Policy area: Public sector

Reports

Taxing for take-off: a new plan for fiscal devolution

This report from UK think tank Re:State sets out a practical but ambitious blueprint for devolving fiscal power in England. Just 5.8 per cent of national taxes are collected at the subnational level in the UK – the lowest share in the G7, and a fraction of France (20.4 per cent), Japan (36 per cent),...

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Design principles for the fiscal devolution roadmap

This report from UK think tank Re;State sets out the design principles for the Treasury’s fiscal devolution roadmap. Fiscal devolution would be a genuinely dramatic shift. It would put firepower behind regional efforts to tackle the productivity puzzle, enabling places to go further in experimenting with approaches tailored to their specific context. It would help...

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Outside-In: The role of social entrepreneurs in public sector transformation

This report from UK think tank City-REDI explores the role of social entrepreneurs as 'outside-in' actors in public sector transformation. This policy paper explores the role of social entrepreneurs as “outside-in” actors in public sector transformation. It argues that, in a period of profound institutional transition, public systems need to learn not only from within...

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Everything in its right place

This report from UK think tank Localis explores establishing strong organisations and practices for successful devolution. England is currently undergoing a dual transformation: that of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the expansion of devolution across metropolitan and, increasingly, rural areas. This period of transition will be marked by significant structural changes impacting the organisational culture,...

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Setting Great British Railways up for success – interim findings

This report from UK think tank Future Governance Forum states that GBR needs a clearly defined purpose and a deliberate approach to instilling a new organisational culture. A new report by The Future Governance Forum (FGF) warns that without a clearly defined purpose, strong institutional foundations and meaningful operational autonomy, Great British Railways (GBR) risks...

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Room to grow

This report from UK think tanks the Sutton Trust and the Social Market Foundation discusses school-based nurseries and the disadvantage gap. The School-based Nursery (or SBN) programme is a major government policy aiming to deliver on two early years priorities: to expand access to childcare for working families and to increase the proportion of children...

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From legacy to leadership: upgrading the digital state

This report from UK think tank Re:State makes the case for forcing government staff to take the risk from obsolete IT seriously by creating a new Digital Modernisation Taskforce. The State is inseparable from the digital technology it uses. It is impossible to imagine a government without the software which underpins the everyday interactions with...

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The use of AI in UK healthcare

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute examines public perceptions and healthcare priorities. AI is creating a significant shift in how people access healthcare, yet public attitudes to the technology remain deeply divided, according to a major new study by King's Health Partners, Responsible AI UK and the Policy Institute at King's College...

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European higher education in the 2020s

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute brings together essays from leading higher education figures across Europe. Despite taking very different approaches to financing, higher education sectors across major European economies are experiencing the same underlying pressure. Universities have grown enormously since the 1950s, but public funding has not kept pace. The tools...

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A new civil service code

This report from UK think tank Re:State summarises the current Code and then provides a full, new draft Code to replace the existing one. Criticisms of the Civil Service are a seemingly permanent feature of our politics, with government after government promising to drive ahead with reforms to tackle a Whitehall machine that is too...

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Admissions not impossible

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust urges schools to review their admissions systems to address inequalities in access. This report sets out a clear case for why fairer school admissions must be central to any serious effort to improve inclusion. Drawing on new analysis, national data and our direct work with over...

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Environmental sustainability in the NHS

This report from UK think tank The King's Fund examines a new approach to national leadership and accountability. This report argues that environmental sustainability is no longer a peripheral issue for the NHS but a central requirement for its future viability. Climate change is described as the greatest health risk of the 21st century, while...

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Educational psychologists in England

This report from UK think tank the Education Policy Institute provides the first comprehensive national assessment of the EP workforce since the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Educational psychologists in England' provides the first comprehensive national assessment of the EP workforce since the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing on eight years of administrative data and case studies from six local...

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Public satisfaction with the NHS and social care in 2025 (BSA)

This report from UK think tank The King's Fund examines the results from the British Social Attitudes survey. This report presents findings from the 2025 British Social Attitudes survey on public satisfaction with the NHS and social care, jointly sponsored by The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust. After several years of decline, overall satisfaction...

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Selective inclusion

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust examines the interplay of SEND and disadvantage in school admissions. There is widespread acceptance that the SEND (Special Education Needs and Disability) system is in crisis but fierce debate surrounding ways forward. Greater demand is being placed on a system that is complex, notoriously difficult to...

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Related Events

23 June 2026

Location: Westminster, London

Think tank: The Work Foundation

Work and Health Summit 2026

This event hosted by UK think tank the Work Foundation discusses supporting more people to stay in and return to work. Delivering healthy work in uncertain times The UK continues to face a complex web of health and employment challenges. Nearly 2.8 million people are now out of the labour market due to ill health...

9 July 2026

Location: Online

Think tank: Bright Blue

Ludgate Lecture with Professor Tony Travers

This event hosted by UK think tank Bright Blue discusss how will Reform UK govern locally?. We are delighted to invite you to join our next Ludgate Lecture, a series where we hear from prominent thinkers and decision makers on the biggest issues of our time. For our next event, we will be hosting Professor Tony...

Related Articles

What is important when thinking about digital government services?

Digital government services must be made truly accessible to reduce inequalities By Josh Abel (Fabian Society) The pandemic has brought the digital divide to the forefront of public policy debate. During lockdown, far too many children were unable to learn from home because they could not access the internet and millions of households faced social isolation because they were...

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