Strategic challenges

Time is running out...

The Strategy Unit of the Cabinet Office has produced a discussion paper entitled Realising Britain’s Potential: Future Strategic Challenges for Britain. The document, which is not so much a discursive text as an extended set of Powerpoint slides, identifies nine key challenges.

The first challenge concerns the competitive global environment in which Britain finds itself. "The development of world-leading skills and talent will be critical", the document asserts. The second is much like the first, but is phrased in terms of ensuring Britain's continued economic prosperity. Here, increasing global competition "will require a more highly skilled and creative workforce with a focus on high value added sectors," such as the creative industries and finance.

The third challenge concerns people's life chances. In this context:

"As businesses increasingly look for workers with intermediate and higher skills as well as softer skills (such as interpersonal and team working skills), those with low or no skills will need to be offered second chances to find work and progress".

The fourth challenge is demographic, and includes such issues as population growth, population ageing and immigration, and the pressures these trends exert on services, both public and private, and housing supply and affordability. The fifth challenge concerns families and communities. It is noted that there are increased pressures on family time; and that increasing population diversity and other changes raise challenges for local communities.

The sixth challenge is to ensure a safe and secure Britain for all, using policing, technology and evidence. Seventh, is the challenge of providing more personalised and professional services, which will require a number of systemic changes to public services.

The eighth challenge, that of climate change, will require making a transition to a low-carbon economy. The ninth and final challenge is that of democratic renewal, modernising Britain's democracy for the 21st century.

Unengaging and bloodless, it is hard to imagine, given this terrain and prospect, where Britain might find the inspiration to rise to the various challenges.