The St Martin’s Group recaps the Spring Statement
On Wednesday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, laid out her Spring Statement to the House of Commons. This followed the Autumn Budget in October 2024, which saw the Chancellor raise £40 billion in taxes, a significant chunk of which…
Why apprenticeships and skills are critical for the growth mission
Economic growth is the UK government’s top priority, recognised as fundamental to improving living standards, boosting prosperity and securing long-term national success. A thriving economy leads to better job opportunities, higher wages and increased investment…
Reflecting on 2024
The most consequential development for the skills, apprenticeships and further education sectors in 2024 was, of course, the General Election in July. The Labour Party’s landslide victory gave the Government a mandate to take forward reforms promised in its manifesto…
The St Martin’s Group Budget Reaction
The first Labour Government budget in 14 years has finally been delivered by Rachel Reeves, the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer. This historic moment had been trailed in the press for weeks, with announcements around tax increases and public spending…
The St Martin’s Group at Party Conference
The first Party Conferences after this year’s general election were an opportunity for both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party to publicly reset. Education policy, and particularly skills and apprenticeships, remained high on the political agenda, signalling…
St Martin’s Group Publishes Overcoming Barriers to Opportunity Report
The St Martin’s Group has published a new report highlighting the need to protect and expand apprenticeship opportunities in the UK. The report, titled “Overcoming barriers to opportunity; Stimulating Growth and Unlocking Supply in UK Apprenticeships,” underscores…
The St Martin’s Group Reflects on Apprenticeships and Skills in 2023-24
As the 2023-24 academic year draws to a close, The St Martin’s Group reflects on the changing landscape of skills and apprenticeship policy.
This has been another year of significant political change after Rishi…
General Election Results: The St Martin’s Group Round-Up
After six long weeks of campaigning and fourteen years of Conservative Government, last week’s election results saw a change in Government for only the ninth time since 1945. Less than five years after the Tories won a majority of 80 seats in Parliament…
A Manifesto Roundup
Last week saw the three main political parties, The Conservatives, The Labour Party and The Liberal Democrats, all release manifestos which set out their proposed policy platforms.
For each Party, this was an opportunity to present its vision for the country and to…
The St Martin’s Group’s reaction to the local elections
The local elections earlier this month appeared to have shone a light on the path to potential victory that Labour will try to go down at the general election, recently announced for the 4th July. A set of disappointing results for the Conservatives saw the party lose 474 councillors, making…