High housing costs in the private rental sector: The case for action
This report from UK think tank IPPR calls for a new system of rent stabilisation to cap excessive increases, linked to whichever is lower: inflation or wage growth. 45 per cent of all private renters in the UK have unaffordable rents. It's time for the government to act to limit rent increases. In the UK...
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...
Price caps and economic stability: How to manage the Iran war energy shock?
This report from UK think tank IPPR explores how a well-designed intervention that caps energy prices can limit inflation and insure against the worst outcomes. The Iran war energy shock will impose significant costs on the UK economy, even if the government does not offer a universal support package. As it drives up inflation, we...
Evaluating Russian support for North Korea’s nuclear weapons
This report from UK think tank RUSI contributes to a greater understanding of the evolving Russia–North Korea nexus of nuclear proliferation. Overview Russia’s deepening defence partnership with North Korea is reshaping the global security landscape, with potentially significant implications for nuclear non-proliferation efforts. This paper analyses how Russian technical and financial support might be advancing...
Improving government in Northern Ireland
This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit calls for a debate on more effective politics in Northern Ireland. It has long been argued in Northern Ireland that the devolved institutions are failing to deliver effective public policy and services. In recent months, this criticism has intensified. This report, the fourth of this project...
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...
Paying for heat pumps
This report from UK think tank Nesta explores the different options for paying for heat pumps. One of the largest barriers to widespread heat pump adoption is the high upfront cost. Households often pay more for a heat pump than for a replacement boiler, even after the £7,500 grant from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)....
Gender and identity analysis for hybrid threats
This report from UK think tank RUSI presents a framework for integrating gender and identity analysis into the assessment of and response to hybrid threats. RUSI's project on Enhancing NATO Counter Hybrid Threats Strategies with Gender Analysis examines how adversarial actors weaponise gender and identity as part of hybrid threat strategies aimed at weakening social...
Building skills
This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society examines the built economy skills crisis. The construction and built environment sector – which brings together the design, construction, management and maintenance of homes, buildings and infrastructure – is crucial to the UK economy. It provides millions of jobs, and plays a critical role as an...
Public spending on the early years in Scotland
This report from UK think tank Nesta provides a comprehensive analysis of public spending on early years support in Scotland. Early years spending in Scotland spans both devolved and reserved policy, and hence comes from a combination of UK government and Scottish Government or Scottish local authority budgets. Healthcare, early education and childcare, and children’s services...