Capital Issues
This report from UK think tank Onward looks at reforming the UK’s capital markets to boost science and tech. The UK’s capital markets are in trouble. Last year 76 firms delisted from AIM, London’s growth market. Scores of leaders of the UK’s most vibrant companies have publicly stated that they would not consider listing on...
Perfectly adequate?
This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation revisits pensions adequacy 20 years after the Pensions Commission. In 2002, the Labour Government established the Pensions Commission to review the UK’s private pensions system and make recommendations for reform. Twenty years on from the Commission’s landmark first report, the auto-enrolment pension regime it proposed has...
How does the OBR estimate the demand impact of government policies?
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government explores the role of fiscal multipliers in economic forecasting. It is important for the government to get as clear an idea as possible of how any measures it announces at fiscal events – budgets and spending reviews – might impact the economy, and to what...
Budgeting better: How the UK could start to improve its fiscal framework and boost growth
This report from UK think tank IPPR considers how to work towards a better and more comprehensive fiscal framework. The new Labour government’s growth mission is to make the UK the fastest growing economy in the G7. But growth is low, and UK is at the bottom of the G7 for investment, and the plans...
Five steps the government must take to deliver its five missions
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government Labour has come to power promising to lead a ‘mission-driven government’ and on the basis of a manifesto that focused on its five national ‘missions’. The party has defined this as working: “towards long-term national goals” with “departments working together rather than in silos. Business...
It’s a fraudster’s world
This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation explores the scale, impact, and globally interconnected nature of fraud against consumers. Fraud is a growing problem around the world. This report provides a sense of the scale of fraud across 15 countries, highlights the need for international collaboration to make a meaningful impact on...
Undergraduate fees revisited
This report from UK think tank HEPI considers the recent history of student finance in England before proposing a 10-point plan for fixing some current weaknesses. Tim Leunig lays out the shortcomings of the current higher education funding model in England and proposes a 10-point action plan to fix the system for the benefit of...
Improving accountability in government procurement
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at improving accountability in government procurement. The Procurement Act, brought in under the previous government and effective from February 2025, will bring in a new public sector procurement regime. Simplified regulations, greater transparency and enhanced exclusion criteria could all help improve accountability. But there...
Addressing the local authority financial crises
This report from UK think tank City-REDI seeks to provide local governments with the evidence to make better policy decisions. There is increasing concern about the financial viability of some local authorities with estimates by the Local Government Association (LGA) suggesting that councils in England are facing a funding gap of £4 billion. Councils have...
Comprehensive Climate Impact Quantification (C-CIQ): an approach to co-developing policy and programmatic responses for climate risk management
This report from UK think tank IIED offers a comprehensive step-by-step guide to quantifying and valuing economic and non-economic loss and damage. Across the world, climate impacts such as extreme heat and floods are destroying lives, livestock and property. Loss and damage occurs when the capacities of affected communities and countries are compromised to the...
