Political instability is holding back UK economic growth, warns professor
As we welcome a new Prime Minister and rush head first into devolution, a complete re-think of how our local Government is run, there is both symptom, cause and opportunity at play.
The UK’s long-term economic prospects are being undermined by persistent political instability, weak policy delivery and excessive centralisation, according to Professor Malcolm Prowle.
The professor of performance management at the University of Gloucestershire warns that the appointment of the seventh new Prime Ministers since 2010 is not a sign of a healthy governing system, but a warning signal for investors, businesses, public services and communities across the country.
Today (20 June) Andy Burnham became the latest occupant of 10 Downing Street, following David Cameron (2010-2016), Theresa May (2016-2019), Boris Johnson (2019-2022), Liz Truss (2022), Rishi Sunak (2022-2024) and Sir Kier Starmer (2024-2026).
Professor Malcolm Prowle said: “So many different Prime Ministers in 16 years is not simply political drama – it is a serious economic problem. Growth depends on stability, consistency and long-term planning. The UK has had far too little of all three.”
Before the 2008 financial crisis, UK economic growth typically averaged around 2.5% to three per cent a year.
Since then, growth has been far weaker, often closer to one per cent to 1.5per cent. This has reduced tax receipts, limited the scope for improving public services and left households feeling less secure.
At the same time, Britain continues to suffer from some of the deepest regional inequalities among advanced economies, with London and the South East pulling far ahead of many towns, cities and former industrial areas.
Prowle said: “The UK does not lack ideas for growth. What it lacks is a stable and effective system for implementing them. Policies are announced, revised, abandoned and relaunched, often before they have had any chance to work.”
Professor Prowle identifies several barriers to stronger growth, including: unpreparedness when new governments enter office, over-centralisation in Westminster and Whitehall, departmental silos, short-term Treasury funding, and a political culture that rewards immediate announcements rather than long-term delivery.
He argues that major policy areas such as skills, healthcare, green energy, transport and regional investment can support both growth and greater equality.
But he points out these policies require consistency, coordination and patience.
Professor Prowle concludes that without deeper devolution stronger regional institutions and longer-term policy planning, Britain will struggle to escape its low-growth cycle.
He calls for a more radical approach to English regional government, giving elected regional bodies the powers and resources needed to drive economic development locally.
Professor Prowle said: “Unless the UK changes the way it governs itself, it will remain trapped between ambitious growth targets and a political system that repeatedly gets in the way of achieving them.”
This press release was sent to The Raikes Journal by the University of Gloucestershire on 20 July 2026.
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