This report from UK think tank IPPR proposes major policy shifts and argues in favour of a new direction for competition policy. In the aftermath of the pandemic, as the global economy rebounded it was accompanied by a dramatic rise in inflation, reaching levels not seen since the 1970s, peaking at 9 and 11 per...

This report from UK think tank Green Alliance looks at how conserving resources benefits the economy, businesses and consumers. In this report, we set out to assess the evidence, good or bad, around what it would mean for the UK economy to become more circular from three perspectives: national, business and consumers. Our findings indicate...

This short briefing from UK think tank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research provides a response to the Autumn Statement. The Chancellor delivered his Autumn Statement against a background of sluggish growth and above target inflation. NIESR continues to maintain that fiscal policy ought not to be guided by arbitrary fiscal rules but,...

This report from UK think tank The Centre for Progressive Policy explores how people feel about the economic opportunities where they live. CPP’s annual Local Economy Tracker explores how people feel about the economic opportunities where they live, what they think needs to change and which political parties and tiers of government they trust the...

This report from UK think tank IPPR argues that there is an urgency for policymakers to implement a green industrial strategy. With Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPs and Science Act and the EU’s Green Industrial Plan, industrial policy is back in vogue. Yet after years of neglect in favour of hands-off, agnostic policymaking, governments...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society puts forward the case for coordinated economic policymaking. The daunting array of economic problems facing Britain – low growth, inadequate investment, stagnant productivity, accelerating climate change and suppressed wages – are closely connected. Yet since 1997, the institutions most responsible for addressing them, the Treasury and...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation digs deeper into the characteristics of ‘scale-ups’ and their significant contribution to the British economy. Building on the findings of a previous SMF report (Full Scale, published in September 2023) investigating the barriers to the expansion of ‘scale-ups’, this briefing digs deeper into the characteristics...

This report from UK think tank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research calls for renewed public investment. The latest quarterly forecast from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research calls for renewed public investment, rather than tax-cuts, ahead of the forthcoming Autumn Statement and next year’s General Election. Flatlining productivity and sluggish...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Progressive Policy sets out how a future government could drive transformative change. CPP’s Funding fair growth report reveals the stark cost of maintaining public services at current levels over the next parliament and sets out how a future government could drive transformative change. Our analysis shows...

This report from UK think tank Reform looks at prioritising efficiency in Whitehall's everyday work. Spending public money wisely must be at the heart of how Whitehall operates. Every pound that is wasted, or used ineffectively, is a pound that could have been used to improve people's lives. Yet despite spending more than ever on...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society looks at Fabian ideas for transforming Britain. Think tanks are not political parties. Most of the time we examine policy problems one by one. It is not our role or responsibility to construct comprehensive political programmes. But there are occasions when it is important to take...

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at the case for a green industrial strategy. The transition to net zero is the economic opportunity of the 21st century. But claims of UK leadership in capturing the economic benefits of the transition to a green economy are wide of the mark. While the UK has...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform looks at the case for an IMF lending cap rate. The International Monetary Fund (IMF/Fund) risks losing traction as the multilateral provider of bailouts to countries in debt distress and needs urgent reform to manage the current financial and geopolitical reality. In a new...

This report from UK think tank Localis looks at the value of pubs to society and to the economy. Across Britain, pubs have long stood as familiar and welcoming landmarks. Their significance goes beyond mere watering holes; they have consistently played a pivotal role in knitting communities together and promoting social cohesion. Inn-valuable looks at...

This report from UK think tank the Work Foundation looks at how secure work can reduce regional inequality. This new report reveals the regions with the highest and lowest levels of ‘severely insecure’ work (employment that is involuntarily temporary or part-time, or when multiple forms of insecurity come together, such as casual or zero-hours contracts,...

Ahead of the Spring Budget we asked a range of think tanks what would be the one thing they would focus on and include. Don't overcomplicate the cost of living response, just give people cash By Dr Aveek Bhattacharya (Social Market Foundation) In January, with inflation growing and the energy price cap set to rise,...

'Levelling up' has become one of the big agenda items for this government but how can it be helped by industrial strategy? Use the Spending Review and R&D Place Strategy to increase support for business innovation in lagging regions By James Blagden (Onward) In recent decades the UK’s regions have diverged so much that we...