London’s economy isn’t working
Words by Nick Kimber, Head of Inclusive Economy at London Borough of Camden. Follow Nick @nickcp1
London’s economy isn’t working
Instability is the defining characteristic of our labour market. Our welfare system has not adapted to respond to the changes in how people work, and how they want to work.
Services that are supposed to help people find work don’t do a great job for those people that don’t fit within a narrow person profile that busy employers find it easy to employ.
And too often the work people can find isn’t ‘good work’ — it doesn’t provide people with the income, stability and headspace they need to live well.
Stable, good quality work enables people to take part in their communities and raise families with love, kindness and empathy. Without the platform of good work it is so much harder for families and communities to succeed. We think that anybody interested in local communities thriving needs to put the way the economy works at the front and centre of their thinking.
Camden’s Inclusive Economy team is on a mission to change these problems in our economy. This mission is rooted in Camden’s powerful, citizen-led vision that nobody is left behind and that every citizen has voice. Our goal is to help create an inclusive economy, in which people have access to good work and growth is in step with a commitment to de-carbonise by 2030.
We think that to achieve this we need to rally people at a local level, building momentum for change, whilst simultaneously looking up and outwards for partners that share our vision. By integrating services locally, co-designing approaches with citizens, and working with our business community we think we can be part of a coalition that can re-programme London’s economy and make it fair for all.
That’s easier said than done and we’ll freely admit that we have a fraction of the answers. We are committed to ‘working in the open’ and exploring themes and challenges which economic development practitioners, the voluntary sector, and businesses across London and elsewhere are also wrestling with at the same time. This blog is a place to periodically explore our thinking before it is fixed, being open about the challenges we face, and inviting collaboration on the journey.
To give you a flavour of what’s to come — we’ll be writing about growth in the context of the climate emergency, how you put citizens’ voice at the centre of local economic decisions, and what can be done to support residents cycling between low paid work which draws on insight from our research with residents. Watch out too for regular week notes on our key transformation programme, Good Work Camden, which is in the starting point for our Inclusive Economy work over the next few years.
