Reports

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs looks at how low-tax countries offer the world's best welfare. New analysis by the Institute of Economic Affairs busts the myth of Nordic-model high-tax welfare superiority that has dominated political discourse for decades, and delivers a devastating verdict on Britain’s welfare performance as the...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for London looks at capitalising on the strengths of Local London so all residents can live well, succeed and thrive. Local London is the capital’s largest and fastest-growing sub-region. It is home to 2.7 million people. It boasts 40% of London’s land and significant reserves of developable...

This report from UK think tank RUSI identifies specific challenges in establishing sovereign drone production capabilities. This research paper tackles a critical national security vulnerability: the West's heavy reliance on Chinese components within Military Unmanned Aerial System (MUAS) supply chains. Drawing lessons from the transformative role of drones in the Russo-Ukrainian War, it identifies the...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society sets out solutions to improve existing stock and deliver better new-build options for older homeowners. Our population is ageing. Over the next quarter of a century, the number of people aged 55 and over in England will grow by five million. Most older people will remain...

This report from UK think tank Onward explores the removal of foreign national offenders and prison capacity. The report highlights a deepening prison capacity crisis in England and Wales, where adult male prisons are operating at around 98 % occupancy. Around one in eight prisoners is a foreign national offender (FNO) — roughly 10,800 people...

This report from UK think tank the International Institute for Environment and Development looks at tracking finance for community climate action. Local communities are directly affected by the impacts of climate change and are essential to developing and implementing effective responses. As a result, it has never been more important to understand, track and measure...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House examines how the government can best respond to the security and geopolitical risks of this new era of aid scarcity. The crisis in the global system of foreign aid is a problem for the effectiveness of the UK’s own aid strategy. By 2026, global aid is expected...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI argues that social value must be reclaimed as a driver of system change. This policy brief argues that social value must be reclaimed as a driver of system change rather than reduced to compliance exercises. It outlines a stewardship approach across three dimensions – procurement, governance, and community...

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores the role of cloud computing in enhancing European national security and defence capabilities. Cloud computing has become a fundamental capability for European national security and defence. Governments increasingly depend on cloud services to strengthen national resilience, modernise legacy systems and provide advanced technological capabilities such as AI....

This report from UK think tank HEPI looks at how bold action is needed to fix the NHS clinical placement crisis. A fundamental rethink of how the NHS trains its future workforce is urgently needed, according to a new paper from the Higher Education Policy Institute, Rethinking Placement: Increasing Clinical Placement Efficacy for a Sustainable...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust compares intergenerational social mobility and higher education in the US and UK. Social mobility remains a key challenge for both the UK and US. Despite successive governments stating a clear desire to improve social mobility and putting in place bodies to promote this (for example, the...

This report from UK think tank the Education Policy Institute examines youth degree apprenticeships. 'Youth degree apprenticeships: An alternative to university?', funded by AL Elevation, examines access, participation, and outcomes for young people aged 18–24 on level 6 degree apprenticeship courses in England. Using linked administrative data, the report provides evidence on who is taking...

This report from UK think tank RUSI provides actionable insights for NATO and its allies to counter Russia’s military–industrial capabilities. This research paper examines the critical vulnerabilities in the production of Russia’s Sukhoi combat aircraft and its implications for NATO and global defence markets. The paper reveals significant dependencies on foreign components, materials and machine...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies brings together authors from both the global South and the global North. A critical issue of our time is how the world can transition from a development model based on the extraction and use of fossil fuels to one based on cleaner sources of...

This report from UK think tank Re:State reveals a procurement system which has become too focused on compliance with complex rules and bureaucracy. The Government spends £400 billion a year procuring goods and services, but regularly fails to secure value for the taxpayer from that spending. Public procurement is rife with projects which are late,...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies states that a systematic and implementable approach is required at national and cross-national levels. Ten years ago, the O’Neill Review on Antimicrobial Resistance called for a major effort to discover and develop new antimicrobials. It outlined a strategy for achieving this through a combination...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at the challenges facing the government in meeting its education priorities within budget. Research conducted since, including by the Institute for Government, shows that educational inequalities across English schools opened up at an alarming rate over this period, with some gaps growing to their...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies explores UK leadership in antimicrobial discovery and development. The threat of infectious diseases that resist treatment with available antimicrobials is growing. Nearly a decade after the O’Neill Review on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) called for systemic reform of antimicrobial research and development (R&D), the UK...

This report from UK think tank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research analyses the UK economic outlook in the autumn of 2025. The Autumn Budget comes at a pivotal moment for the UK economy. Growth has held up better than expected, inflation is expected to ease, and interest rates are likely to begin...

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society examines whether there are conditions under which instrumentalised migration is more likely to be used. Russia’s war in Ukraine has unleashed brutality that Europe has not seen for decades. In addition to conventional war, new tactics and technologies have been used, such as drones and...

This report from UK think tank the Future Governance Forum recommends the creation of a new Department for the Prime Minister to drive his agenda. In Power 01: Transforming Downing Street is the culmination of an in-depth investigation by FGF into the centre of government. It recommends that Keir Starmer accelerate his revamp of the...

This report from UK think tank RUSI highlights the links between the illegal wildlife trade and illicit financial flows and the critical need to combat corruption.  Financial investigations are an essential investigative tool to pursue and deter important wildlife criminals. However, the challenges to strengthening financial investigations of wildlife crime in Central Africa are notable.

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities explores how transport integration could improve public transport and support economic growth.   Transport is the wiring that allows urban economies to function. But this wiring is faulty in big UK cities outside of London. This presents a problem for a national government wanting to deliver...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis on young people in the UK. The cost-of-living crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have had profound consequences on young people, with potential implications for their future life chances. To look at these consequences in-depth, this...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation previews the key decisions for the upcoming Budget. The upcoming Budget – which the Chancellor has already signalled will come with spending cuts and tax rises – is a pivotal moment for a Government looking to improve the mood music around its economic-policy agenda. This is...