Reports
Flex factor: How government can keep network costs on bills down
This report from UK think tank IPPR states that the government must strike a balance between bringing down energy bills and building a system fit for the future. Government must strike a better balance between bringing down energy bills now and building a system fit for the future. Delivering a clean, secure electricity system is...
The law of rule: fixing how Britain regulates
This report from UK think tank Re:State recommends that regulation is used more sparingly and only where it is appropriate. Britain’s regulatory system grows by default. Rules are easy to create, rarely reviewed, and almost never removed. The problem is compounded by weak scrutiny of new regulation, which too often fails to ensure that the...
Cooking on gas
This report from UK think tank Onward calls for a change in approach that places greater emphasis on affordability and energy security. The report Cooking on Gas argues that a large share of the UK’s high energy prices is the result of policy choices rather than unavoidable market pressures. It highlights how taxes, levies and...
Failure to lead
This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation makes the case for a UK lead screening programme. This briefing examines the scale of lead exposure among children in the UK and finds that current systems are failing to identify and prevent harm. Weak surveillance means the true extent of the problem is unknown,...
Knock, knock
This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute examines the effects of the new union access regime on SMEs. This report examines the economic impact of the Employment Rights Act 2025 on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The core of the report argues that the Act’s new provisions—which allow trade unions to demand...
Is flexible working?
This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs examines the costs and benefits of flexible working. The costs of flexible working requirements have rarely been properly assessed and could extend to undermining growth, increasing unemployment and the rise in post-Covid withdrawal from the workforce. Employers and employees, negotiating in the ‘particular circumstances...
AI’s got news for you: Can AI improve our information environment?
This report from UK think tank IPPR discusses whether AI can improve our information environment. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming our information environment and becoming a new front door through which the public access the news. Already, 24 per cent of people report using AI for information seeking every week. But there is widespread concern...
From engagement to action
This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at improving retirement saving outcomes with a pensions dashboard health check. Widespread disengagement with pensions is contributing to the UK’s retirement savings crisis. With the transition to defined contribution pensions increasing the individual responsibility to save enough for retirement, this report sets out how a ‘pensions dashboard health check’ could improve citizens’ ability to effectively prepare...
Leveraging partnerships and technology to tackle money mules
This report from UK think tank RUSI underscores the importance of coordinated efforts and innovative solutions to disrupt money mule schemes. Public–private partnerships can play a key role in both tackling and preventing money muling in Ukraine and beyond. This paper highlights the critical role of public–private partnerships and technology in addressing the growing threat...
Family businesses polling: Assessing their post-Budget outlook and the impact of the forthcoming BPR changes
This report from UK think tank the Jobs Foundation assesses how family businesses view the UK’s economic prospects following recent Budgets. This new report, commissioned by the Jobs Foundation and conducted by Whitestone Insight, provides a detailed assessment of how family businesses view the UK’s economic prospects following recent Budgets, and the anticipated impact of...
Family businesses polling: Post-Budget outlook and the impact of business property relief changes
This report from UK think tank the Jobs Foundation illustrates how policy uncertainty and rising costs are shaping real-world decisions on hiring, investment and growth. Family businesses are a cornerstone of the UK economy, employing millions of people and sustaining communities across the country. This new report, commissioned by the Jobs Foundation and conducted by...
How can the government ensure inquiries are set up to succeed?
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government explores how inquiries are established and managed and how these processes can be improved. Public inquiries have become a central feature of the UK’s response to crises, with a record 27 public inquiries currently underway. In 2025 alone the UK government announced seven new inquiries...
Tackling dirty money in football
This report from UK think tank states that reform and proportionate regulation are now essential to stem the tide of dirty money in football. This report says that the game’s governance, financial structures and cross-border transactions have created systemic vulnerabilities readily exploited by criminals, and outlines how clubs, intermediaries and players become entangled in illicit...
Rapid policy making: How civil servants can make effective policies under pressure
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government explores how civil servants can deliver rapid yet robust policies in compressed timeframes. The Institute has previously warned of the risks of rapid policy making – success stories are the exception, not the norm. That warning remains true today. But in an age of the...
Learning from the DevoLab #1: How devolution can address health inequalities
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at how devolved powers have been used to address health inequalities. Although health is not a devolved function within England, many regional mayors have identified addressing health inequalities as an important objective and have taken action to improve population health, using a range of...