This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs examines why people stopped having babies and how economic freedom can help. This report shows how pro-natal policies that focus on cash incentives, such as baby bonuses, subsidies, and maternity pay, may have some short term effect but are often found wanting and prohibitively...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House discusses how open, scalable technology can serve citizens, preserve sovereignty and save money. The modernization of societies through digital technologies is a critical strategic priority that can improve public services and encourage private sector innovation. The term digital public infrastructure (DPI) refers both to the approach and...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation discusses the challenges in assessing the impacts of regulation of AI. The recent surge in Generative Artificial Intelligence has introduced both opportunities and risks to society. This paper discusses the challenges in assessing the impacts of regulation of AI. It identifies a range of different...

This report from UK think tank Civitas examines the focus on ESG’s impact on businesses, workers and consumers. Many businesses nowadays engage in what has been coined ‘ethical’, or ‘woke’, capitalism. While ethical capitalism has a long history, over recent decades it has largely fallen under the remit of ‘Environmental, Social and Governance’ (ESG) –...

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society examines how to make sanctions more effective. Economic sanctions have become a cornerstone of modern international diplomacy, increasingly employed by governments around the world to advance a wide range of foreign policy objectives – from deterring armed conflict to disrupting illicit financial flows and combatting...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society sets out a public health approach to gambling. Gambling is often seen as just another part of our cultural – and indeed physical – landscape. Our high streets host gambling shops, our sports teams advertise gambling companies, and our digital world offers us unlimited gambling options....

This report from UK think tank HEPI proposes different solutions suitable for the full range of higher education providers. UK higher education institutions are increasingly boxed in on six sides: by increasing regulation by rising costs by falling income for each domestic student; by uncertain future demand from international students; by an increasing availability of...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities examines the growing role of Build to Rent (BtR) in urban housing delivery. This briefing examines the growing role of Build to Rent (BtR) in urban housing delivery. It explores where BtR developments are concentrated, how the sector has evolved, and what policy changes could help...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society makes the case for a fully funded fair pay agreement in order to tackle the workforce crisis and improve the quality of care. The treatment of our social care workforce is a national scandal. England’s 1.6 million care workers suffer from endemic low pay and poor...

This report from UK think tank IPPR sets out the case for an unwavering and robust competition policy, enforced by a more responsive regulator. The UK’s competition framework — and its regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority — has struggled to prevent rising market concentration and stagnant productivity. At the same time, the UK economy...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Social Justice analyses the use of Deferred Payment Credit (DPC) – more commonly known as Buy Now Pay Later. Over the last few years, the consumer credit market has been evolving. Old forms of credit have departed from the market in the aftermath of regulatory intervention, while...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at unlocking the potential of independent water companies. New Appointments and Variations (NAVs) were introduced in 1991 as a way of increasing levels of competition in the water sector. They serve an important role in infrastructure development, connecting a fifth of new homes to...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at why reviews are commissioned and how they have been set up and run. This report looks at why reviews are commissioned and how they have been set up and run. It then makes recommendations for reviewers and officials on how to run a...

This report from UK think tank the Future Governance Forum sets out how the government can create an environment where innovation thrives. Productivity has flatlined across the UK since the 2008 financial crisis, costing the economy tens of billions of pounds a year. Despite a world-class research base, UK firms struggle to translate early-stage ideas...

This report from UK think tank Re:State looks at the quality of public body oversight and sets out recommendations to strengthen government’s grip on what they deliver. Public bodies now account for around 60 per cent of day-to-day government spending, providing some of the most important and high-risk services. Despite this, departments are unclear on...