3 July 2024

Join us for breakfast and a conversation with The Guardian and The Observer’s Deputy Business Editor Juliette Garside on 3rd July.

Juliette will be discussing how the team and desk works, how to pitch relevant stories and her own observations on media and journalism.

Date: Wednesday 3 July

Time: 8.45am – 10am

Venue: Havas Village London, 3 Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG

Please RSVP to adam.f.taylor@h-advisors.global if you’d like to attend.

19 June 2024

We’re thrilled to host legendary psephologist and long-time friend of H/Advisors Cicero, Professor Sir John Curtice, to share his unparalleled insights into the upcoming UK General Election.

Sir John, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde and Senior Research Fellow at the National Centre for Social Research has joined us before to discuss several previous elections and will be returning to give us an update on this campaign just two weeks before the public goes to the polls.

Date: Wednesday 19 June

Time: 12.00pm for 12.30pm start until 1.30pm

Venue: Havas Village London, 3 Pancras Square, N1C 4AG

To book a place please email Simon Fitzpatrick at simon.fitzpatrick@h-advisors.global.

9 April 2024

How can society manage the cross-cutting needs of an aging population?

On 9 April we convened a panel event to explore how we prepare society to cope as advances in modern medicine enable citizens to live longer. From public health to work and retirement, they examined implications of a hundred-year life and what it means for Government, industry and the wider population.  

Speakers:

• Yvonne Braun – Director of Long-term Savings, Health and Protection, Association of British Insurers  
• Chris Thomas – Head of the Commission on Health and Prosperity, Institute for Public Policy Research
• Steven Cameron – Public Affairs Director, Aegon 
• Karine Jegard – Head of Medical and Scientific Communication, HAVAS SO

Chaired by H/Advisors Cicero CEO, Mark Twigg.

As babies born today may be expected to live to 100, how do we prepare society to cope with the needs of an ageing population? From increasing responsibility to looking after our own health, to creating the right housing mix and social care settings for elder life, to managing expectations about work & retirement, this demographic change will have cross cutting impacts.

For more information please email emma.turnbull@h-advisors.global.

4 April 2024

Living to 100 years old – a prospect once considered rare, is now increasingly within reach. The number of centenarians worldwide has quadrupled over the last two decades.  In the UK, estimates show that 1 in 4 babies born in 2045 will live beyond 100.

But what does living longer actually mean for us as individuals? Are we prepared as a society to support a growing population of older adults?

To find out, H/Advisors Cicero conducted a survey (powered by Toluna fieldwork) of 1,000 UK adults, exploring people’s hopes, expectations and concerns surrounding this extended lifespan.

How do we feel about living longer?

When asked about their feelings at the thought of living to 100, gratitude and curiosity emerge as people’s most prominent emotions. UK adults are feeling grateful to have the prospect of a longer life and curious about the possibilities presented by longevity.

However, our findings show that over 1 in 4 people (26%) also feel apprehensive about the idea of reaching 100. ‘Anxious’, ‘fearful’ and ‘overwhelmed’ are also commonly cited emotions.

The spectre of old age?

Diving into the concerns that make people feel apprehensive about longevity, our survey reveals that the foremost concern is around declining physical health, with the large majority (78%) of UK adults stating that they worry about this. 2 in 3 (66%) people state that their primary worry is around the prospect of declining cognitive abilities.

While our survey highlights a spectrum of worries, it becomes clear that many of these emotions are due to people feeling unprepared for a longer life. Only half (52%) of the UK adult population feel adequately prepared in terms of career, financial security, and physical health.

The large majority (70%) of UK adults also have concerns around having to plan financially for a longer life. This is coupled with a notable distrust in the public pension system, with 92% stating that private savings and investments will be essential for ensuring financial security in old age.

Silver linings worth looking forward to

Yet, amidst concerns, optimism shines through. The majority of respondents see longevity as an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labour (78%) and pursue dreams and passions without time constraints (76%).

Our survey also shows that most UK adults think the prospect of living to 100 can encourage more conscious behaviours earlier in life. 84% of respondents think the idea of longevity could incentivise healthier lifestyles and 77% think it would encourage more proactive financial planning.

Ready or not? Society’s ability to adapt to changing demographics

In light of these hopes and expectations, the fundamental question remains whether society is ready to support individuals to unlock the opportunities offered by an extended lifespan. H/Advisors Cicero’s survey shows that almost two thirds (62%) of UK adults believe society is not adequately prepared to support a growing population of older adults, with 87% doubting the ability of the healthcare system to meet the demands of an ageing population. There is strong consensus (89% agree) that social attitudes toward ageing need to change as life expectancy increases.

To find out more about how we as a society can prepare as the 100-year life becomes a reality, we heard from experts from both health and financial services about building robust systems that can support citizens throughout their lives at our panel event on 9 April.

For a detailed summary of our event or any other queries about the 100-year life, get in touch here.

12 March 2024

On Tuesday we hosted Conservatives in the City and Paul Maynard MP to speak to an invited group of attendees about the pensions industry.

The event was conducted under Chatham House Rule.

To stay informed about other upcoming events and insights from our UK Public Affairs team, subscribe to our monthly newsletter, or get in touch with us at ukpublicaffairs@h-advisors.global.

11 September 2023

This week we hosted our annual ‘Back to School Breakfast’ event, with a brilliant panel of speakers looking ahead to the new Parliamentary term in Westminster, following a quieter-than-usual Summer Recess.

We were joined by political editors Katy Balls of The Spectator, Harry Cole of The Sun, and George Parker of the Financial Times, each giving their take on what to expect from the legislative and political agenda in the year ahead, as well as the key dividing lines between the Government and Opposition parties as we run up to the next General Election.

The panel was chaired by H/Advisors Cicero’s Tom Wilkins, who steered the discussion through a range of pressing public affairs issues: from Labour’s chances of returning to Government in the next General Election to when that vote might take place; Rishi Sunak’s uphill task of holding onto his job and the other issues the Tories face ahead of Party Conference Season, including (but not limited to) the recent RAAC debacle in UK schools.

Attendees also had the chance to put questions to the panel.

For a full analysis of the return to Westminster read our ‘Back to School Special’ below, and contact James.vanderGraaf@h-advisors.global for what to expect in public affairs in the coming months.