This report from UK think tank Power to Change sets out a detailed roadmap for a new era of community ownership.  Community ownership is a proven, scalable driver of local economic renewal and resilient, connected communities. While political support has never been higher, demand for investment far outstrips supply, with the recent Community Right to...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation explores how employers can be incentivised to employ NEETs. This briefing note considers how public policy can best incentivise employers to hire more young people in the UK today. We estimate the gross cost to the Exchequer of each additional full-time job created by a range...

This report from Nesta indicates that improving the nation’s health requires reshaping the environments where most food is purchased. Nesta partnered with Asda to improve the UK’s food environment by setting a target health score based on sales-weighted nutrient profiling, running trials on positioning, messaging, merchandising, and incentives, which showed promising impacts without harming sales....

This report from UK think tank City-REDI explores the role of social entrepreneurs as 'outside-in' actors in public sector transformation. This policy paper explores the role of social entrepreneurs as “outside-in” actors in public sector transformation. It argues that, in a period of profound institutional transition, public systems need to learn not only from within...

This report from UK think tank the David Hume Institute explores the results of their quarterly survey data collected just after the Scottish Parliament election. The findings of the first Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker since the Scottish Parliament Election bring into focus the scale of the challenge facing the new MSPs. Despite growing confidence in...

This report from UK think tank Green Alliance sets out how the government can ensure young people are ready for the jobs of the 2030s. The UK’s green economy is set to grow rapidly, but young people aren’t being prepared for the careers it will create. Youth unemployment is at a ten year high and...

This report from UK think tank Power to Change argues that the civic high street is the right organising principle for the shift toward mixed-use, community-centred high streets.  The 'new high street playbook' shares lessons from the Community-Led High Street Innovators programme, and why they matter now. Connecting real world practice to the current policy window, this report reflects a...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI explores how secondment can systematically build capability, share knowledge and address resource constraints across levels of government. This policy briefing, from the Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub, explores how England’s devolution reforms could work more effectively by using staff secondments as a core part of the delivery system....

This report from UK think tank IPPR explores how a well-designed intervention that caps energy prices can limit inflation and insure against the worst outcomes. The Iran war energy shock will impose significant costs on the UK economy, even if the government does not offer a universal support package. As it drives up inflation, we...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI uses fashion and textiles as a case study through which to interrogate the effectiveness of place-based industrial policy in practice. A new report, by Tamara Cincik, Fashion Roundtable and Alix Coombs, examines how the UK fashion and textiles sector is positioned within national, devolved and local policy frameworks,...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI examines how artificial intelligence is being adopted in local government. This report from the Local Policy Innovation Partnership provides a timely stocktake of how artificial intelligence is being adopted in local government, what benefits are beginning to emerge, and what barriers still limit wider deployment. It draws on...

This report from UK think tank IPPR reveals that UK business investment is the second lowest in the G7. High energy costs are squeezing UK industry, but support must do more than keep firms afloat. British manufacturing workers have access to 47 per cent fewer machines, tools and technologies than workers in similar economies Our...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI finds that high-level skills mismatches differ significantly by area and that policy responses should reflect local differences in demand. This study maps employer demand for higher-level qualifications (at Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 4 and above), the supply of residents with these qualifications, and the resulting demand-supply gaps...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities argues that geographic differences in equity investment reflects differences in the number of investable firms. Equity investment is at the heart of the Industrial Strategy, and it is predominantly urban. Over 80 per cent of equity deals and values are for businesses in cities. A few...

This report from UK think tank The David Hume Institute looks at the economic outlook for Scots. Scots feel marginally less pessimistic about the country's economy, but pressure on spending remains. Nearly half of Scottish voters say healthcare is one of the most important issues facing Scotland, followed closely by the cost of living, according...