This report from UK think tank RUSI examines how the Royal Marines will need to evolve to ensure the UK can effectively contribute to an alliance or a coalition. The report examines how the force design of the Royal Marines will need to evolve to ensure the UK can effectively contribute to the amphibious capabilities...

This report from UK think tank British Future looks at analysis and projections of the ethnic and gender balance of the House of Commons in 2024. New British Future analysis and projections, based candidate selections, find ethnic minority representation in parliament is set to rise to around 12% after the General Election, regardless of the...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government sets out how the official opposition should ready itself for power. This report sets out key lessons for how any opposition party should use the final 12 months (or fewer) to prepare for government. In the final months before an election access talks are overdue....

This report from UK think tank Reform sets out a new framework for devolution decisions and the assessment of local systems. At present, a great deal of Whitehall’s time and resources are absorbed by unnecessary centralisation: micromanagement of purely local affairs, management of bid-in pots for local actors, and the development of policy which would...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Public Data calls for the UK government to make their high-value datasets freely available. High-value public data is basic infrastructure for the modern world. Good data on buildings, for example, helps everyone from the fire engine crew saving lives, to the start-up building better boilers. And...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation highlights the lack of priority given to evaluation and ex-post review of regulatory measures. Regulatory policy is often under-prioritised by governments, particularly when compared with the detailed focus associated with tax and spending measures. Even where a clear policy development process is adopted and applied...

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at how power and influence are distributed unequally across our society. If there is one thing that unites people in this country, it is their disdain for Westminster. People have generally had enough of paying for the mistakes of politicians. This deeply held sentiment will not be...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House traces the political dimensions of state capture in Iraq and its consequences for the country’s future stability. The US-led invasion and occupation in 2003 brought Iraq some of the trappings of a liberal democracy, such as competitive multi-party elections and citizen freedoms, but it did not ensure...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government examines the safety of the Rwanda Bill and Rwanda Treaty. What are the implications for constitutional and international law of the prime minister’s latest Rwanda gamble?

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores mechanisms for the return of proceeds of corruption. In the report, Maria outlines how the amount of assets returned by destination countries to countries of origin represents only a minimal fraction of the total amount of proceeds lost to corruption. In early 2022, it was estimated that...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government sets out their view on the Maude proposals for civil service reform. The history of government reform is cluttered with plans, reports, strategies and even a declaration. Lord Maude, a former Cabinet Office minister and the most dedicated reformer of the civil service in recent...

This report from UK think tank IPPR sets out how ‘improvement through empowerment’ - of both teachers and schools, can drive excellence in education. We need to shift the drivers of better schooling from high stakes top-down accountability to a system which empowers schools and teachers to innovate and improve. Policymakers in recent decades have...

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at unlocking local action on clean air. There is an urgent need to address air pollution. Preventing the premature deaths of up to 43,000 people per year in the UK and reducing cases of cancer, strokes, heart attacks, dementia and asthma would be reason alone. Those who...

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 Institute for Government looks at what has changed in the public appointments process and what still needs to change. In August 2022 the Institute for Government published Reforming Public Appointments, which dissected the public appointments process and offered recommendations for how it could be improved. We looked at...