Policy area: Politics

Reports

Inflation, profits and market power

This report from UK think tank IPPR proposes major policy shifts and argues in favour of a new direction for competition policy. In the aftermath of the pandemic, as the global economy rebounded it was accompanied by a dramatic rise in inflation, reaching levels not seen since the 1970s, peaking at 9 and 11 per...

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Degrees of separation

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at the education divide in British politics. British politics since the 2016 Brexit referendum has been characterised by the emergence of a new divide, between graduates and school leavers. Education now has a stronger relationship with vote choice than any other demographic or economic...

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The future of democracy in the UK

This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit looks at public attitudes and policy responses to democracy in the UK. Over the last three years, the Constitution Unit has conducted detailed research into public attitudes to democracy in the UK. This has comprised two large-scale surveys of the UK population, conducted in summer 2021...

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Improvement through empowerment

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...

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Unlocking local action on clean air

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...

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UK Economic Outlook (Autumn 2023)

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...

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Charting new waters

This report from UK think tank IPPR is a progressive response to the Channel crossings. The surge in arrivals from people crossing the Channel in small boats has become an increasingly charged issue for government. The number of detected arrivals rose sharply from 299 in 2018 to 45,744 in 2022, and there have been more...

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Mapping the supply of surveillance technologies to Africa

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies documents which companies are supplying which types of surveillance technology to African governments. African governments are spending over 1US$bn per year on digital surveillance technologies which are being used without adequate legal protections in ways that regularly violate citizens’ fundamental human rights. This report...

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A tale of two human rights lawyers

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation explores whether a Labour government could realise a better future in the UK for refugee protection with control. Judgment on the legality of the government’s ‘Rwanda plan’ response to the irregular migrant flows across the English Channel is currently awaited from the Supreme Court. In...

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Homes for all

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute outlines a fair way to build housing where people want to live. Under the proposed ‘Homes for All’ scheme, the government would use Compulsory Purchasing Orders (CPOs), a legal tool which can be used to compulsorily buy land or property to support development that is...

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From missed chances to green advances: the case for a green industrial strategy

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at the case for a green industrial strategy. The transition to net zero is the economic opportunity of the 21st century. But claims of UK leadership in capturing the economic benefits of the transition to a green economy are wide of the mark. While the UK has...

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Towards real social security: embedding a long-term approach to universal credit

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at how we can build a strategic, ambitious and collaborative response to improve our social security system. Our safety net is failing to protect people from being pulled into poverty. Universal credit is simply inadequate to meet day to day living costs. This means despite temporary cost...

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MPs’ staff, the unsung heroes

This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit provides new insights into who works for MPs. A good deal is known about the 650 MPs who sit in the House of Commons, and they are frequently the focus of research. Far less is known about the over 3,500 people who work for them across...

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Public attitudes towards the plight of and policies for younger people

This report from UK think tank Bright Blue looks at the current public attitudes concerning how younger people are and should be supported by government. Younger people in this country are disillusioned with the Conservative Government. Only 1% of 18-24-year-olds in the UK intend to vote for the Conservatives in the next election, according to...

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Why is the UK still party to the Iran Nuclear Deal?

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society looks at practical applications for the future of the JCPOA. At the time of publication of this report, the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) is being held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, with the high-level General Debate...

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Related Events

12 December 2023

Location: Central Westminster

Think tank: Onward

The future of Conservatism

This event hosted by UK think tank Onward brings together some of conservatism’s leading thinkers to share their views on the future of the centre-right. Rishi Sunak has said his government will take long-term decisions in the national interest, tackling a failed “thirty year consensus”. Onward’s first report in its Future of Conservatism series, The Case...

13 December 2023

Location: Online / Demos 6th Floor, 15 Whitehall London SW1A 2DD

Think tank: Demos

What should be the Conservative Party’s vision for public service reform?

This event hosted by UK think tank Demos will discuss public service reform. The Conservatives have previously prided themselves as the party of public service reform, driving reforms based on privatisation, marketisation and choice. Yet such approaches have fallen out of favour, with privatised services - such as probation and rail - fully or partially...