The Resolution Foundation is an independent British

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-govern ...

established in 2005. Its stated aim is to improve the

standard of living Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available, generally applied to a society or location, rather than to an individual. Standard of living is relevant because it is considered to contribute to an individual's quality ...

of low- and middle-income families.

Appointments

In June 2015, the former

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

David Willetts David Linsay Willetts, Baron Willetts, (born 9 March 1956) is a British politician and life peer. From 1992 to 2015, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the constituency of Havant in Hampshire. He served as Minister of State for ...

took over as executive chairman. At the same time,

Torsten Bell Torsten Bell is the chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, an economic thinktank. He was appointed in 2015, having been Ed Miliband's head of policy and a Treasury civil servant who became special adviser to Alistair Darling. Bell has been ...

, a former senior advisor to

Ed Miliband Edward Samuel "Ed" Miliband (born 24 December 1969) is a British politician serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero since 2021. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Doncaster North since 2005. Miliba ...

, was appointed as the organisation's director to lead what the Foundation described as "an expanded programme of work". , Willetts is president of the Foundation's Advisory Council and Intergenerational Centre, and Bell is chief executive. Prior to the appointment of Willetts and Bell, the organisation was led by a chief executive: Sue Regan from 2005 to 2010; Gavin Kelly from 2010 to 2015. Kelly then became the CEO of the Resolution Trust, which is the think tank's primary funder.

Publications

The Foundation has hosted a number of major reviews. The Commission on Living Standards, chaired by

Clive Cowdery Sir Clive Cowdery (born 26 May 1963) is an English businessman and philanthropist who made a personal fortune in the insurance industry, founding two FTSE100 insurers and a third insurer which has deployed circa $5bn in capital with $90bn in as ...

, ran from 2011 to 2012. The 'Resolution Foundation Review of the Future of the National Minimum Wage' in 2013 and 2014 was chaired by Sir George Bain, and set out proposals to strengthen the minimum wage. This report was referenced by Chancellor

George Osborne George Gideon Oliver Osborne (born Gideon Oliver Osborne; 23 May 1971) is a former British politician and newspaper editor who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016 and as First Secretary of State from 2015 to 2016 in the ...

when the

National Living Wage The National Living Wage is an obligatory minimum wage payable to workers in the United Kingdom aged 23 and over which came into effect on 1 April 2016. it is £9.50 per hour and it is set to rise to £10.42 in April 2023. It was implemented at a ...

was announced in 2015. The 'Intergenerational Commission' ran from 2016 to 2018, chaired by David Willetts. This was succeeded by the 'Intergenerational Centre', which was established "as a home for analysis and policy thinking on living standards through a generational lens". In 2018, a Macroeconomic Policy Unit was established "with the aim of contributing to a more inclusive and better informed macroeconomic policy debate". The Resolution Foundation produces some recurring research publications. These include annual 'Low Pay Britain' reports, an annual 'Living Standards Audit', an annual 'Living Standards Outlook', and a quarterly 'Earnings Outlook'. The Foundation also calculates the rates of the voluntary UK and London Living Wages each year, on behalf of the Living Wage Foundation and using the Minimum Income Standard.

Funding

In the year ending 30 September 2014, its annual income was £1,135,828. The bulk of its funding comes from the Resolution Trust established by

. It has been awarded an A rating for transparency by the Who Funds You? project.

References

External links

Resolution FoundationCommission on Living Standards
Public policy research Public policy think tanks based in the United Kingdom Political and economic think tanks based in the United Kingdom Socio-economic mobility {{poli-org-stub

Appointments

Publications

Funding

See also

References

External links