Britain's Future: Issues and Choices

Summary: In Britain in 2010, PSI used its multidisciplinary research team to make a systematic analysis of likely developments in Britain over the next 20 years. This was followed up by The Future of Britain and Europe, which sketched out the implications of those developments for the future of Britain's place in Europe. This new book takes the analysis a stage further by examining the policy choices that expected future developments present: if this is the way things are going, what can we actually do about it? Each chapter of this book explores a key development - be it national or international - which will affect Britain in the first quarter of the next century, and analyses the issues likely to arise and the policies for addressing them. A concluding chapter focuses on some common factors influencing the developments discussed, and analyses the role of market forces and the ways in which New Labour government policies are shaping up to meet the needs of Britain's future. Contents Introduction Ageing Population: Will we be able to afford a free health service and adequate pensions? Social Division: Can we reverse the trend towards increasing inequality and growing poverty? Employment: Is mass unemployment here to stay? The Economy: What are the prospects for faster growth in an increasingly global market system? The Environment: Will it be possible to secure a sustainable environment? World Population: What will be the impact of a rise in world population, and can it be averted? Security: What will be the threats to security in the 21st century, and can there be a peace dividend? The Way Forward: Will building a better future require a new approach to the role of the market