Reports

This report from UK think tank RUSI examines critical minerals crime and the lessons to be learnt from gold mining. The report investigates how to prevent organised crime from infiltrating critical mineral supply chains by applying lessons learned from the "cautionary example" of illegal gold mining

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...

This report from UK think tank RUSI highlights the need for Europe to reshape its security framework to address emerging threats and ensure long-term stability. This paper highlights the urgent need for Europe to reshape its security framework to address emerging threats and ensure long-term stability and strategic advantage against the most significant challenges to...

This report from UK think tank RUSI compares the effects of new legislation in the UK, the US and Australia with a view to the possible application of a similar system in Japan. The paper examines Japan's vulnerability to foreign influence and proposes legislative measures, drawing lessons from the UK, the US and Australia.

This report from UK think tank the Growth and Reform Network looks at connecting disadvantaged neighbourhoods to new economic opportunities. Achieving higher levels of economic growth is one of the main objectives of the current government. However, for many neighbourhoods in England, high growth is a distant memory. The areas that most need economic growth...

This report from UK think tank RUSI assesses the probable deterrent effect of the Atlantic Bastion. This research paper explores the strategic concept of the Atlantic Bastion, a key element of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review 2025, designed to bolster NATO’s maritime deterrence against Russian submarine threats in the North Atlantic. The authors assess the...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation discusses the labour market outlook in the final quarter of 2025. Employment has fallen over the past two years and is substantially lower than it was before the pandemic. Perhaps surprisingly given its central place in policy debates, participation is essentially unchanged compared to pre-pandemic: rising...

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...

This report from UK think tank RUSI highlights how Russia’s adversaries may degrade the quality and reliability of Russian air defences. This research paper examines the vulnerabilities in Russia's air defence production ecosystem, highlighting critical dependencies on foreign technologies, materials and supply chains. It underscores the strategic importance of disrupting Russian air defence capabilities to...

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...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation discusses how to make a success of the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body. This briefing note sets out recommendations to ensure the new Adult Social Care Negotiating Body can get off the ground quickly, while leaving scope to iterate and refine over time, so that it...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society discusses providing income security for the self-employed. There are 4.4 million self-employed people in the UK. This is 13 per cent of people in work, and they make a substantial contribution to the economy. While some are relatively well off, average net income for a full-time...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI discusses the need to empower town and parish councils. Dr Amy Burnett (LPIP Place Fellow), Dr Jason Leman (Citizen Network) and Dr Daniel Ozarow (Middlesex University) examine how town and parish councils could play a central role in making devolution work for communities. This discussion paper was developed...

This report from UK think tank HEPI argues that many governing boards still fail to make space for student voices in higher education. A new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute examines how student governors frequently feel marginalised in institutional oversight, and offers actionable reforms to ensure legitimacy, inclusion and real influence. The report...

This report from UK think tank Civitas offers an insight into the merits and realities of a knowledge-rich curriculum. This essay collection is a multi-author anthology bringing together a wide range of professionals from teaching, education leadership, policy and academia to discuss the aims, impact and potential of a knowledge-rich curriculum approach in schools. With...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform looks at the position of Europe's clean tech industry between Trump's policies and Chinese pressure. Europe’s large and growing clean tech industry – from wind turbines to electric vehicles – is being hit from several directions. The US’ Trumpian U-turn on green industrial policy...

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...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines early lessons from the introduction of Adult Disability Payment in Scotland. When the Scottish Government introduced the Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in 2022 to replace Personal Independence Payment (PIP), it set out to do things differently. Although the two benefits have the same eligibility criteria...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation evaluates higher education regulation. Higher education has often been lauded as English education’s ‘jewel in the crown’ – but there are no shortage of criticisms about the sector. This briefing investigates the standard of the evaluations of higher education regulation and policy, and outlines recommendations...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform looks at aligning productivity and security for resilient growth. Europe’s economic model is under increasing strain as productivity growth stalls and geopolitical competition intensifies. A new CER policy brief, ‘Resilient growth: Aligning productivity and security’, by Aslak Berg and Zach Meyers, argues that the...

This report from UK think tank RUSI underscores the importance of Ukraine’s proactive approach to diplomacy in Latin America and the Caribbean. This research paper explores Ukraine's innovative wartime diplomacy and strategic communication efforts to counter Russian influence in Latin America and the Caribbean. As Russia continues to wage hybrid warfare globally, Ukraine has developed...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities shows that London's suburban high streets are performing better than the rest of the country. Most of London’s suburbs outperform Brighton, Oxford and York city centres – three of the UK’s top five cities and towns for high street occupancy. High average incomes are the main...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date account of digital-ID across Africa. The Biometric Digital-ID in Africa report provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date account of digital-ID across Africa. It addresses the critical governance challenges of digital identification (digital-ID) systems currently unfolding across the continent....

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines how low income households can benefit from smart data initiatives. Smart data has the potential to help people to access the best products and services – saving them money while facilitating product innovation. Despite this, and cross-party backing, challenges remain around whether the market...

This report from UK think tank Localis examines the current policy context for technological integration and LGR. The wave of local government reorganisation (LGR) heralded by the English Devolution Bill represents the most significant structural upheaval outside of central government since the 1970s. The creation of new unitary authorities is designed to increase productivity and...