What the Spending Review 2025 tells us: Long-term ambition, shared delivery.

As analysts unpack the implications of yesterday’s Spending Review, one message cuts through clearly: long-term thinking is no longer optional. It’s central to the UK’s strategic direction, and it demands deeper collaboration across the public, private, not-for-profit, and education sectors. 

This shift toward long-termism is reflected not only in the Spending Review but also in a broader policy landscape, including the Strategic Defence Review released earlier this month, the upcoming 10-year Health and Infrastructure plans, and new Industrial and Trade strategies, all of which are expected to be published before July. Taken together, these plans represent a significant step forward in the government’s long-term ambition. But ambition alone won’t deliver results. Success will hinge on our collective ability to collaborate across sectors boldly, efficiently, and with purpose. 

The case for cross-sector collaboration 

The message is clear: delivery will depend on new forms of partnership. The areas receiving significant funding boosts—defence, energy, health, skills, R&D, AI, housing, and transport—can’t be realised by the government alone. They will require a joined-up approach, with industry, not-for-profits, and educational institutions all playing an integral role. 

1. Long-term investment, shared delivery 

The Spending Review confirms that the government is betting on long-term investment to secure growth and prosperity for the UK. However, the reality is that these priorities can only be delivered through shared ownership and co-delivery. Cross-sector collaboration isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s essential. 

2. Infrastructure as a catalyst for growth 

The emphasis on capital expenditure is significant. A new 10-year Infrastructure Plan, expected to be released next week, will outline the next phase of spatial and regional development. Unlocking growth will depend on a renewed approach to public-private partnerships and coordinated planning, with social value embedded throughout. We must seize this opportunity to reimagine how we plan, build, and deliver infrastructure at scale for the long term. 

3. Skilled and healthy workforce: The foundation of success 

A future-fit workforce is essential to delivering on these commitments. Investment in skills has been welcomed by many, but the impact depends on targeted delivery. We need to build a robust skills ecosystem that is shaped and owned across sectors, aligned with economic need and capable of driving real-world outcomes. 

4. Driving government efficiency through collaboration 

The target of £14bn in efficiency savings by 2028–29 is ambitious. Delivering it will require smarter use of technology, especially AI, and a strong focus on innovation. But this can’t happen in isolation. Sharing insight, benchmarking what works, and learning across sectors will be critical to success. 

Enabling bold and forward-thinking leadership for long-term growth 

To deliver long-term outcomes, we need bold and forward-thinking leaders of today and tomorrow who are equipped for complexity - comfortable navigating ambiguity, building trust, and working beyond traditional organisational boundaries. This will require not just new skills, but new mindsets. Strategic dialogue, peer learning, and the space to think differently and challenge assumptions will be fundamental. 

At WIG, we are aligning our work to support this shift. We will continue to provide avenues for cross-sector dialogue and enable leadership development to navigate the realities of today and the future. 

Over the coming months, our focus will centre around five core themes: 

1. Technology as a driver of growth and productivity 

2. Building the skills and a healthy workforce for the future economy 

3. Delivering Industrial Strategy and mission-driven government 

4. Economic security and defence in an era of uncertainty 

5. Forging a new partnership on infrastructure 

It’s clear that no single sector holds all the answers. But by working together, we can unlock the immense potential of this moment. At WIG, our role is to actively support this critical effort by providing a safe and trusted space for leaders to convene, enabling collaborative leadership capabilities and evidencing best practices that will help drive sustainable growth and shared prosperity.