government of Britain, Conservative Party
Links: Manifesto | Conservative Party press release | Speech | IFS press release | NUT press release | NASUWT press release | BMA press release | RCN press release | SEC press release | Friends of the Earth press release | Greenpeace press release | Stonewall press release | Runnymede Trust press release | Fawcett Society press release | Transform press release | CBI press release | ERS press release | Labour Party press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Telegraph report | Professional Pensions report | Personnel Today report | BBC report | Children & Young People Now report | Community Care report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report | Charity Times report | New Start report | Ekklesia report | Nursing Times report
Date: 2010-Apr
The Labour Party published its manifesto for the 2010 general election. It said that National Health Service patients would get legally binding guarantees on the treatment they received. All hospitals would become foundation trusts, with greater freedom to manage their budgets and decide their priorities; poorly performing hospitals would be taken over by successful trusts. 1,000 secondary schools – roughly one-third – would become part of chains of schools run by an executive headteacher. A 'toddler tax credit' would be introduced, worth an extra £200 per year for families earning less than £50,000 with children under three years old. Paid paternity leave would be doubled to one month. The link between increases in earnings and in the basic state pension would be restored from 2012. There would be a pilot scheme giving primary-school children free school meals.
Source: A Future Fair for All: The Labour Party Manifesto 2010, Labour Party
Links: Manifesto | Labour Party press release | IFS press release | TUC press release | CBI press release | RCN press release | BMA press release | NUT press release | NASUWT press release | NCVO press release | Runnymede Trust press release | SEC press release | Friends of the Earth press release | Transform press release | Fawcett Society press release | Liberal Democrats press release | People Management report | BBC report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Personnel Today report | Professional Pensions report | Inside Housing report | Nursing Times report | Telegraph report | Children & Young People Now report | Inside Housing report | New Start report
Date: 2010-Apr
The opposition Liberal Democrat Party published its manifesto for the 2010 general election. It said that the first £10,000 of annual earnings would be made tax-free, taking about 3.4 million of the lowest-paid people out of tax altogether and giving an average tax cut of £700 per year: the cost would be met partly by closing tax loopholes and partly by tax rises in other areas – including ending higher-rate tax relief on pension contributions, and introducing an annual 1 per cent tax on domestic properties valued above £2 million. There would be cuts of £15 billion in public spending. The national identity card scheme would be scrapped.
Source: Liberal Democrat Manifesto 2010, Liberal Democrats
Links: Manifesto | LD press release | Speech | IFS press release (1) | IFS press release (2) | NUT press release | NASUWT press release | BMA press release | RCN press release | PAS press release | Friends of the Earth press release | Greenpeace press release | Runnymede Trust press release | Fawcett Society press release | Transform press release | Stonewall press release | SEC press release | CBI press release | IOD press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Telegraph report | Professional Pensions report | People Management report | Personnel Today report | New Start report | Guardian report | Community Care report | Children & Young People Now report | BBC report | Nursing Times report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2010-Apr
An article examined the relationship between political decentralization and the welfare state. The fragmentation and weakness of the welfare state in the United States of America was mostly due to a federal government riddled with internal veto points that permitted considerable inter-state variation and low overall average provision – whereas tight central control on finances in the United Kingdom meant that most variation was in the organization, rather than levels, of social services.
Source: Scott Greer, 'How does decentralisation affect the welfare state? Territorial politics and the welfare state in the UK and US', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 39 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Apr
A think-tank report said that people's well-being depended on the state of their relationships – with family and friends, neighbours, and work associates. It made a series of recommendations for ways in which policy-makers could provide a more supportive environment for these relationships to flourish.
Source: Peter Lynas, John Ashcroft and Michael Trend (eds.), A Relationships State of the Nation: Wellbeing in the mirror – Achieving and measuring a new sort of change, Relationships Foundation
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Mar
The government published a framework for developing well-being, based on a public health approach to maintaining good mental health. It brought together the evidence base from which local authorities and the National Health Service could act to reduce inequalities and improve mental health in their areas. It highlighted the value of early intervention and prevention, through programmes such as psychological therapies, healthy workplaces, and initiatives to reduce workplace stress, as well as education and lifelong learning to promote well-being and resilience.
Source: Confident Communities, Brighter Futures: A framework for developing well-being, Department of Health
Links: Framework | DH press release | MHF press release | Community Care report
Date: 2010-Mar
A paper examined British Household Panel Survey data on financial well-being to determine whether reported existing and retrospective perceptions were consistent with each other and with the existence of a common underlying well-being concept. Existing perceptions exhibited slow adjustment to changing circumstances; and retrospective assessments of past well-being were heavily contaminated by existing circumstances. This caused significant bias in measures of the level and change in welfare.
Source: Stephen Pudney, Perception and Retrospection: The dynamic consistency of responses to survey questions on wellbeing, Working Paper 2010-07, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2010-Mar
A new book provided a critique of choice in contemporary society and policy, in areas such as careers, relationships, fertility, retirement, and death. It considered whether choice enhanced or burdened people's lives, and questioned the assumption that more choice was always for the better.
Source: Michael Clarke, Challenging Choices: Ideology, consumerism and policy, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Feb
A report summarized the outcome of pilot projects in three areas (Manchester, Hertfordshire, and South Tyneside) that were designed to promote well-being and 'resilience'. It recommended prioritizing programmes that (for example): taught children resilience in schools; promoted opportunities for neighbours to get to know one another; provided support for isolated older people to help them create and maintain social networks; and shifted transport and economic policies to encourage lower commuting times and allowed people to spend more time with their families and friends.
Source: Nicola Bacon, Marcia Brophy, Nina Mguni, Geoff Mulgan and Anna Shandro, The State of Happiness: Can public policy shape people's wellbeing and resilience?, Young Foundation and Improvement and Development Agency
Links: Report | IDEA press release | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2010-Jan