Reports
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...
Expert roundtables: Insight summary
This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK summarises insights gained from expert roundtable discussions held in Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle and Belfast. In 2025 we hosted four roundtable discussions in Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle and Belfast. These sessions brought together experts in academia, business, economics, government, public policy and the third sector to grapple with some...
Public perceptions of the UK tax system
This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK examines pubic perceptions of the UK tax system. This work seeks to address growing concerns about public disengagement with taxation policy and to better understand how people view the current UK taxation system, and its perceived complexities and discrepancies. The research focused on two key questions: What...
Budgeting for Wellbeing: International approaches
This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK looks at how fiscal policy can be reimagined to prioritise and deliver improved wellbeing for people. Governments and societies across the globe are increasingly recognising the importance of improving the wellbeing of their citizens and making this the central goal of their economic and policy ambitions. At...
Better evidence, better outcomes
This report from UK think tank PBE makes the business case for a Civil Society Evidence Organisation. Civil society is one of the UK’s greatest assets, yet too often, it is held back by structural barriers that prevent it operating at full potential. That is why we are calling for the co-creation of a Civil...
Money on my mind
This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines the savings, debt and financial resilience of low-to-middle income families. This paper is part of our Unsung Britain project, which explores the everyday economic reality for low- to middle-income families. It shifts the focus beyond income, looking instead at the savings, debts, and arrears that...
Affording warm homes
This report from UK think tank Green Alliance explores the case for a social tariff to address fuel poverty. The energy crisis, driven by fossil fuel price shocks, has pushed nine million households in England into fuel poverty – spending over ten per cent of their income on energy bills. Current government support schemes aren’t...
What price is free?
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research examines the evolution of nursery prices in England in the wake of 2024 childcare reform. A major expansion of free childcare entitlement in England is currently underway. The policy has significantly expanded the number of parents who are eligible to receive childcare, as well...
Seen, safe and supported
This report from UK think tank PBE examines the economic benefits of mentoring LGBTQ+ young people. There is still limited understanding of what works, and what does not, when supporting LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health. While the problem is increasingly acknowledged, the evidence base around effective interventions remains limited. Our report builds the evidence on...
A democratic fiscal framework
This report from UK think tank New Economics Foundation looks at transforming the Office for Budget Responsibility into the Office for Fiscal Transparency. The UK’s fiscal framework has a democratic deficit. The OBR has an effective veto over decisions about how much money the government spends and on what. We propose replacing the OBR with...
The happy childhood dividend
This report from UK think tank PBE provides new evidence of the long-term economic benefits of investing early in children’s mental health. Wellbeing boosts life chances. When children feel mentally well, they do better at school, build stronger relationships and reach their life-long potential. This report provides new evidence and analysis of the long-term economic...
The case for better resource use
This report from UK think tank Green Alliance explores British public and Labour voter opinion on the circular economy. Recent research has emphasised Labour’s need to both retain voters and win them over from multiple sources, including from Reform UK, the Lib Dems and the Greens. Both More in Commons’ Wheelbarrow politics and Persuasion UK’s...
Set for life
This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at policies to boost the retirement savings of the self-employed. The low share of self-employed workers saving into private pensions and problematic saving behaviours amongst many who are, is leading to concerns that large numbers of self-employed workers are on track for inadequate retirement...