This keynote speech was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2025. Much like a viral contagion, misinformation can spread rapidly from one mind to another. Inoculation theory offers a natural basis for developing a psychological ‘vaccine’ against the spread of fake news and misinformation. In this keynote, Prof Sander van der Linden discusses how it is possible to pre-emptively “immunise” people against disinformation by pre-exposing them to se...

This panel discussion was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2025. Have western governments got a handle on the root causes of the inequalities creating deep disenchantment and occasional citizen unrest in hinterland places and poorer communities? What kinds of policy tools and interventions are most likely to address these factors? What can be learned from central, regional and local government initiatives since the mid-2000s? Is devolution an important ...

This session was recorded as part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2025. Work is much more than a means to an end—it shapes our identity, values, social status, and how we spend our lives. As a central principle of society, work underpins individual wellbeing, collective resilience, and societal progress. Yet the nature of work is undergoing profound changes, driven by technological advances, shifting societal values and the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pa...

This panel discussion was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2025. Both Europe and the UK share common challenges, such as weak productivity growth, and sliding competitiveness, together with broader concerns such as climate change and weak defence spending in a worsening geopolitical environment. For all of these issues, greater investment has been identified as a fundamental tool. Several questions remain unanswered however: what share of the investment gap c...

This panel discussion was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2025. With the complexity of policy issues seemingly ever increasing, what reforms does government need to undertake if it is to fully get to grips with issues in areas like climate change, mental health, and food security? Whilst there has been mounting recognition of the ‘wicked’ nature of these problems, there is much less certainty on what the solutions might be, and what the role of governm...

As the nation grapples with the intertwined challenges of health, sustainability, and social equity, Henry Dimbleby has been at the forefront of advocating for healthier eating habits and systemic change. He led the Government’s School Food Plan (2013) and the National Food Strategy (2021) emphasising health, sustainability, and social responsibility. Yet, despite some progress, he resigned as a government advisor in 2023 citing concerns over policy translation. Henry discusses how, through c...

It often seems policies are developed in real time in reaction to ever-changing geopolitical events. In this session, our guest speakers discuss how the UK’s institutions – business, policy, and civil society – can help proactively shape resilience to domestic and international shocks and firm-up socio-economic stability. They explore the investment priorities for building economic, political, and social resilience, even in the face of climate change, inflation, war and inequality, and sugges...

Infrastructure is vital for the economic growth of places and enhancing the wellbeing and quality of life of its citizens. In this session, our guest speakers discuss why infrastructure matters in the 21st century and how decision-makers can deliver it. What actions are needed to improve the delivery of infrastructure? How can data-driven tools improve decision-making? And how can policymakers future-proof infrastructure projects to ensure that new plans benefit people and places now and in t...

The Northcote Trevelyan Report of 1854 is seen as the foundation document for the UK Civil Service. The pillars it established have shaped the institution ever since. But much has changed in the 170 years since that report’s publication. The size, sophistication, and range of responsibilities of the Civil Service are immensely different. So too is the governing context, in which social media, a 24/7 news media, rapid technological change, a less trusting public and a hyper-partisan political ...

With rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and telecommunications and the growing importance of data in our decision-making, we are witnessing a period of significant digital disruption. The resource-intensive nature of these technologies has also created a growing divide between the leaders and the followers, and the winners and the losers. Experts will discuss how the current disruption materialises socially, economically, and geopolitically. This is not the first wave of disruptio...

Rory Cellan-Jones and leading experts Charlotte Cavaillé, Ailbhe McNabola and Jack Shaw discuss the causes of income and regional inequality, why policymakers should care, and what policy interventions work best to reduce them. Leading experts from the Bennett Institute for Public Policy and Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse discuss recent trends in income and regional inequality, and evaluate the effectiveness of different policy approaches. They identify the opportunities and c...

Prospect’s Editor, Alan Rusbridger chats to the winner of the Bennett Prospect Public Policy Prize 2022 , Walter Pasquarelli, and Prof Dennis Grube of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, about "What is a 21st century civil service for?" Walter Pasquarelli—a policy research manager and consultant in the Tech & Society practice of Economist Impact—created and submitted a short film titled: “Towards a semantic civil service,” which argues for a civil service (inspired by the semantic w...

This panel discussion explores the intersection of public policy and public-purpose technology - the technology needed to help address major public needs - in 2022, and how leading founders, investors, and policy experts view them. Leading experts look at the challenges and opportunities in engaging technology innovation to address pressing public needs and bring together perspectives from entrepreneurship, investment, and academia. They explore: The role of government and publi...

There is a growing political focus upon the future of the UK Union, in the context of consistent support at 50% or higher for independence in Scotland, the destabilising impact that Brexit has had on Northern Ireland and the emergence of a more active independence movement in Wales. A report published by the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge, and The Constitution Society, states that the future of the Union needs to encompass a clearer focus upon the lack of...

There is a growing appreciation that the ‘success’ of a society is about more than money and growth, and that 'well-being', including our health, relationships, feelings, environment, goals, and other items, all have value to us, and that we should make decisions that invest in these areas accordingly. There is however a less widespread appreciation of how to measure and weight these 'life qualities'. Different countries and organisations adopt different methods - from the United Nati...

Government spending in response to Covid-19 stands at well over £300 billion in the UK, and over £10 trillion globally. How this money is spent will shape the future of the economy and the environment for decades to come. Professor Diane Coyle, Dr Matthew Agarwala and Dimitri Zenghelis, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, discuss the key findings of their new Wealth Economy report: Building Forward: investing in a resilient recovery. Building forward: Investing public funds - in peo...