Publications

Heywood Fellowship Team 2025–26

Jenny Bates – Fourth Heywood Fellow


The Changing Global Economic Order – Towards a Refreshed UK Strategy

by Jenny Bates

This paper sets out building blocks for a new UK strategy, beginning with an analysis of the global economic order.

The Four GEO Scenarios

by Jenny Bates

This paper sets out to develop and explore a set of potential scenarios for the global economic order to complement the 2026 anchor paper.


Heywood Fellowship Team 2024–25

Lucy Smith – Third Heywood Fellow


Long-Term, National Strategy – Designing a Contemporary Practice of National Strategy

by Lucy Smith

This paper sets out a proposal for a contemporary practice of national strategy and how we can build it.

The National Strategy Playbook

by Lucy Smith

The playbook argues that the UK needs a sustained 15-year national strategy, reviewed every 5 years, to tackle major challenges, guide priorities, strengthen policy coherence and build national resilience.


The Practice of National Strategy – Concepts, Global Lessons and Their
Applications

by Lucy Smith, Philip Bray and Alex Downing

This paper draws on UK engagement and international case studies to identify core design principles and characteristics of successful long-term policymaking.

Project Solarium – A Tool for National Strategy-Making

by Lucy Smith, Philip Bray and Benjamin Clayton

This paper examines how the UK can build long-term strategy, drawing lessons from Eisenhower’s “Project Solarium” to guide national decision-making.

How to Train a System – Methods, Routines and Institutions
to Build National Strategic Capacity

by Lucy Smith, Zainab K Agha and Sah Hee Lee

This paper argues that the UK needs a new, non-centralising national strategy practice that is future-oriented, place-based and outward-facing.

Case Study: España 2050 – Considering Spain’s Approach to Long-Term National Strategy Through a Review of España 2050

by Alex Downing

This case study reviews “España 2050”, Spain’s strategic vision. It highlights expert input, ambition and key lessons.

National Strategy and Place – A View From the Semiconductor Sector in Cambridge

by Zainab Agha and Dewi Knight

This case study highlights Cambridge’s semiconductor sector strengths and shows how place-led strategies can drive success.

National Strategy and Place – A View From Industrial Transformationin Port Talbot

by Zainab Agha and Dewi Knight

This case study shows how fragmented strategy and poor coordination hinder long-term change, highlighting the need for place-based national strategy.

Place – Thinking of National Strategy Ground Up

by Zainab Agha, Hamida Ali and Dewi Knight

This paper calls for a new place-sensitive national strategy, uniting the government across the UK to address long-term challenges.

UK National Strategy in Historical Perspective

by Marius S Ostrowski – ESRC Policy and Research Fellow

This report traces the evolution of UK national strategy since 1850, identifying eight major historical turning points that reshaped priorities and ideology.

National Capacities – A Model for National Strategy

by Marius S Ostrowski

This paper proposes a national strategy model viewing the UK as an interconnected ecosystem of five capacities uniting government and society for coherent long-term planning.


Heywood Fellowship Team 2023–24

Jonathan Black – Second Heywood Fellow


The Crossroads of Geopolitics: The Intersection of Security and Economic Interests – Policymaking in a More Complex and Uncertain World

by Jonathan Black, Jack Connolly, Amina Adjerid and Tom Kelsey

This paper argues that there must be a step change in how public policy is made to stay ahead of the challenging global context.

‘The Fourth Fighting Service’: An Early History of British Economic Statecraft

by Jack Connolly

This paper examines how modern economic statecraft was developed in the early 20th century and how understanding this can improve policymaking today.

When Missions Fail: Lessons in ‘High Technology’ from Post-War Britain

Dr Tom Kelsey – ESRC Policy and Research Fellow

This paper argues that any strategy for ‘high technology’ in the UK today should learn the lessons from the post-war period.