The landscape ahead | Insights

Election 2024: The unambiguous cross-sector challenges will not change

This month, it emerged that the ‘working assumption’ will be that the general election will take place in the second half of 2024. Many commentators suspect this will translate to a November polling day in the UK. Over the coming period, the political campaigning will ramp up in the run-up to both the local and general elections. Clear dividing lines between political parties will likely emerge. For those within Parliament and the political realm more broadly, this will be a wholesale change of pace.

The election period will also cause disruption at the intersection between the public, private, not-for-profit and higher education sectors. Across central and local governments, the usual purdah periods will kick in ahead of both elections. In Whitehall, we will see the commencement of access talks (the discussions between the most senior civil servants and the opposition parties to prepare for the event of a change in governing parties). There will also likely be a slowdown in policy announcements as ministers turn their attention to the campaign trail.

Leaders and government affairs functions across the private, not-for-profit, and higher education sectors have already felt this pace change. The most forward-looking began identifying stakeholders and building relationships across the political spectrum some time back in the event of changes in government colour or consistency.

Yet with all this change in political leadership, the challenges facing the UK are unambiguous. These underlying issues have surfaced not just over the last year, but the preceding decade and before.

While election results will impact the approach, long-term collaboration across the sectors needs to be seen as critical. Across the public, private, not-for-profit and higher education sectors need not wait for one political cycle to end and another to begin. Developing an understanding of these challenges and the potential solutions needs to be front of mind in 2024. 

1. Economic growth, attracting inward investment and addressing productivity challenges: Productivity has been falling behind European comparators for some time, and inward investment is behind many of those in the G7. In the last year, many have cited the Inflation Reduction Act in the US and the EU’s response as a core reason for this. Fiscal restraint looks certain in the public sector. The private, public, not-for-profit and higher education sectors must derive a solution to some of the key perennial challenges.
2. Ensuring best-in-class public services: Fiscal constraint will be felt across the public sector, yet the only way to deliver public service across all areas of society will be with a thriving economy. Best practice sharing on productivity, knowledge and insight into approaches to transformation will be top of the agenda.
3. Net zero and sustainability: With the legally binding target of net zero by 2050, the UK’s transition to a more efficient and sustainable economy and infrastructure couldn’t be more pressing. Whether it be investing in new technologies such as carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS), hydrogen or sustainable fuels, or looking at energy efficiency programmes across the economy, there is a clear and legally binding focus that can only be resolved with partnership across the sectors.
4. Skills: While the immigration conversation is dominating the debate, the underpinning challenge remains to define the skills demand, collaborate to ensure the education and skills systems that deliver on these demands, and provide the skills and proficiencies that deliver the workforce needed to support economic growth and best in class organisations across the UK.
5. Organisational resilience and innovation: To deliver on all the above in an era of permacrises will require organisations that are fit for purpose, regardless of sector. There is a need, now more than ever, to consider organisational benchmarking, and share real-world experiences of what new technologies (such as AI, quantum, and machine learning) mean in a real-world context. Intelligence sharing on risk and opportunities for collaboration also need to be front of mind.

All the above are well-documented, interlinked challenges. Over the coming year, it will be pivotal that leaders in all sectors collaborate to define the problem and put forward solutions. No single sector alone can produce the definitive answer. Policymakers and those outside government will need to put forward options that can be pushed forward for whoever wins the next election.   

In the case of the civil service, continuing to understand the challenges faced by the private sector through the electoral period will be of utmost importance to ensure there is not a lag in policymaking once the upcoming administration is decided. This should be a time to develop networks, define the challenges, and understand the potential solutions.

For the private, not-for profit, and higher education sectors, it will be critical to build relationships across the public sector to ensure they can understand where support is needed. Open and frank dialogue on potential solutions, providing insight and support in knowledge-sharing to address some of these wicked issues should be front of mind.

Only with this approach will the UK be in a position to address the wicked policy challenges we are too aware of.

To that end, supporting organisations across the sector, WIG will be on hand. Whether it be ongoing briefings from across the civil service or our Workings of General Election course, please ensure you are using this year to consider the long-term opportunities that cross-sector collaboration will provide.

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