New progressive think tank launches with mission to shape a ‘new operating system’ for the UK

Today sees the formal launch of a new UK think tank, The Future Governance Forum (FGF). FGF is a new progressive, non-partisan think tank founded by Nathan Yeowell, former Executive Director of Progressive Britain, in response to what he has identified as not just the fractured politics of the UK, but a “fundamentally broken system of government”. 

FGF’s aim is to provide the intellectual and practical infrastructure vital to national renewal and the revival of progressive government in the UK. In practice this means FGF is less interested in developing new policy but understanding how to actually deliver progressive government – across all layers of government and in all regions and nations of the UK.

FGFs initial programmes of work will look at:

1. Mission-based government: how do you apply the principles in practice?
2. Impactful devolution: how can government meaningfully and permanently devolve power to regional and local level in one of the most centralised countries in the world?
3. New principles for better government: how should an administration be set up, and its people empowered, to deliver on its promises?
4. Rebuilding the nation: how can we utilise innovative models of public and private investment to deliver future policy objectives?

Speaking ahead of the launch, FGF Executive Director Nathan Yeowell said: “Years of relentless economic, environmental and political crises have overwhelmed Britain and we have ended up with a fundamentally broken system of government. We are in desperate need of a reset. Without fixing those fundamentals, we won’t be able to get back on track. We need a comprehensive and contemporary new operating model for the way the country works.

“In Britain we have some of the brightest minds and most innovative policy ideas in the world – but we struggle hugely with actually getting things done. Whether it’s housing or infrastructure, failing public services or dying high streets, everything feels worse than a decade ago. In most cases we know what needs to be done – it’s time to focus on how we do it. FGF will think about how we govern for the long term by bringing together people and institutions with the expertise to develop and implement new models of partnership, policy development and service delivery.

“Our first two papers look at how we start to rebuild the nation: by growing the pot of money available for investment and encouraging productive investment which is in the long-term interest of the country and its citizens. Further papers will concentrate on how national government transitions work, including research looking at comparisons with Australia and the US and fresh analysis of how the Conservative Party prepared for government prior to 2010. Next year we will launch major programmes looking at the implementation of devolution and mission-led government.”

People

Nathan Yeowell is FGF’s founder and Executive Director. Nathan became Director of the centre-left political organisation Progress in 2019, and oversaw its merger with the think tank Policy Network in 2021 to become Progressive Britain, which he led until 2023. In 2020 he founded the pro-Starmer campaigning organisation Labour to Win. 

FGF’s initial staff include:

• Claire Spencer, Associate Director of Public Sector and Politics at The Leadership Centre. She was previously Strategic Lead for Inclusive Growth at the West Midlands Combined Authority.
• Adam Terry, former Head of Policy Development at the Labour Party and Senior Adviser at the strategic advisory firm Global Counsel
• Grace Wyld, former Research Manager at the Trussell Trust
• Hamida Ali (joining in January 2024), former Leader of Croydon Council.

Our Policy Advisory Group brings together a diverse group of experts, all serving in a personal capacity:

• Josie Cluer, Partner at EY and former government special adviser
• Dan Corry, CEO of the charity think tank and consultancy New Philanthropy Capital and former head of the Number 10 Policy Unit
• Sam Freedman, senior fellow at the Institute for Government and former adviser to Michael Gove as Secretary of State for Education
• Ali Goldsworthy, lecturer at Stanford University and vice chair of board of Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust
• Julia Goldsworthy, former MP and currently Head of Social Impact Investment at Legal & General Capital
• Georgia Gould, Leader of the London Borough of Camden and Chair of London Councils
• Roger Harding, Director of climate organisation Round Our Way and Non-Executive Director at FGF
• Bilal Mahmood, Director at the Royal Bank of Canada.