The Legatum Institute is building a world class Centre for Metrics and Data
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The historic triggering of Article 50 changes the course of Britain’s future
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Mmusi Maimane: South Africa should seize Brexit opportunities
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ABOUT THE LEGATUM INSTITUTE
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The Legatum Institute is building a world class Centre for Metrics and Data
In an ideal world the journey from poverty to prosperity for anybody would be one way: away from poverty and towards prosperity. In reality it is not. While poverty is not an inescapable trap, neither is prosperity an inevitable destination.
In support of its mission to promote policies that lift people from poverty to prosperity, the Legatum Institute’s research programmes seek to understand what drives and restrains national success and individual flourishing.
We understand the importance of accurate data when making decisions that affect people’s lives.
Which is why the Centre for Metrics will ensure our understanding of the challenges this generation faces are informed, accurately diagnosed and analytically robust. The solutions we propose are rooted in accurate data, and identify and advocate for policies and practices that successfully move individuals, communities, and nations from poverty to prosperity.
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This week’s historic triggering of Article 50 changes the course of Britain’s future
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We are at a unique crossroads; the decisions we make now will significantly impact us, and future generations to come. Choosing to leave the European Union presents the UK with opportunities which have the potential to not only bring greater prosperity to the British people but also to lift people from poverty to prosperity across the world.
As a think tank we are committed to tackling the biggest challenges we face as a nation therefore, once the decision was made to leave the European Union, we committed to playing a leading role in mapping out Britain’s post-Brexit future.
The UK brings a lot to the table in its own right and with many countries already clambering for trade deals with us, it’s clear the rest of the world agrees. Brexit offers an opportunity for an open Britain to emerge as the world’s trade policy leader. However, such leadership is not built overnight and the learning curve will be steep.
Our Special Trade Commission which is made of up of talented former trade negotiators from around the world aims to provide a roadmap for the many trade deals the UK will now undertake, to get the best possible deal for Britain.
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Shanker Singham sets out how to start the Brexit trade deal both sides want
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With the triggering of Article 50, negotiations between the UK and the EU can finally begin. The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has made it very clear that both sides will be looking for a comprehensive and ambitious free-trade agreement. Given the political will expressed by both sides, and their deeply integrated and interconnected economies, it is fairly clear that they’ll get one.
For the UK, the ultimate goal is not a deal with the EU, important though that is. It is a comprehensive and independent trade policy. That policy should be built on four fundamental pillars: what we can do unilaterally, bilaterally, plurilaterally and multilaterally.
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Despite facing some significant challenges, South Africa has enormous potential for growth
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“We need to become the nation that President Nelson Mandela helped us believe that we would become – a place of hope, prosperity, selfless leadership and mutual respect.”
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Mmusi Maimane, leader of the Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s main opposition party, addressed the challenges, along with the opportunities for South Africa during a briefing at the Legatum Institute this week.
He said first and foremost, the nation needs a leader who will deliver ethical governance through a truly independent parliament. He went on to say that the quality of education needs to improve and advocates for the expansion of charter schools which are currently being piloted.
Maimane said South Africa should seize the opportunity presented by Brexit, concluding an early trade deal with the UK and also increasing trade with the rest of the Commonwealth.
South Africa could become the leader of the African continent, Maimane believes. Like Nigeria, he says it has the potential to become a player on the global stage, transforming the reputation of the continent and the life of its citizens.
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PROSPERITY INDEX: COUNTRY PROFILE
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Freedom and good governance keep South Africa in the global top 50, but poor health conditions and inequalities still limit prosperity.
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South Africa sits in the front row when compared to its African peers, in delivering prosperity.
While South Africa sits at the top of the continent it faces challenges to prosperity as a result of apartheid inequalities, poor health conditions, safety issues and economic challenges including high unemployment – the fifth highest in the world.
Despite this, the country preforms impressively in two of the Prosperity Index’s nine pillars: Governance and Personal Freedom.
Along with a business environment that outperforms the European average, the structural foundations of South Africa’s prosperity are strong.
These help to keep prosperity at a relatively high level and offer a firm basis for future prosperity growth.
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The Road to Somewhere
The Legatum Institute is committed to ensuring that as we Brexit, we address the major challenges and take hold of the major opportunities presented by this moment of change.
This includes the social challenge of who we are becoming. This is the question posed in The Road to Somewhere, the most talked-about book of post-Brexit Britain. In this provocative best-seller David Goodhart, explores the rift between those who feel rooted in a particular job, culture, and place, and the liberal cosmopolitans who, as Theresa May said, “are citizens of nowhere”.
As he comes to understand — and publicly defend — the loss of identity and sense of exclusion that fuel the citizens of Somewhere, David Goodhart finds he is exiled from the liberal tribe he was born into. The time has come, he concludes, for a culture based on a new political settlement.
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The Legatum Institute will be hosting a public lecture with David Goodhart.
Date: Wednesday 5 April
Time: 12.30-1.30pm
Location: Legatum Institute
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We spoke with board members, Sir Paul Marshall and Lord Hill of Oareford, and asked them why it’s important to have this discussion now.
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On Wednesday 26 April, the Prosperity UK Conference will bring together leading policy makers, politicians, academics and businesses to chart the course for the UK once it departs from the European Union.
Technical details will be discussed in-depth and from this ideas generated for government on how best to negotiate the UK’s exit with the aim being to create a positive global vision for the UK across a number of vital areas including Trade, Financial Services, Industrial strategy, and Universities.
The Legatum Institute is partnering with Prosperity UK to deliver this conference.
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