Policy area: Politics

Reports

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...

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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....

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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...

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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...

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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...

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How can the OBR improve the way it judges the supply-side effects of policy?

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government sets out how the OBR has done this in the past, how its approach has evolved in recent years, and how it could be strengthened further. The government has made economic growth one of its five missions. But this will not be realised quickly: easing...

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MPs’ role in the constitution

This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit aims to help MPs navigate their core constitutional functions. MPs hold a huge and important job, and one which is central to the UK’s constitutional system. But they also have busy lives and numerous pressing demands on their time, which can make it easy to lose...

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Bookkeepers or changemakers? Understanding the chancellor’s choices ahead of the budget

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at understanding the chancellor's choices ahead of the budget. Voters believe the government should be "changemakers, not just bookkeepers." New polling from IPPR and Persuasion UK reveals the public want ministers to focus on investing in public services rather than just balancing the budget.

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The fight for trust

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation argues that overcoming falling levels of trust will require rethinking how we understand the concept. Trust in government is at a historic low. In this paper, Steve van Riel argues that overcoming falling levels of trust will require rethinking how we understand the concept. He...

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Stronger rights, better results: managers’ attitudes to workers’ rights

This report from UK think tank IPPR, the TUC and Persuasion UK today assesses the level of support for increasing workers' rights amongst managers. Labour’s manifesto pledged to strengthen employees’ protections at work. In this research, our goal was to assess levels of support for increasing workers’ rights amongst managers, and explore the opinions of...

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Our home: A progressive agenda on international nature

This report from UK think tank IPPR urges government to follow up quickly on its commitment to place ‘international nature’ at heart of foreign policy. A healthy natural world is a non-negotiable life-support system for every person on earth. It underpins all of our lives in fundamental ways. However, our joint life support system is...

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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...

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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...

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Engaging democracy

This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK looks at improving our understanding of participatory and deliberative democracy’s ability to deliver democratic wellbeing. In August 2023 Carnegie UK began a programme of engagement to help improve our understanding of participatory and deliberative democracy’s ability to deliver democratic wellbeing. This work had a particular focus on...

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Selecting the best

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute looks at building a future-focused immigration system. Right-wing progressivism is nothing less than the revival of Smithian political economy. Instead of trying to return to the unique economic and cultural circumstances of the 20th century, which the progressive left and traditionalist right hope to do...

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