I’ve been back in the UK for ten weeks’ now and while I’ve not been as quite aggressive as Trump and Musk(!), I’m beginning to see some patterns.
It’s clear Trump and Musk are in a rush – they have two years’ until the mid-terms and four years’ until another election. That’ll all come around quickly. They know that.
While I get up to speed in my new role at Deloitte, like most, I only have six months’ to find my feet – and maybe a year to deliver results. However, my remit is to horizon-scan; thinking on what the future will look like, in five, ten, and twenty years’. While delivering work for government and public service reform, I also hope to think about the kind of business we leave for our partners of tomorrow, while also considering the ways in which we help the UK’s – now not so new – Government, deliver an agenda of inclusive growth, facilitating the weaving of a strong social fabric, across the UK.
It’s the privilege of my life to do this with the company that gave me my first real break 17 years’ ago.
I’ve come full circle – and that warrants a thoughtful and intentional approach on the mechanisms through which Deloitte and can have a strategic impact in the coming weeks’, months’, and years’. After spending seven and a half years’ in the USA, you’d expect me to be like an action hero, bearing gifts, bearing insights, from my time in the USA, on that which the UK might be able to learn from that ever-changing nation. Well you won’t find me suggesting that we need to transpose American processes, American ways of thinking, to the UK. Not really.
Indeed, whilst there is much we can learn from our American cousins – learnings for which I am grateful – I think it’s safe to say, that after a couple months of being back in Britain, my sense is that everything that we need to be a great global force again, is right here – in our back yard. There is so much pedigree in British history, people, society, business, academia and civil society. In this blog I will argue that, to lead the global pack again, it’s all here; we just need to reignite it.
We are already seeing the green shoots coming through. That new government made clear its intent to support the industries that define what might be termed, ‘new economy’. That new economy’s innovating, it’s investing, and it’s drawing international attention. And everyone – every individual, every company, every institution – has a role to play in seeing those green shoots blossom.
But, there are challenges that we must overcome to ensure that we get there. Macmillan said once: “Events dear sir, Events”. Well, we’re seeing some of the most challenging events play out in front of our eyes at the moment – and it’s up to us to decide the long-term impact they’ll have. How then, can we ensure that they play out in such a way so as to see the UK lead that pack, once again? That we see those green shoots bring yield?
Firstly, Cathedral thinking. The power of Cathedral thinking – a mindset of planning and acting for the long-term, prioritising future generations and leaving a lasting legacy, much like the builders of medieval cathedrals who knew they wouldn’t see the finished product.
We need a cross-institutional commitment to long-term thinking. Salisbury, Ely, Exeter, York. We brought this into our way of working for centuries’. Then it was religion, now, it need be more specifically applied to both business and government.
We’ve seen this way of conceiving of the future pollinate political thought, in recent years: ‘Labour for the Long Term’ was set-up in 2022 – founded on this very concept. Concerned about the extent to which government, under previous administrations, seemed to be merely chasing headlines – and the number of Prime Minister’s we’ve been able, as a society, to appoint and then dismiss, over the past few years’ – they set themselves up to integrate the long-termism we so greatly need, into that party’s policy agenda. This isn’t the first thing like this we’ve seen, either, over the last ten years’; in 2015 the Welsh government appointed a ‘future generations minister’; basing its thinking on the same underlying ideals.
Secondly, adapting to the Overton Window – the range of subjects and arguments politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time. Labour found a giant Overton window to climb through at the last election with a simple promise to offer ‘change’ from fourteen years of Conservative government. But, as the honeymoon period ends – and the electorate’s minds change – it’s important that we understand and listen to the stretch in this window, and try to learn better as to how we influence it and change it.
Indeed, there are some big shifts going on electorally, across the UK. The 2024 general election, in some ways, allowed those to be seen – a Labour landslide, but an unprecedented return for the Lib Dems and many votes cast to both the Greens and, concerningly, Reform, too. But, some bigger changes are happening – people want to be heard by this Government. And it’s important that they are.
It’s important that governments think about how to use tech in ensuring that it’s falling where it needs to, within the spectrum of debate, within the given window. Its recent commitment, put into effect at the beginning of 2025, to use AI to monitor the material that’s come out of Parliament – everything on Hansard – is important. It’ll allow us to better understand the patterns in policymaker and public-facing political sentiment. And might, if taken forward by the government, allow it to make well analysed decisions when it comes to its legislative agenda.
Thirdly. We need to rediscover our confidence. We, the British, are confident – deep down. However, our subtle and ‘less said, is more’ approach has not chimed with the ‘break things, learn fast’ entrepreneurial culture, that started in the Thatcher-Regan era – and has been powered-up since the millennium.
As a nation, we need to rediscover the confidence in our innovative ability, exhibited during those eras. There are glimmers of hope: for jnstance, Deepmind; Arm; quantum computing; and VC investors, like Local Globe. However, we should be transposing the forward-thinking, innovative, culture, seen in these given contexts – taking them to our financial services, our professional services, and creative industries, holistically. And doubling down, when doing so. They are lived the world over.
Number four. Unplugging our pedigree. We have a deep pedigree. Our civil service, our education system, and our legal system – they are revered around the world. We need to draw on this pedigree both to unlock the talent and attract the talent back. We have pedigree in financial services, professional services, and the creative industries (for instance, Harry Potter, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Abbey Road, and so on…).
However, we need to ensure that we’re showcasing that pedigree to the rest of the world. In a way which shows Britain to be a diverse place, full of creative, forward-thinking people – whose businesses can be trusted to deliver. And that happens, at every level. We’ve just seen the Department for Business and Trade state that it’ll be bringing together an SME strategy, to boost exports. It’ll be important for us to evidence that business-building, outcome-delivering, pedigree, as we offer those new businesses up, to the rest of the world.
Five. Embracing our thoughtfulness. Another critical step. We are a thoughtful lot. We need to publish and promote this thoughtfulness in the fast-paced social media / 24 hour information world that we live in.
We need to change the debate and show the world that thoughtful, stable, and democratic leadership is right for us, in the long term. As mentioned earlier, too many prime ministers in a short space of time isn’t a good look. Particularly in the age of AI, when there will be a new emphasis-come-commodification on the ability of humans to think, not just react, or regurgitate.
It’s been positive to see Rachel Reeves pledge that the nation’s spending on research and development (R&D), will sit at ‘world-leading levels’ under her watch. She’s said that Britain will be committing £30 billion to R&D, by the end of the decade. That’s 3.4% of GDP. And the CBI will be holding her to account on that commitment, too. That will help us embrace that thoughtfulness. All that’s left now, is for us to see that happen.
Stephen Bediako OBE