NEF in the news, September 2018

Call to spend £1.4bn M4 relief road cash on public transport
NEF Consulting’s recent work, which shows that the proposed road will not best serve the interests of future generations, was covered by the BBC.

Network Rail sale of railway arches plunges small businesses into uncertainty
This week Network Rail announced that it has found a buyer for its portfolio of railway arches, which was covered in The Independent, The Guardian, and The Evening Standard. NEF has been working closely with the Guardians of the Arches tenants group to ensure small businesses can survive.

The end of ​‘black gold’: how a no-deal Brexit could backfire on Britain’s fishermen
Our report showing the risks of a no-deal Brexit to already disadvantaged coastal communities was covered in the New Statesman.

A budget black hole of £70m for prisons and £80m for public health
Our report, Austerity by Stealth?, was covered by publications including The Guardian, Metro and Daily Mirror.

Private equity underneath the arches
The news that Network Rail has found a buyer for their portfolio of railway arches, and the uncertainty that this has plunged tenants into, was covered on the front page of The Financial Times, in a double-page feature in The Telegraph and in nearly every national newspaper and radio station. The Quietus argued that the sale of the arches will be a disaster for underground music in the UK.

10 years on: could the Lehman Brothers collapse happen again?
Frank van Lerven spoke to BBC News about how a property price crash as a result of Brexit would lead to insolvencies.

Could this be the end of the Wild West of targeted ads?
Duncan McCann and Miranda Hall wrote for Huffington Post about what effect GDPR will have on the ​‘attention economy’.

Theresa May has promised £2bn for social housing — but It won’t even come close to fixing the housing crisis
Joe Beswick wrote for Huffington Post on why policy — and housing associations — need to change.

Workers with a stake in their companies
The Labour Party has announced proposals for new ownership funds, which we first proposed in our Cooperatives Unleashed report. Our contributions towards this policy were covered in New Statesman and Left Foot Forward.

“If you give workers a greater stake, it makes for better business”
Our Chief Exec, Miatta Fahnbulleh, appeared on Sky News to discuss inclusive ownership funds.

“There’s a kind of cultural change that needs to happen”
NEF’s Aidan Harper spoke to The Nation about the prospect of a four day work week.

Mayor to enquire about sale of arches
The Quietus reported on the danger that Network Rail’s sale of its arches poses to grassroots music venues, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s response.