The Social Justice Conference 2020: How can we strengthen our local communities after Covid-19?

The Social Justice Conference 2020: How can we strengthen our local communities after Covid-19?

Before the pandemic, normal life saw long commutes and the uberisation of the economy; social habits and economic models which resulted in a crisis of isolation and rootlessness. Talent is spread equally across the UK, but opportunity is not:

• More new enterprises were started in the London Borough of Camden in 2016 than in Blackburn, Blackpool, Barrow, Bolton, Burnley, Bolsover, Blaby, Boston, Broxtowe, and Bridgend combined;
• there is massive variation in wealth creation around the UK, with London and the South East being the only regions performing at above UK average productivity;
• one third of all new jobs in the UK will be created in London in the next decade

This loss of community integration and economic flourishing presents a major problem and COVID-19 has accelerated many of these trends: though the Chancellor’s furlough scheme has been broadly welcomed, businesses at the heart of local communities could suffer profoundly in the months and years ahead.

As the nation collectively recovers from COVID-19, there is now an opportunity to restructure our economy and lives around places – levelling up the UK for the benefit of all. This panel will discuss those opportunities and consider how we can strengthen our local communities after Covid-19.

Speakers

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