jonathan haskell has demonstrated how our productivity slowdown in the 20105 was driven by a slowdownowing competitors, it is clear that we have been underperforming across all the factors of growth. the investment with the britain alone among the g—7 investment with the britain alone among the 6—7 in having investment levels below 20% of gdp. low levels of basic skills, gaps in technical and vocational education and comparatively poor management capability. vast disparities with all of england's biggest cities outside of london having productivity levels below the national average. particularly, since the pandemic, is significant weakness in labour supply with 700,000 more people economically inactive due to ill health. we have an accumulation of problems. first, there are long—standing weaknesses which generations of politicians have struggled to address. it is not enough simply to point out these feelings. we must confront their underlying institutional, cultural and political causes. second, there are the products of political and policy choices made over the last 40 years. and of