Policy area: Politics

Reports

Into power 02

This report from UK think tank the Future Governance Forum looks at the Conservative Party’s 2010 transition from opposition to government. Into Power 02 looks at what political parties today can learn from the last time that power changed hands from one governing party to another here in the UK. Drawing on conversations with former...

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Immigration and the election: time to choose

This report from UK think tank British Future looks at public trust in the Conservative and Labour parties to have the right policies on immigration and asylum. Immigration and the election: Time to choose examines shifting public attitudes to immigration and asylum. It draws on new findings from the Ipsos/British Future Immigration Attitudes Tracker, which...

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Trust in public life

This report from UK think tank The Constitution Unit argues that there is an urgent need to rebuild the system for upholding standards in public life. Constitutional watchdogs are the guardians of the system for upholding standards. This project concerns seven constitutional watchdogs which monitor the conduct of the executive: the Advisory Committee on Business...

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Short term thinking

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute reviews the proposal to apply VAT of 20% to private school fees in order to raise significant revenue. This paper reviews the proposal to apply VAT of 20% to private school fees in order to raise significant revenue. We build on a paper from the...

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Obstacles to adding VAT to school fees

This report from UK think tank EDSK focuses on the issues that could complicate efforts to add VAT onto independent school fees. With a general election due in the coming months, the Labour Party’s plans to add VAT to independent school fees has taken on even greater salience. The question of how much money this...

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Shaping the debate: The Centre for Policy Studies in 50 papers

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Centre for Policy Studies. This booklet, compiled by CPS Research Director Karl Williams, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Centre for Policy Studies. Comprising a selection of 50 papers covering a wide range of policy areas including monetary...

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State of the North 2024: Charting the course for a decade of renewal

This report from UK think tank IPPR assesses our current course and proposes five priority areas for a decade of renewal. The North’s communities are ambitious for a better future, but face systemic and pronounced inequalities. Gaps in power, wealth, opportunity, and health result in shorter, sicker, less fulfilling lives. Regional inequality is a major...

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Strengthening the UK’s fiscal framework: Putting fiscal rules in their place

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government provides a guide to reform the fiscal framework to enable the government to make better choices. The UK’s fiscal framework, including a flawed set of rules, is incentivising bad policy decisions shaped by short-termism and fictional spending plans – and does little to promote fiscal...

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The prospective immigration policy of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society looks at the prospective immigration policy of Sir Keir Starmer's Labour party. The Labour Party, headed by Sir Keir Starmer, finds itself in a favourable position for the upcoming elections. Yet its position on one of the most important topics for the electorate today remains...

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Into power 01

This report from UK think tank the Future Governance Forum looks at lessons from Australia and the United States. Into Power 01 looks at how an effective transition to power can set up an incoming progressive administration to govern well from day one. Drawing on detailed conversations with senior advisors from the Biden-Harris and Albanese...

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Free wills

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute will make the case for the abolition of inheritance tax. This paper, newly updated since its initial publication in 1995, finds that many of the arguments made in favour of the abolition of inheritance tax (IHT) nearly thirty years ago are still relevant today- and,...

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Snakes and ladders: Tackling precarity in social security and employment support

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at tackling precarity in social security and employment support. Across the country, people are trying to make ends meet, build financial security and pursue their aspirations. But, in a vicious cycle of snakes and ladders, many are being pulled down into poverty. This paper advocates for two...

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The threat from Russia’s unconventional warfare beyond Ukraine, 2022–24

This report from UK think tank RUSI details Russia’s unconventional military activities outside Ukraine. This report details Russia’s unconventional military activities outside Ukraine, including efforts to prepare for destabilisation in European countries, expeditionary operations in Africa to seize control of critical resources, and outreach to target audiences in the Middle East.

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Assessing autonomous weapons as a proliferation risk

This report from UK think tank RUSI assesses autonomous weapons as a proliferation risk. Lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) will cause problems for armed forces, but the absence of an agreed definition complicates attempts to regulate and control their proliferation. LAWS are not a single capability. Hence, this paper considers the risks associated with LAWS...

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The UK’s coming election and the politics of immigration

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation highlights five key themes - and what they mean - for any party wanting to govern for all. Divisions over immigration and asylum have been a feature of British politics for decades. Much of the debate in this policy area has become tired and repetitive....

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