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Torsten Bell

Torsten Bell is a British politician and economist serving as the for West since his election on 4 July 2024. He currently holds junior ministerial roles as Parliamentary Secretary to and for Pensions in the , with responsibilities including private pensions policy, state pension reforms, and pension tax matters. Prior to entering , Bell directed the think tank from 2015 to 2024, leading research aimed at boosting economic growth while addressing inequality for low- and middle-income households. Bell's career in economic policy began in , where he served on the during the and later as a special adviser to Chancellor . He subsequently acted as Director of Policy for leader , shaping the party's platform ahead of the 2015 general election. At the , an independent organization emphasizing data-driven analysis over ideological advocacy, Bell authored influential reports on labor markets, housing affordability, and fiscal sustainability, contributing to debates on post-Brexit and post-pandemic recovery strategies. His 2023 book, Great Britain? How We Get Our Future Back, critiques structural economic weaknesses and proposes reforms to enhance productivity and living standards, reflecting a focus on empirical evidence rather than partisan orthodoxy. Elected to Swansea West with a majority of 8,515 votes amid Labour's national landslide, Bell has positioned himself as a policy specialist rather than a traditional politician, drawing on his think-tank experience to influence government agendas on pensions investment and budget preparations. While his ascent has drawn scrutiny from left-wing critics questioning his emphasis on market-oriented solutions within Labour's framework, Bell's roles underscore a commitment to pragmatic, evidence-based governance amid fiscal constraints.

Background

Early Life

Torsten Bell was born in September 1982 in , south-east . His full name is Torsten Henricson Bell, reflecting his mother's maiden name. Bell's mother, Clem Henricson, is a -born and policy analyst, while his English father also demonstrated political awareness, fostering a household environment centered on policy discussions and social issues. As a young child, Bell relocated with his family from to . The family's civic-minded orientation, influenced by his parents' professional backgrounds, exposed him early to analytical thinking on matters.

Education

Bell attended , a selective in , . He then studied at Mansfield College, , graduating in 2002.

Professional Career

Early Roles in Policy and Government

Bell commenced his professional career in the civil service at , serving as a member of the during the 2007-2008 global financial crisis, where he provided economic analysis on issues including responses to the banking collapse. He later transitioned to a political role as special adviser to Chancellor from 2007 to 2010, contributing to crisis management efforts such as bank recapitalizations and the formulation of the UK's fiscal stimulus package amid recessionary pressures. After Labour's defeat in the 2010 general election, Bell joined the opposition as Director of Policy for the under , holding the position from 2010 to 2015. In this advisory capacity within the Leader's Policy Unit, he oversaw the development of the party's economic and platform, emphasizing critiques of , improvements in living standards, and reforms to address wage stagnation and , though these efforts culminated in Labour's 2015 electoral loss.

Leadership at the Resolution Foundation

Torsten Bell served as Chief Executive of the , a non-partisan dedicated to improving living standards for low- and middle-income families, from September 15, 2015, to 2024. In this role, he directed research and policy efforts aimed at renewing the UK's economic strategy, with a focus on boosting growth while addressing inequality, wage stagnation, and intergenerational fairness. Under Bell's leadership, the organization launched the Intergenerational Commission in 2017 to examine economic disparities across age groups, producing reports that influenced debates on pensions, , and spending priorities. He oversaw the Economy 2030 Inquiry, a with the London School of Economics' Centre for Economic Performance, which culminated in key publications such as Ending Stagnation: A New Economic Strategy for (2023), advocating for supply-side reforms, skills investment, and fiscal rules to enhance and reduce . Additional reports under his tenure, including Learning to Grow (2023), analyzed labor market dynamics and post-pandemic recovery, emphasizing evidence-based policies on , skills , and that informed consultations and parliamentary inquiries. Bell expanded the think tank's scope to include diversity initiatives, such as a BAME Programme to address underrepresentation in , while maintaining a data-driven approach to critiquing policy failures in areas like public services and economic shocks. His tenure saw the gain recognition for rigorous analysis, though some critiques from outside observers questioned the alignment of its recommendations with neoliberal frameworks despite its stated non-partisan stance. Bell stepped down in 2024 to pursue a political career, transitioning to candidacy for .

Political Involvement

Advisory Roles in the Labour Party

Bell served as Director of Policy for the Labour Party during Ed Miliband's leadership from 2010 to 2015, where he contributed to shaping the party's economic and welfare policy platform ahead of the 2015 general election. In this role, Bell was involved in developing key pledges, including the controversial "EdStone"—a large stone tablet inscribed with Labour's six main election promises unveiled in June 2015—which was widely criticized for its perceived gimmickry and impracticality, with some party insiders attributing the idea to Bell himself. Prior to this, from 2008 to 2010, he acted as a special adviser to Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling at HM Treasury, advising on responses to the global financial crisis, including bank bailouts and fiscal stimulus measures that expanded the UK's budget deficit to 11% of GDP by 2009–10. These positions established Bell's reputation as a centrist economic advisor within Labour circles, emphasizing data-driven analysis of living standards and inequality over ideological purity. No formal advisory roles in the Labour Party are recorded between 2015 and his selection as parliamentary candidate for Swansea West in May 2024.

Election to Parliament and Ministerial Positions

Torsten Bell was selected as the candidate for the Swansea West constituency ahead of the general and won the seat on 4 July , securing 14,761 votes and a of 8,515 votes (23.9% of the vote share) over the candidate. The constituency, previously held by MP Geraint Davies since 2001, remained in hands, with Bell defeating challengers from (6,246 votes), the Liberal Democrats (4,367 votes), and others. Following his , Bell served as (PPS) to the in the newly formed government under . On 14 January 2025, Bell was appointed jointly as in and for Pensions in the , succeeding Emma Reynolds who had moved to . In this dual role, he oversees pensions policy, including state pension reforms and private pension regulation, while supporting functions related to . By August 2025, amid a Treasury reshuffle, Bell assumed a more prominent advisory role to Chancellor in preparations for the upcoming budget, leveraging his background in economic think tanks. These positions marked his rapid ascent in the , reflecting his prior expertise in .

Policy Positions and Contributions

Views on Economic Inequality and Living Standards

Torsten Bell has consistently argued that the United Kingdom's prolonged , combined with persistently high levels of , has severely constrained living standards, particularly for low- and middle-income households. He describes a "toxic" interplay where slow GDP growth—averaging just 6% per decade in the compared to 26% pre-2008—and real wage stagnation from 2008 to 2023 have left British households poorer by the end of the 2019–2024 Conservative government, the only such instance between elections in modern history. This stagnation, Bell contends, not only erodes material progress but undermines broader societal hope, with housing costs doubling as a share of income to 18% since 1980 exacerbating pressures on family budgets. In Bell's analysis, the UK's status as Europe's most unequal large economy since the amplifies these challenges, as rooted in the Thatcher era has converged incomes between the poor and middle classes while widening gaps at the top, hindering overall wage growth and . He emphasizes that child poverty rates, which rose to around 30% in the , persist as a symptom, with half of children in larger households currently in , underscoring the need to address distributional failures alongside aggregate growth. Bell attributes much of this not to distant historical factors like or , but to modern policy decisions, drawing analogies to post-abolition U.S. state policies that perpetuated disparities through suppression rather than alone. Bell advocates for a dual strategy to elevate living standards: boosting productivity through sustained public and private investment—at least 2.5–3% of GDP annually in infrastructure and decarbonization—to close the UK's productivity gap with peers like France and Germany, while simultaneously reducing inequality via targeted redistribution. He warns that the Labour Party risks failure in government without prioritizing inequality reduction, proposing measures such as higher wealth taxes and national insurance contributions (potentially offset by income tax cuts) to support low- and middle-income Britain, where higher living standards demand both expanded economic pie and fairer slices. In his 2024 book Great Britain?: How We Get Our Future Back, Bell frames this as essential for revitalizing the economy and society, arguing that unchecked stagnation entrenches a low-growth, high-inequality trap incompatible with rising prosperity.

Pensions and Welfare Reforms

Torsten Bell has long emphasized the need for system reforms to address undersaving and inadequate retirement incomes, drawing from his leadership at the where he oversaw analyses showing 39% of working-age individuals undersaving for retirement. Prior to his ministerial role, Bell advocated for radical changes including flat-rate tax relief, capping tax-free lump sums, and scrapping the state triple lock, which he described in 2020 as a "rubbish way" to determine levels due to its volatility and intergenerational inequity. As Pensions Minister since January 2025, Bell has shifted to upholding the triple lock mechanism for state pension uprating throughout the parliamentary term, confirming its retention amid budget speculation and emphasizing its role in providing retirement security. He has championed the Pension Schemes Bill, introduced in July 2025, to enable consolidation of schemes, reduce costs—saving £45 million for schemes through relaxed contributions—and introduce Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) models projected to boost retirement incomes by up to 60% for millions via risk-sharing and higher returns. Bell defended the bill's reserve powers for mandation despite industry concerns, urging stakeholders to prioritize saver outcomes over cynicism, and positioned larger, "superfund"-style schemes as essential to filling "pension potholes" from fragmented defined contribution pots. On welfare reforms, Bell's tenure highlighted funding pressures on the , arguing in 2018 for rethinking contributions beyond tax hikes to sustain benefits amid aging demographics and rising costs, without endorsing blanket cuts but favoring targeted efficiency. In , he has defended Labour's March 2025 aiming to curb £5 billion in projected benefits growth through stricter (PIP) assessments and work capability evaluations, framing these as promoting employment over dependency despite admitting personally he could not subsist on the £70 weekly rate for under-25s. Bell has critiqued opposition proposals to expand , such as lifting the two-child benefit cap, as fiscally irresponsible amid household budget constraints, aligning with the 's emphasis on fiscal realism over expansion. These positions reflect a consistent focus on evidence-based adequacy—projecting shortfalls of £800 annually by 2050 without intervention—while navigating political commitments to protect vulnerable groups through reformed, sustainable systems.

Controversies and Criticisms

Responses to Benefit and Pension Policy Backlash

Torsten Bell, as , defended the government's proposed £5 billion annual savings from reforms in March 2025, emphasizing a shift toward work incentives rather than sustaining high levels of out-of-work inherited from the previous Conservative administration. During a interview on March 19, 2025, Bell acknowledged that he personally could not survive on £70 per week—the approximate (PIP) rate for younger disabled claimants—citing his mortgage obligations, but argued that the reforms would not compel young people to subsist at that level, instead prioritizing and reduction. He countered left-wing critics by accusing them of entrenching a "Tory system" that perpetuated dependency, insisting the changes aimed to reorient toward opportunity rather than indefinite supplementation. Facing accusations from disability campaigners that the PIP reassessment reforms would inflict "misery" on thousands by tightening eligibility, Bell maintained that the measures targeted inefficiencies, such as overgenerous assessments, while preserving support for those genuinely unable to work. In response to broader Labour internal rebellion threats, with reports of up to 150 MPs poised to oppose the bill, he framed the policy as fiscally necessary to fund public services amid rising child poverty and economic pressures, drawing on his prior Resolution Foundation analysis that highlighted the unsustainability of unchecked benefit growth. On pension policy, Bell addressed industry backlash against the Schemes Bill's to mandate domestic investments, introduced in September 2025, by asserting it served as a non-preemptive safeguard to ensure funds contributed to economic productivity without immediate compulsion. Responding to critics like Pensions Expert who warned of distorted allocations and reduced returns, he emphasized evidence from defined contribution schemes showing underinvestment in productive assets, arguing the power would only activate if voluntary shifts failed, and cited government data projecting £25 billion in untapped pension capital for . In May 2025, he clarified to Pensions Age that he did not anticipate invoking the mandate, prioritizing market-led solutions while reviving the Pensions Commission in July 2025 to review adequacy amid demographic shifts, countering claims it ignored by focusing on empirical retirement income shortfalls. Bell has consistently critiqued the state pension triple lock—uprating by the highest of earnings growth, , or 2.5%—as an inefficient mechanism that distorts fiscal planning without guaranteeing adequacy, a view he reiterated from his 2020 writings amid 2025 debates on its potential scrapping to fund working-age benefits. He defended retaining it short-term while advocating long-term reforms like collective defined contribution schemes to boost returns, dismissing cynicism from stakeholders as barriers to evidence-based consolidation of the fragmented £2.5 trillion pension market.

Ideological Critiques from Left and Right

Critics from the left have accused Torsten Bell of embodying neoliberal principles, particularly in his defense of £5 billion in planned welfare cuts by 2030, including revisions to (PIP) eligibility that they argue will exacerbate hardship for disabled individuals. Bell's assertion that the current system disincentivizes work among young people has been labeled coercive and dismissive of structural barriers, with detractors like Richard Murphy of Tax Research UK describing him as "profoundly neoliberal to his very core" for prioritizing profit-oriented reforms over social welfare. His vote against lifting the two-child benefit cap in July 2024 drew further ire, as opponents contended it perpetuated affecting over 1.6 million households, contradicting his prior advocacy for inequality reduction at the . Bell's admission that he personally could not subsist on the £70 weekly living allowance he supports for young benefit claimants underscored perceptions of his detachment from working-class realities, fueling activist protests at Labour's 2025 conference demanding a instead of measures. Even the , which Bell directed until 2023, critiqued the cuts as a "dangerous road" likely to impoverish those with conditions, highlighting an apparent shift from evidence-based anti-poverty work to politically expedient fiscal restraint. From the right, Bell has faced backlash for policies perceived as eroding autonomy and favoring redistributive interventions over market independence. His earlier analysis arguing that the state pension triple lock disproportionately benefits wealthier retirees—projected to cost an extra £15.5 billion by 2029–30—has been weaponized by outlets like to stoke fears of its abolition, despite Labour's commitment to retain it, portraying Bell as ideologically inclined toward intergenerational wealth transfers at savers' expense. Proposals under his ministerial oversight to consolidate pensions and guide investments toward government priorities, such as , have prompted warnings from figures like pensions expert McPhail in that such state influence risks politicizing fiduciary duties and echoing authoritarian . Conservative-leaning media have also invoked Bell's role in Ed Miliband's 2015 campaign, including the much-mocked "" pledge monolith, to dismiss him as a symbol of Labour's unelectable gimmickry and fiscal irresponsibility, with the labeling him the "twerp" behind it. Broader concerns include potential raids on private wealth through reforms, capital gains adjustments, and reductions in tax relief, which critics argue reflect a statist agenda undermining incentives for personal saving and investment.

Publications and Public Commentary

Major Books and Writings

Torsten Bell authored Great Britain?: How We Get Our Future Back, published by Bodley Head (an imprint of ) on 6 June 2024. In the book, Bell critiques the United Kingdom's and short-term political focus under 14 years of Conservative governance, attributing it to failures in , , and living standards . He advocates for "practical " through targeted policies on , , skills training, and public , rejecting both left-wing utopianism and nostalgic conservatism while emphasizing incremental reforms to boost medium-term . The work became a Sunday Times , drawing on Bell's economic analysis to propose that sustained living standards improvements require addressing structural issues like low rates, which averaged below 18% of GDP in the compared to over 20% in peer economies. As chief executive of the Resolution Foundation from 2015 to 2023, Bell authored or co-authored numerous policy reports and commentaries focused on low- and middle-income households. Key writings include the lead authorship of Ending Stagnation: A New Economic Strategy for Britain, the final report of the Economy 2030 Inquiry (a collaboration with the London School of Economics' Centre for Economic Performance), released on 4 December 2023. This 200-page document analyzes Britain's post-2008 productivity slowdown—averaging 0.4% annual growth versus 1.8% pre-crisis—and recommends reforms in planning, immigration, and industrial strategy to achieve 1.5-2% sustainable growth. Other significant outputs under his leadership encompass reports like Food for Thought: The Role of Food Prices in the Cost of Living Crisis (19 May 2023), which quantified food inflation's disproportionate impact on poorer households (up 25% for the bottom income decile versus 15% overall in 2022-2023), and commentaries such as "Things Aren't as Bad as You Thought" (12 January 2024), challenging pessimistic narratives by highlighting absolute income gains despite inequality.

Media Appearances and Columns

Bell has written regular opinion columns for , addressing , welfare policy, and labour market challenges. In a 27 2024 piece, he criticized the two-child benefit cap as immoral for entrenching , noting it failed to deter larger families while directly reducing household incomes by limiting support to the first two children regardless of need. On 7 September 2024, he contended that persistent economic disparities in the UK and stem more from post-1970s policy choices—such as diverging tax and wage structures—than historical factors like , citing data on wage stagnation for low earners since the 1980s. His 17 November 2024 column emphasized direct engagement with low-wage workers' realities, including stagnant and insecure employment, to overhaul the UK's , drawing on surveys showing millions excluded from productivity gains. Bell has made frequent media appearances, particularly on economic topics, both before and after his 2024 election as MP for Swansea West. As chief executive of the , he featured on 4's on 9 May 2024, analyzing public perceptions of economic decline amid stagnant living standards and a potential . In a 20 September 2024 Channel 4 News podcast, he highlighted Swansea's wage flatlining since the , attributing it to failed regional investment and calling for targeted industrial revival. Following his appointment as Pensions Minister, he defended welfare reforms in a 19 March 2025 interview with , explaining measures to save £5 billion annually by tightening eligibility for working-age benefits while insisting they would not force claimants below subsistence levels. Other notable broadcasts include a 17 December 2024 New Statesman podcast discussion on reversing UK decline, where Bell advocated supply-side reforms like housing deregulation and skills investment over demand stimulus, based on comparative data from high-growth economies. He has also appeared on platforms like Times Radio and YouTube channels hosted by policy outlets, such as a 20 September 2024 interview outlining optimism for Labour's growth agenda despite inherited fiscal constraints. These engagements often reference empirical analyses from his think-tank tenure, prioritizing data on median income trajectories over ideological narratives.

Personal Life

Torsten Bell was born in , , to a civic-minded family with his mother, Clem Henricson, an and policy expert on child welfare, and an English father who worked as a university , including a period teaching at in the 1970s. Bell has a twin brother, Olaf Henricson-Bell, who has held senior advisory roles in UK government, including as a special adviser to multiple chancellors. The family initially settled in , where Bell's parents began their professional lives—his mother training as a solicitor—before relocating. Bell attended The Judd School, a selective grammar school in Tonbridge, Kent, for secondary education. He later read philosophy, politics, and economics at Mansfield College, Oxford, where he was active in student politics as president of the Oxford University Labour Club.

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