Reports

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...

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...

This report from UK think tank HEPI argues that while the current collegiate model is central to student life, it can create confusion and inequality at the point of entry. A new HEPI Debate Paper argues that admissions to Oxford and Cambridge should be overhauled to make the system fairer, clearer and more consistent for...

This report from UK think tank RUSI provides a comprehensive framework for selecting a new service rifle that will underpin the UK’s future fighting capability. This paper is a pivotal analysis of the British military’s requirements for a new standard rifle, shaping the future of UK defence capability and operational effectiveness. It delivers actionable insights...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust urges schools to review their admissions systems to address inequalities in access. This report sets out a clear case for why fairer school admissions must be central to any serious effort to improve inclusion. Drawing on new analysis, national data and our direct work with over...

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores how Belgium could break the criminal business model through a finance-led approach. This paper highlights the importance of Belgium taking a finance-led approach to dismantling criminal networks that operate in the country and across Europe. ​It examines systemic challenges, such as resource constraints, fragmented coordination and legal...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines why the UK NEET rate is high and rising. This report investigates why the UK’s NEET rate has been rising since 2019, and why it has long been higher than in many other countries. After falling for much of the 2010s, the proportion of 18-24-year-olds...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities looks at where city densification needs to occur and what policy needs to do differently. Policy attention towards densifying British cities is welcome, and this research uses data on historic neighbourhood age and Centre for Cities’ residential densities dataset to dig deeper into where densification needs...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust reveals enduring challenges for schools. For a number of years, our annual survey of teachers has provided detailed insights into school funding pressures and how school leaders are spending their budgets. Last year’s release showed a worsening picture for school funding, with more school leaders reporting...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation discusses the macroeconomic policy outlook in the second quarter of 2026. Since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began nearly two months ago, global energy markets have been volatile. But the shock facing Britain has so far been smaller than that which followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:...

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...

This report from UK think tank RUSI provides a framework to address the UK’s preparedness for protracted conflict and its NATO commitments. This paper examines the critical need for the UK to prepare its armed forces for rapid mobilisation and training in response to escalating security threats in Europe. ​It highlights the challenges of increasing...

This report from UK think tank The King's Fund examines a new approach to national leadership and accountability. This report argues that environmental sustainability is no longer a peripheral issue for the NHS but a central requirement for its future viability. Climate change is described as the greatest health risk of the 21st century, while...

This report from UK think tank Re-State calls for a new Later Life Care Fund to replace England's failing model for funding for older people's social care. New research from Re:State sets out the case for a fundamental overhaul of how later-life social care is funded in England, arguing that the current model is unfair,...

This report from UK think tank the Education Policy Institute provides the first comprehensive national assessment of the EP workforce since the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Educational psychologists in England' provides the first comprehensive national assessment of the EP workforce since the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing on eight years of administrative data and case studies from six local...

This report from UK think tank RUSI underscores the need for integrated approaches to peacebuilding, development and security in the borderlands. This paper provides critical insights into the complex dynamics of instability in the Kenya–Somalia–Ethiopia borderlands, drawing on findings from the Deris Wanaag project's research conference held in Nairobi in February 2026. ​The conference brought...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI examines how artificial intelligence is being adopted in local government. This report from the Local Policy Innovation Partnership provides a timely stocktake of how artificial intelligence is being adopted in local government, what benefits are beginning to emerge, and what barriers still limit wider deployment. It draws on...

This report from UK think tank HEPI offers an alternative model for student loans, which would be cost-neutral for the Treasury. New research by London Economics has found that following various changes to student loan terms, implemented since early 2022, the Treasury are making a surplus of £679 million for the 2022/23 cohort of undergraduate student entrants in England. The research also found that the Government’s changes have had a greater adverse impact...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs examines public understanding of British economic performance and attitudes to pro-growth policies. Most Britons (87%) want the UK to focus more on economic growth, and would back free market reforms to deliver it, including: reducing energy costs (77%), cutting taxes on workers (72%) and...

This report from UK think tank IPPR explores how to make social media good again. How social media has changed over the last 20 years to make us more isolated from each other online, and what needs to change. Social media inarguably poses threats to democracy: disinformation and misinformation, polarisation, echo chambers, bots and rage-inducing...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation investigates the state of digital transformation in universities across the UK. British universities are often seen as leaders in research – but are our universities equipped to maintain this status in an increasingly digital age? This report investigates the state of digital transformation in institutions...

This report from UK think tank RUSI delivers a critical framework for securely enabling third-party evaluation of frontier AI models. This paper delivers a critical framework for securely enabling third-party evaluation of frontier AI models, directly addressing the urgent need for robust safety and security in the defence and security sector as AI capabilities rapidly...

This report from UK think tank RUSI addresses the utility of measuring lethality as a focal point in force design. With the UK and US military facing potential numerical disadvantages in future conflicts, this Research Paper explores how lethality – defined as the rate at which a force inflicts damage relative to the casualties it...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation assesses Britain’s falling birth rate since the early 2010s. This briefing explores Britain’s recent baby bust and whether it should be a cause for concern for policymakers. Most developed countries are grappling with a falling birth rate, and the UK is no different. There have always...

This report from UK think tank IPPR reveals that UK business investment is the second lowest in the G7. High energy costs are squeezing UK industry, but support must do more than keep firms afloat. British manufacturing workers have access to 47 per cent fewer machines, tools and technologies than workers in similar economies Our...