Reports
Whitehall Monitor 2025
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government is their annual, data-based assessment of the UK civil service over the past year. High staff turnover, confused workforce planning, slipping morale and uncompetitive pay are hindering the civil service’s ability to deliver Labour’s missions. Whitehall Monitor 2025, the IfG’s annual data-driven stocktake of the...
People first: selling nature to Labour
This report from UK think tank Green Alliance argues why restoring nature must be a priority for the government. In this straight talking essay, Adam Dyster, former adviser to the Labour Party and the National Trust, draws on a wealth of experience to argue why restoring nature must be a priority for the government, not...
Modernising elections: How to get voters back
This report from UK think tank IPPR puts forward policy approaches to improve turnout and reduce inequality at UK general elections. Elections are the defining feature of modern democracy. They are the process by which we express a desired future en masse. It is the mass dimension that matters most; it is the mass dimension...
How the government can design better asylum policy
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government puts forward recommendations to help the government set a clear direction and a coherent asylum strategy. The government must exert its authority over the whole asylum system and avoid short-sighted measures aimed at conjuring an illusion of control. This report puts forward recommendations to help...
The childcare challenge: How can the new government deliver a real childcare guarantee?
This report from UK think tank IPPR seeks to reimagine childcare as a proper public service, capable of driving progress on the opportunity mission goals. Can we reimagine childcare as a proper public service? The newly elected Labour government has picked up where the previous government left off, by committing to continuing the plans to...
Full stream ahead
This report from UK think tank Re:State proposes a new model for the Fast Stream, founded on more rigorous entrance exams and a new 'Executive Leadership Scheme'. The Fast Stream was set up to recruit the brightest and best for public service. And as government grapples with era-defining challenges, including how to build a resilient...
Common ground Conservatism
This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies finds that there is still a viable electoral coalition available to the Conservatives. How can the Conservative Party recover from electoral catastrophe? A new report from the Centre for Policy Studies, built around an extensive programme of quantitative and qualitative research led by James...
French lessons for Britain’s economy
This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform finds that macro-economic forces have been crucial to the bigger productivity slowdown in Britain. Average wages in Britain are only slightly higher than they were in 2007. That extraordinary fact is down to extremely weak productivity growth after 2008. France, on the other hand,...
Popular planning
This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute proposes enhancing public engagement in the UK's planning system by adopting a model inspired by fantasy football. The Adam Smith Institute's report, "Popular Planning" by Paul Smith, proposes enhancing public engagement in the UK's planning system by adopting a model inspired by Fantasy Football. Currently,...
From backwater to battleground
This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines the political importance of a joined-up immigration and skills policy in the UK. The new Labour government views the perceived dependence of some sectors of the UK economy on overseas workers as unsustainable and contrary to the national interest. Joined-up immigration and skills policy...
Getting on track for a circular economy
This report from UK think tank Green Alliance offers lessons on how the government can avoid mistakes of the past. The government was elected in 2024 on a hopeful message of change, with a manifesto promise to create a circular economy, which was swiftly backed up with the announcement of a taskforce to develop a...
Grown up government
This report from UK think tank Re:State examines a comprehensive model of political support. Unlike in high-performing organisations in other sectors, and indeed governments of comparable countries, Britain’s politicians are significantly limited in their ability to shape the teams they have around them, and to appoint outside experts and aides to help deliver their priorities....
More, more, more
This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation puts the autumn budget 2024 decisions on tax, spending and borrowing into context. This has been the most anticipated Budget of modern times. It had to wrestle with profound – and sometimes conflicting – challenges: fixing the strained public services; repairing failing public services; and breaking...
The Politics of AI
This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies examines the political bias within popular AI-powered Large Language Models (LLMs). ‘The Politics of AI’ is a new report from New Zealand-based academic David Rozado which examines the political bias within popular AI-powered Large Language Models (LLMs). The report found left-leaning political bias displayed...
The next cabinet secretary
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government focuses on the five key priorities for the incoming cabinet secretary. Cabinet secretary is a unique job. The postholder must be at once totally loyal to the government of the day while representing the continuity of the state beyond any single administration. They must warn...