Rachel Statham

She led the institute’s programmes on public services, social security, and how they interact with work.

Rachel is an expert in early education and childcare, and women’s experiences of the labour market. Her work making the case for a childcare guarantee has driven forward major childcare expansion in England.

She led a multi-disciplinary team working on a major commission on health and prosperity alongside programmes on the future of the welfare state and policy futures for childcare and schools.

Rachel previously worked at IPPR Scotland, where her work secured cross-party commitment to delivering a minimum income guarantee, and shaped the design of the Scottish Child Payment. She sat on the Scottish Government’s minimum income guarantee expert group, which advises government on how to deliver a guarantee in practice.

Prior to joining IPPR Rachel worked in policy and campaigns in the women’s movement, which pushed her towards a career working to change the economic structures that shape women’s lives. She holds a first-class BA in History from the University of York, and a Masters from the University of Edinburgh, where she was awarded a prize for the best performance on the Public Policy programme.

She left IPPR in July 2024 to work for the Dowining Street policy unit.