Reports

Latest 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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Communities in their places evidence review

This report from UK think tank City-REDI finds that successful interventions require long-term investment, community-led participation and supportive national frameworks. The LPIP Hub 'Communities in their Places' evidence review shows that while communities are central to addressing local economic, social and environmental challenges, their ability to do so varies widely depending on policy frameworks, resources...

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Council tax reduction and universal credit: Winners and losers of the postcode lottery

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research explores how the different elements of scheme design in England are affecting UC claimants who work. Eligibility, entitlement and assessment criteria for Council Tax Reduction (CTR) – a means-tested discount on council tax for low-income, working-age people – have been left to the discretion...

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Watching the watchers

This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit proposes legislative and other changes to make the Intelligence and Security committee more effective. The Intelligence and Security Committee – the joint parliamentary committee that oversees the intelligence community – has too often been constrained and obstructed in its activities and investigations. This new report, by...

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Towards a place-based qualitative data observatory

This report from UK think tank City-REDI responds to Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub work on data devolution, transparency, and place productivity. Building on this existing research, it argues that current UK data infrastructures do not yet accommodate the heterogeneous forms of qualitative data on which local, regional and national policymakers increasingly rely. To...

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Rearming Europe for deterrence

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform examines short-term priorities and policy options for rearming Europe for deterrence. As the US withdraws from its commitments to European security, and Russia intensifies its hostile activity across the continent, Europe needs to rapidly improve its deterrence by rearming. A new policy brief from...

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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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No news is bad news

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation explores the hidden threat of unchecked local misinformation. People are increasingly getting their local news online through social media. For the first time we quantify the scale and nature of ‘fake news’ in these local online spaces, explore how the media and institutions combat it,...

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Liberalism liberated

This report from UK think tank Bright Blue discusses revitalising a traditional and richer liberalism for a better Britain. Liberals need to fight their critics and contortionists. But liberalism desperately needs a reset too: in its philosophical foundations, in its policymaking and in the leaders who represent it. In particular, the publication argues that liberals...

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 A breed apart? What do young undergraduates think of controversial and divisive issues?’

This report from UK think tank HEPI reveals young undergraduates' views on a range of topical issues. New polling of young undergraduates from the Higher Education Policy Institute reveals young undergraduates views on a range of topical issues, including: abortion limits; the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs (AI); diversity quotas; nuclear disarmament; reparations for...

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Reforming the Commons

This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit guides backbench MPs on how to achieve procedural change. Reforming how the House of Commons operates can be difficult, and even daunting, for those MPs who want to change the system. However, such reform is achievable, and past campaigns have accomplished it in multiple areas. This...

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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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Growing up hungry

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation measures UK child food insecurity in 2026. Since the SMF last looked at child food insecurity, the economic landscape has shifted considerably. There have been seismic global conflicts, major domestic political and policy changes, spanning four prime ministers. This research provides an updated view of...

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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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Fast-jet pilot training modernisation choices

This report from UK think tank RUSI provides a clear framework for policymakers but above all says that airmanship must be treated as a primary requirement, not a budget variable. This paper sets out the core structure of flight training for fast-jet pilots, explains the necessary airmanship and tactical skill sets that must be taught,...

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Blueprints for democratic wellbeing

This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK explores efforts to strengthen public enagement and citizen deliberation. Democratic wellbeing means people having voice and choice over the decisions that affect their lives. Strengthening parliamentary democracy is essential for improving democratic wellbeing in the UK. Building a stronger working relationship between parliamentarians and citizens can increase...

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Winning without technological advantage

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores how the UK can effectively operate when facing adversaries with technological superiority. This paper explores strategies for UK forces to overcome adversaries' technological advantages through targeted investments, structured engagements and maintaining initiative. This research paper explores how the UK can effectively operate and prevail on the battlefield...

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Algorithms of evasion: The rise of AI-enabled proliferation financing

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores how AI is revolutionising proliferation financing and sanctions evasion. This paper explores how AI is revolutionising proliferation financing (PF) and sanctions evasion, particularly by states such as North Korea and Iran. The report warns that a shift from AI-assisted to autonomous, 'AI-enabled' evasion tactics, including the mass...

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May 2026 Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker

This report from UK think tank the David Hume Institute explores the results of their quarterly survey data collected just after the Scottish Parliament election. The findings of the first Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker since the Scottish Parliament Election bring into focus the scale of the challenge facing the new MSPs. Despite growing confidence in...

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Housing Outlook Q2 2026

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation launches their research programme on the future of the private rented sector. Welcome to our latest Housing Outlook, launching a Resolution Foundation research programme on the future of the private rented sector (PRS). The PRS has more than doubled in size since the turn of the...

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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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The UK and the future of Artic and High North security

This report from UK think tank RUSI is a pivotal analysis of the evolving security landscape in the Arctic and High North. This paper is a pivotal analysis of the evolving security landscape in the Arctic and High North, highlighting the urgent need for UK and NATO leadership as geopolitical tensions rise due to increased...

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Uneven cities

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities explores the geography of deprivation in urban Britain. Two-thirds of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK are in cities, even though cities and non-urban areas each account for roughly half of all neighbourhoods. Affluent neighbourhoods, by contrast, are split evenly between urban and non-urban areas.

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After the fall: Why hasn’t falling immigration changed public attitudes?

This report from UK think tank British Future explores findings from the British Future immigration attitudes tracker. ‘After the fall: Why hasn’t falling immigration changes public attitudes?’ is the 2026 report from the British Future Immigration Attitudes Tracker, which has followed public attitudes to immigration for over a decade since 2015. The new research reveals...

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