The Institute for the Future of Work is an independent research and development institute exploring how new technologies are transforming work and working lives.

CO-CHAIR

Andrew Pakes was elected in July 2024 as the Labour (Co-op) MP for Peterborough. Before entering Parliament, he had a career working in national charities and trade unions, helping to lead the campaign to introduce universal free school meals in 2014.

CO-CHAIR

Jim Knight works in education, digital technology and as a legislator. He is the Chief Education Adviser at Tes Global Ltd, advising on key strategic partnerships. He founded Tes Institute in 2014, which is now the fifth largest qualifier of teachers in England; he has also managed Tes Resources, a global teacher community of 13.5 million users. Jim is a founder of XRapid, using artificial intelligence to power the diagnosis of malaria and asbestos fibres using iPads and microscopy.

VICE-CHAIR

The Right Hon. the Lord Johnson of Marylebone was Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation from 2015-18, and served as the MP for Orpington from 2010-2019. Since leaving Government, Johnson has focused on the role of technology in widening access to education. He is also now chairman of Access Creative College, the largest independent provider of further education and training for the creative industries, and of FutureLearn, the global digital learning platform.

VICE-CHAIR

Kirsty is the Deputy Leader of the SNP at Westminster and leads on the Economy.

Kirsty Blackman was first elected to Aberdeen City Council in 2007 when she was 21. She served 8 years there and has been the SNP MP for Aberdeen North since May 2015.

Tim was Chairman of the Association of Liberal Lawyers 1982-86 and then of the Liberal Party from 1986-88 and played a major part in the merger with the Social Democratic Party to form the Liberal Democrats. He was made CBE for political services in 1988.

Tim was made a life peer in 1998 and until July 2004 was the Liberal Democrat Health Spokesman and thereafter until 2010 Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Culture, Media and Sport, in the House of Lords. He is a former Spokesman on the Creative Industries (2015-17) and is now the Liberal Democrat Digital Spokesperson in the Lords.

He is former Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence (2017-18) and a former member of the Select Committees on Communications (2011-15) and the Built Environment (2015-16). From 2012 to 2019 he was the Chair of Lib Dems in Communications.

Manzila Pola Uddin is a non-affiliated life peer and community activist. She was invited to the House of Lords for her contribution to the advancement of women and disability rights, and has long campaigned for the increase of skills of Asian women living in Britain.

Clive Lewis was elected the Labour MP for Norwich South in May 2015. Before entering Parliament Clive was Vice President of the National Union of Students, a BBC TV political reporter as well as Army reservist infantry officer, serving a combat tour of Afghanistan in 2009.

He has been Shadow Minister for Climate & Energy Change, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence and Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Clive has also served as a Shadow Minister for the Treasury, with a focus on Environmental Economics and Sustainable Finance.

Margaret Theresa Prosser, Baroness Prosser OBE is a Labour life peer.

She was a member of the Equal Opportunities Commission 1985–92 and the Low Pay Commission 2000–05. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1997 Birthday Honours.

On 11 June 2004, she was created Baroness Prosser, of Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. From 1 November 2004 to 31 October 2010 she was a Non-Executive Director of Royal Mail plc.

From 2006 to 2012 she served as Deputy Chair of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. As of 2019, Baroness Prosser is a Chair of The Board of Trustees of the Industry and Parliament Trust, which works to promote an understanding of business amongst parliamentarians and policymakers.

Liam Byrne is the Labour MP for Birmingham, Hodge Hill, and has been an MP continuously since 15 July 2004.

Lord Richard Layard is a British labour economist, currently working as programme director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics.

Lord Layard was Senior Research Officer for the Robbins Committee on Higher Education. His work on mental health, including publishing The Depression Report in 2006, led to the establishment of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme in England. He is co-editor of the World Happiness Report, with John F. Helliwell and Jeffrey Sachs.

Since 1987 David Davis has been a Member of Parliament, representing a constituency in Yorkshire. In 1990 he joined the Government and served in both the Cabinet Office and the Foreign Office. Thereafter he served as Conservative Party Chairman, then Shadow Deputy Prime Minister, and then Shadow Home Secretary.

In July 2016, following the EU Referendum in which he campaigned to leave the European Union, David was appointed Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. In this role he led the Government’s work on preparations to leave the EU, establishing the future relationship between the UK and the EU, and supporting the Prime Minister in the negotiations. He resigned from this post in July 2018 over a difference of principle with the Prime Minister. 

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts is a Conservative Life peer who has sat under this title in the Lords since 28 June 2000. His full title is The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts CBE, and his given name is Robin Granville Hodgson. Prior to joining the Lords, he sat in the Commons as an MP, and was first elected in 1976.

He has more than 40 experience in private equity and investment, co-founded the specialist investment banking group Granville and spent 10 years as Director of the Securities and Future Authority.

Lord Hodgson chairs IFOW’s Founder Circle.

Baroness Kennedy is a Scottish barrister, broadcaster, and Labour member of the House of Lords. She was Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford from 2011 to 2018.

Lord Monks is a Labour Life peer who has sat under this title in the Lords since 11 October 2010. His full title is The Lord Monks, and his given name is John Stephen Monks.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark is a Labour Life peer who has sat under this title in the Lords since 28 June 2010. He currently undertakes the roles of Shadow Spokesperson (Home Affairs), Opposition Whip (Lords), Shadow Spokesperson (Housing), and Shadow Spokesperson (Communities and Local Government).

Baroness Twycross is a Labour member of the House of Lords. She previously served on the London Assembly and as Sadiq Khan's Chief Resilience Officer in connection to the 100 Resilient Cities project.

Sonny Leong, Baron Sonny Leong CBE, is a Labour life peer. He was co-founder and co-chair of SME4Labour, which seeks to strengthen relations between Small and Medium Enterprises and the Labour Party.

Tom Watson, Baron Watson of Wyre Forest, is a Labour peer. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2019 and Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2016 to 2019. He was Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East from 2001 to 2019.

Tom is the Chair of UK Music and in 2016 he convened the independent Future of Work Commission.

Darren Jones is the Labour MP for Bristol North West, and has been an MP continuously since 8 June 2017

Daniel Zeichner is the Labour MP for Cambridge, and has been an MP continuously since 7 May 2015. He currently undertakes the role of Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

Lilian Greenwood is the Labour MP for Nottingham South, and has been an MP continuously since 6 May 2010.

Stephen Timms is the Labour MP for East Ham, and has been an MP continuously since 9 June 1994.

Tonia Antoniazzi has been the Labour Member of Parliament for Gower since 2017.Description goes here

Sarah Olney is the Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, and has been an MP continuously since 12 December 2019. She currently undertakes the roles of Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy), and Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Transport).

Christian Wakeford is the Conservative MP for Bury South, having gained the seat from Labour in the 2019 General Election. In addition to the APPG on the Future of Work, Wakeford is the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Alcohol Harm, and British Jews, and Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Israel, and Antisemitism.

Charlotte Nichols has been Labour Member of Parliament for Warrington North since 2019.

Barry Gardiner has been Labour Member of Parliament for Brent North since 1997. He served as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade from 2016 to 2020. He has also led a cross-party effort to bring in legislation banning fire-and-rehire practices.

Ian Austin, Baron Austin of Dudley, is a life peer and served as Member of Parliament for Dudley North between 2005 and 2019.

Lord Austin served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government from 2009 to 2010.