Whichever political party wins the 2015 election, the next government will have to make tough choices on the economy and the prospect of further cuts will loom over any administration.

The Fabian Society Commission on Future Spending Choices will make recommendations on how spending decisions can be made in a way that best safeguards prosperity, sustainability and social justice.

The Commission will focus on a number of key issues, including: the purpose of public spending and the values and criteria which should be adopted, for determining spending allocations; pressures and priorities for public spending, including issues of long-term sustainability; likely scenarios for overall public spending between 2015 and 2020; economic reforms which might reduce demand for public spending; how public spending can best support growth, jobs and earnings; and how the public sector can manage with less money. It will recommend priorities for new spending and the ‘least bad’ areas to cut.

Our panel of commissioners detailed below will be supported by a wider advisory network and will gather evidence to make their recommendations through a series of eight hearings; a wide-ranging review of existing evidence and an open call for submissions from interested parties.

The Commission will make its final recommendations in late 2013.