From basics to breakthroughs: priorities and potential for the UK’s G20 presidency and beyond

From basics to breakthroughs: priorities and potential for the UK’s G20 presidency and beyond

This one-night workshop, hosted by the Ditchley Foundation in partnership with the New Economics Foundation, brought together government officials from the UK and several other G20 countries, international economists, think tanks, and civil society to explore the potential for the UK's G20 presidency in 2027. Following the US in 2026 and ahead of South Korea in 2028, the UK faces the twin challenge of progressing macroeconomic stability in a time of great change and gaining some level of consensus amid intense strategic competition and divisions within the G20 itself. Its leaders will also have to make choices about the scope of the agenda in the context of a back-to-basics approach from the US, following four years of broadening direction set by Global South presidents.

Run independently of the UK government yet designed to inform its planning at a time of transition, the workshop hosted leading members of the G20 team to reflect their evolving thinking.

Discussion focused on practical avenues for progress on global sustainable prosperity amid strategic competition with a particular focus on how to achieve clearer and stronger alignment between international cooperation and what citizens care about. It discussed the most pressing global macroeconomic challenges that the presidency is likely to face in 2027, what themes might resonate with all G20 members and what opportunities existed for harnessing and highlighting national strengths. Conflict, chokepoint stress, climate extremes, supply chain security, trade imbalances, development finance, AI governance, the cost of living, taxation and inequality were variously raised and debated throughout. The workshop also focused on process, looking back at previous experience and the recommendations of the G20@20 Review under the South African presidency.

This workshop was the second of two Ditchley-NEF sessions that explored the UK's role in a changing multilateral and global economic governance landscape.