Reports
From legacy to leadership: upgrading the digital state
This report from UK think tank Re:State makes the case for forcing government staff to take the risk from obsolete IT seriously by creating a new Digital Modernisation Taskforce. The State is inseparable from the digital technology it uses. It is impossible to imagine a government without the software which underpins the everyday interactions with...
See it. Say it. Sort it.
This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation sets out how the Government can reset Britain’s economic policy. This briefing note sets out how the Government can reset Britain’s economic policy following disastrous local election results, arguing that an honest assessment of where the country stands is the indispensable starting point for repairing its...
Public spending on the early years in Wales
This report from UK think tank Nesta provides a comprehensive analysis of public spending on early years support in Wales. Early years spending in Wales spans both devolved and reserved policy, and hence comes from a combination of UK government and Welsh Government or Welsh local authority budgets. Healthcare, funded childcare, and children’s services and...
A new civil service code
This report from UK think tank Re:State summarises the current Code and then provides a full, new draft Code to replace the existing one. Criticisms of the Civil Service are a seemingly permanent feature of our politics, with government after government promising to drive ahead with reforms to tackle a Whitehall machine that is too...
Public spending on the early years in Scotland
This report from UK think tank Nesta provides a comprehensive analysis of public spending on early years support in Scotland. Early years spending in Scotland spans both devolved and reserved policy, and hence comes from a combination of UK government and Scottish Government or Scottish local authority budgets. Healthcare, early education and childcare, and children’s services...
Grayburn: The UK’s future small arms requirements
This report from UK think tank RUSI provides a comprehensive framework for selecting a new service rifle that will underpin the UK’s future fighting capability. This paper is a pivotal analysis of the British military’s requirements for a new standard rifle, shaping the future of UK defence capability and operational effectiveness. It delivers actionable insights...
How to respond to the energy crisis
This report from UK think tank Nesta explores how to respond to the energy crisis and make it the last one ever. This note proposes a strategic response centred on accelerating energy efficiency measures and speeding up the adoption of electric heating technologies in the home.
Course correction: How to densify British cities
This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities looks at where city densification needs to occur and what policy needs to do differently. Policy attention towards densifying British cities is welcome, and this research uses data on historic neighbourhood age and Centre for Cities’ residential densities dataset to dig deeper into where densification needs...
Mobilisation and training for war: Preparing to break glass
This report from UK think tank RUSI provides a framework to address the UK’s preparedness for protracted conflict and its NATO commitments. This paper examines the critical need for the UK to prepare its armed forces for rapid mobilisation and training in response to escalating security threats in Europe. It highlights the challenges of increasing...
Measuring lethality: Army combat power and force design
This report from UK think tank RUSI addresses the utility of measuring lethality as a focal point in force design. With the UK and US military facing potential numerical disadvantages in future conflicts, this Research Paper explores how lethality – defined as the rate at which a force inflicts damage relative to the casualties it...
Swiss role model? What the UK can learn from how Switzerland rebuilt public trust in its asylum system
This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at the Swiss asylum reforms and key takeaways for the UK. The UK is suffering a downward spiral, with collapsing public confidence in the government’s ability to deliver an effective asylum system. This report investigates reforms to the Swiss asylum system designed to address...
Essays about the future: Scotland
This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK considers what kind of a country we want Scotland to be two decades from now. Moments of democratic choice provide an important opportunity to pause, look beyond immediate pressures, and reflect on the kind of future we want to build. Ahead of this year’s election, Carnegie UK...
Adopt, innovate, transform
This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society explores how civil servants can help deliver a smarter state with AI. As artificial intelligence plays an increasingly prominent role in our lives, the government is rightly using its potential to rewire the state. The long-term efficacy and sustainability of our public services will rely on...
Concept to culture: A maturity model for wellbeing policy
This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK explores what a maturity model for embedding wellbeing approaches in public policy might look like. In recent years there has been a global shift in public policy, moving from traditional economic and output-based measures of government performance towards a more holistic focus on measures of wellbeing. Governments...
Future wellbeing policy: Lessons from Wales and beyond
This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK reflects on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act since it was enshrined in law just over ten years ago. In January 2026, the Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) together with Carnegie UK, the Centre for Welsh Politics and Society/WISERD, and the Co-production Network for Wales convened...
Related Events
11 June 2026
Location: Online / Institute for Government, 2 Carlton Gardens, London SW1Y 5AA
Think tank: Institute for Government
Lessons from Covid: How to avoid fraud in future crises?
This event hosted by UK think tank the Institute for Government explores what government should do to ensure more robust checks and balances ahead of the next crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic saw the government spend hundreds of billions of pounds to buy PPE, keep businesses afloat and avoid mass redundancies. In the heat of this...
17 June 2026
Location: Online
Think tank: Localis
Everything in its right place – establishing strong organisations and practices for successful devolution
This event hosted by UK think tank Localis launches their new report on the evolution of strategic authorities. With the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act now enshrined into law, the advent of mayoral combined authorities – redubbed as Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) – is close to completion. The government’s devolution agenda grants additional powers and more flexible governance arrangements...
Related Articles
What is important when thinking about digital government services?
Digital government services must be made truly accessible to reduce inequalities By Josh Abel (Fabian Society) The pandemic has brought the digital divide to the forefront of public policy debate. During lockdown, far too many children were unable to learn from home because they could not access the internet and millions of households faced social isolation because they were...