Reports
Ride the wave
This report from UK think tank Localis centres on how local authorities can navigate investment risks and opportunities within a changing policy landscape. In her 29 January speech outlining the Government’s ‘Plan for Growth’, chancellor Rachel Reeves argued our cities will require focus on the two key areas of infrastructure and investment if they are...
Mind the fertility gap
This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs examines why people stopped having babies and how economic freedom can help. This report shows how pro-natal policies that focus on cash incentives, such as baby bonuses, subsidies, and maternity pay, may have some short term effect but are often found wanting and prohibitively...
From ambition to advantage
This report from UK think tank NCUB explores unlocking the UK’s business-led R&D potential. Britain’s business R&D engine is losing power. Between 2021 and 2023, private investment fell by 6.3% in real terms, which means around £3.4 billion less was spent on business-led research and development. It was the sharpest decline among major economies, while...
Life in the UK 2025
This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK measures collective wellbeing across the UK. At Carnegie UK, we are delighted to present the third edition of our Life in the UK index, a landmark research programme we have now committed to delivering until at least 2030. This year’s findings offer a nuanced picture of collective...
A plan to support electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK
This report from UK think tank Green Alliance outlines how to secure the future of British car manufacturing through the electric vehicle transition. Britain’s car industry faces an existential crisis. High energy costs, Chinese competition and US tariffs threaten a sector that contributes £47 billion in gross value added to the economy in 2023 and...
Understanding the UK’s rise in economic inactivity since 2020
This report from UK think tank City-REDI examines the UK's rise in economic inactivity since 2020. This research & policy briefing outlines the main findings from a two-year project Levelling Up Labour Supply funded by the Economic & Social Research Council’s UK In a Changing Europe (Award Ref. ES/X005828/2). The main focus of the paper...
A reform agenda for the single market
This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform examines a reform agenda for the single market. For the last two decades, European economic growth has been lower than in peer countries. More than a year has passed since the landmark Draghi Report that helped establish a consensus that reform is needed. Yet...
How productive are the UK’s big cities?
This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities discusses how the UK's large cities have performed over the last 20 years. This briefing dives into the latest subregional productivity data to understand the trends over the past 20 years and what it can tell us about local and national economic performance. It shows that...
Trend setters
This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation discusses the OBR’s forecast for trend productivity growth and why it matters so much for the Budget. The Budget in November is likely to reveal a significant deterioration in the outlook for the public finances, requiring the Government to raise taxes in response. A key reason...
Building winners: Strengthening the UK innovation ecosystem
This report from UK think tank City-REDI explores the structural, institutional and policy factors shaping the UK’s innovation ecosystem. This project, funded by the Innovation and Research Caucus (IRC), addresses that gap by exploring the structural, institutional, and policy factors shaping the UK’s innovation ecosystem. Through interviews with impactful innovators and innovation support bodies, the...
A long-term strategy for housing: Lessons learned on the role of institutions and governance
This report from UK think tank City-REDI reflects on lessons learned on the role of institutions and governance in housing strategy. The UK Government has announced a £39 billion funding package and five-stage plan for social and affordable housing in England, with a comprehensive 10-year strategy due in 2025. This report reflects on the housing...
Before the fall
This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation looks at distribution of household wealth in Britain and the impact on families. This report is the fourth in our series of ‘audits’ of households’ wealth, offering the most comprehensive assessment of wealth inequality in Britain. It comes against a backdrop of an unprecedented mix of...
Mending the net?
This report from UK think tank Bright Blue brings together ideas from leading centre-right thinkers for reforming social security. The UK’s social security system seems to be a constant source of anger for our country’s voters. To those on the left, it represents a broken safety net, incapable of keeping the needy out of poverty....
Rural Futures
This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society explores the British countryside and its potential. Rural Britain is often neglected in discussions about the big issues of the day. Yet it sits at the heart of the government’s missions to green the economy, boost growth, deliver housing and break down barriers to opportunity. The...
The seven essentials of effective place-based growth
This report from UK think tank City-REDI looks at what the Government can learn from city-region mayors and devolved nations. This briefing sets out seven essential principles for effective place-based growth, drawing on the lived experience and emerging evidence from city-region mayors, devolved nations, the UKRI-funded Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub and the four funded...