Reports

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research presents evidence from the raising of the participation age (RPA) in England. Implemented ten years ago in England, the Raising of the Participation Age (RPA) placed a duty on young people to remain in learning (although not confined to staying on at school) until...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House argues in favour of using Britain’s alliances and networks for greater impact. Although UK foreign policy has for some time acknowledged the Indo-Pacific’s importance to Britain’s long-term interests, the government has yet to articulate and instrumentalize a sufficiently coherent approach to the region. Worries over European security,...

This report from UK think tank Localis explores centralisation, local decline and the future of community power. Ever since the radical restructuring of public finances that heralded the beginning of austerity policy in 2010, successive governments have promised to balance their policy agendas with a commensurate uptick in control for local communities. The language of...

This report from UK think tank HEPI explores the hidden impact of menstruation in higher education. The impact of menstrual cycles and periods on education is under researched. This new HEPI report aims to understand students’ experiences of menstruation education and the day-to day impact of menstrual cycles and periods on students’ higher education studies....

This report from UK think tank Chatham House examines how sanctions, war and ‘innovation stagnation’ are weakening Moscow’s capabilities. The weight of international sanctions and the demands of war have exposed and intensified existing shortcomings in Russia’s military-industrial base. Russia is currently struggling to build genuinely new and technologically advanced systems. Instead, it is relying...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society explores making the media work for democracy. The UK media is among the least trusted in the democratic world. Largely owned by a handful of corporations, and with a track record of abuse, misinformation and sensationalism, this is perhaps little surprise. Yet it is also true...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation outlines the issues facing policing. The SMF has once again collaborated with the Police Federation of England and Wales to outline an impartial picture of the issues faced in policing. The Pay and Morale Survey collated over 35,000 responses – highlighting an unfortunately grim picture...

This report from UK think tank the British Foreign Policy Group explores the British public’s opinion on foreign policy and global affairs. BFPG’s 2025 Annual Survey, the seventh iteration of the survey which began in 2019, finds that public support for the ‘special relationship’ has collapsed, with President Trump seen to be undermining the UK’s...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation explores how disabilities and caring responsibilities impact the lives of lower-income Britain. Disability disproportionately affects the poorer half of Britain. But to fully understand the impact on families, we need to consider not only those directly affected but also the friends and family members who may...

This report from UK think tank Re:State sets out a radical but practical plan to introduce a new tier of regional government: provinces. England’s devolution project is expanding fast, but its next phase risks failing vast areas of the country. New Strategic Authorities are being rolled out nationwide, aimed at boosting local growth and reforming...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation sets out the challenges faced when delivering higher skills provision. The Government is ambitious to improve economic growth, but in an area that will be key for that to succeed – skills training – their approach has been muddled. This report sets out the challenges...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores how AI is being used in schools today. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to bring about transformative change in practically every sector, including in the education system. In schools, we are just starting to see its impact, with AI tools already saving teachers time...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society explores the government's commitment to building 1.5m new homes during this parliament. The government is committed to building 1.5m new homes during this parliament. This is necessary, but will be extremely challenging – in large part thanks to an inheritance of record-low planning approvals, housing ‘starts’...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House explores why and how many sanctions fail, and what to do about it. Sanctions are a key instrument of foreign policy and economic statecraft, applied with increasing frequency by the US, the UK and the EU. Given the growing prevalence of these tools, there are mounting concerns...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice sets out the case for reforming the Pupil Premium. Since its introduction in 2011, over £27 billion has been allocated to mainstream schools across England through the Pupil Premium (PP) – a policy designed to raise attainment for disadvantaged pupils through targeted funding. Yet...

This report from UK think tank Green Alliance presents a roadmap forward for urgent, supportive action for the government’s growth and security agenda. Climate change impacts are already disrupting lives and undermining economic growth across the UK. Health warnings were issued during the June 2025 heatwave due to expected excess deaths, while millions of English...

This report from UK think tank NCUB looks at the key announcements from the Spending Review and Industrial Strategy. the Chancellor has pledged £86 billion on R&D over the next four years. But does this signal continuity or change? This briefing summarises key announcements from the Spending Review and Industrial Strategy relevant to research and...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities identifies four key reasons why high street vacancy rates vary so much from city to city and how to improve their fortunes. Centre for Cities looks at the variation in performance across high streets in the centres of the UK's largest cties and towns to understand...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice builds on their landmark report, to offer a new plan to all political parties. Few issues are as explosive in British politics as welfare reform. But just as the smell of cordite following the blazing row over winter fuel payments is wafting away, an...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice examines the crisis of bad behaviour disrupting classrooms. There is a crisis of bad behaviour disrupting classrooms. The latest government data reveals a shocking 21 per cent increase in suspensions and 16 per cent increase in permanent exclusions. Government and schools have an important...

This report from UK think tank PolicyWISE looks at devolution in the English regions. This report discusses of the findings of PolicyWISE’s roundtable in April 2025’s in Manchester which explored devolution in English regions, using Manchester as a case study. Digital infrastructure and data collection across regions was highlighted as a barrier to ongoing research...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at developing a more ambitious response to serious and organised crime. SOC is one of the most significant contemporary threats to life, the security of property, and the peace and cohesiveness of communities across the country and the long-term prosperity of the UK. However,...

This report from UK think tank RUSI aims to provide a scoping review of the structural and operational features of voluntary carbon markets that expose them to corruption risk. Allegations of weak oversight, fraud and corruption in voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) have caused substantial market uncertainty. VCMs involve the generation and trading of carbon offsets,...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies reviews queer and feminist organisations and social movements countering roll back in 14 countries. This rapid scoping review maps out the landscape of rollback politics across four key areas: sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI); sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); gender-based violence...

This report from UK think tank RUSI provides an initial scoping review of VCM features that expose them to corruption risk. The Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs), designed to channel finance towards environmental preservation and help countries meet net-zero targets through the trading of carbon offsets, are facing significant challenges due to widespread allegations of weak...