Reports

This report from UK think tank British Future offers a toolkit for those who want to speak up for an inclusive England. The ‘England United; Pride not prejudice’ toolkit aims to help mainstream voices confidently champion an open, shared sense of Englishness. It stems from a recognition that the far right is trying to co-opt English identity...

This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK considers what kind of a country we want Scotland to be two decades from now. Moments of democratic choice provide an important opportunity to pause, look beyond immediate pressures, and reflect on the kind of future we want to build. Ahead of this year’s election, Carnegie UK...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society explores how civil servants can help deliver a smarter state with AI. As artificial intelligence plays an increasingly prominent role in our lives, the government is rightly using its potential to rewire the state. The long-term efficacy and sustainability of our public services will rely on...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs Since the 2008 financial crisis, environmental policy has shifted away from simply managing negative externalities and gradually converged with regular industrial policy. Various ‘green deals’ have been launched around the world with the aim of achieving a combination of economic and environmental development. Economists,...

This report from UK think tank IPPR examines the threats to climate action. Climate action is under siege from populist and far-right actors. Delivering under that pressure demands fresh confidence and commitment from government. Watering down ambition offers no electoral advantage; a strong, progressive agenda on climate action remains broadly popular with the public. Elite...

This report from UK think tank HEPI encourages universities to engage across the political spectrum, including with parties sceptical of higher education. Prepare for populism: Universities need to rebuild their legitimacy with all major parties and the public as they head into a tougher political era. In Preparing for Populism (HEPI Debate Paper 44), Professor...

This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK explores what a maturity model for embedding wellbeing approaches in public policy might look like. In recent years there has been a global shift in public policy, moving from traditional economic and output-based measures of government performance towards a more holistic focus on measures of wellbeing. Governments...

This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK reflects on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act since it was enshrined in law just over ten years ago. In January 2026, the Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) together with Carnegie UK, the Centre for Welsh Politics and Society/WISERD, and the Co-production Network for Wales convened...

This report from UK think tank Re:State recommends that regulation is used more sparingly and only where it is appropriate. Britain’s regulatory system grows by default. Rules are easy to create, rarely reviewed, and almost never removed. The problem is compounded by weak scrutiny of new regulation, which too often fails to ensure that the...

This report from UK think tank the Coalition of Global Prosperity explores how Russia is using disinformation to set the foundation for future aggression in Europe. Disinformation and propaganda have been central to Russian strategy for more than a century. Notwithstanding technological developments and shifting political dynamics, Russia’s contemporary information campaigns exhibit striking similarities to...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation sets out their response to the Chancellor's 2026 Mais lecture. The Chancellor’s reaffirmation of her commitment to focusing on the UK’s miserable growth rate is welcome and reflects the scale of the UK’s challenge: a decade of exceptionally weak growth and a fragile outlook shaped by...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research makes the case for enhancing evaluation evidence. Fair access and participation have been key elements of national higher education policy in the UK for the last two decades. The aim is to ensure that all young people, regardless of their background, have the opportunity...

This report from UK think tank The King's Fund examines the future of patient and public voice in England. This report examines the future of patient and public voice in England in light of the government’s decision to abolish Healthwatch England and the network of local Healthwatch organisations. It sets out what can be learned...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies conceptualises gender backlash as a multidimensional attack on gender equality. This report distils six years of collaborative research (from late 2019 to early 2026) from the IDS-led Countering Backlash programme, by IDS itself and 11 partners across seven countries on how contemporary gender backlash...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation assesses the options for supporting families with the rise in the cost of energy. Conflict in the Middle East has driven oil prices from around $70 to $100 per barrel, with wholesale gas prices also rising by over 60 per cent. The duration and severity of...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines the potential pension shock facing Gen X. Britain’s middle-aged workers stand on the cusp of a social crisis. Gen X – born between 1965 and 1980 – are next in line for retirement. Born too late to benefit from relatively robust Defined Benefit (DB)...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI explores how democratic innovation can help renew trust and legitimacy in the UK’s democratic system This policy working paper explores how democratic innovation can help renew trust, participation, and legitimacy in the UK’s democratic system. Building on earlier LPIP Hub work on social value and community-centred innovation, it...

This report from UK think tank Nesta highlights the need for innovative public policy and digital interventions, led by institutions like the BBC. As part of Options for the UK – Nesta’s new home for ideas and radical thinking on policy challenges – Tony Curzon Price argues that our current regulatory approach to regulating social...

This report from UK think tank Nesta examines how a clean heat transition could be delivered. This draft plan, developed collaboratively by Nesta and Plymouth City Council, outlines a strategic approach to transitioning over 7,500 properties in Stoke ward from fossil fuels to clean, electrified heat. Local authorities often face a delivery gap between strategic...

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute examines the findings of a randomised controlled trial into cash transfers for care leavers. Young people leaving care who were given a one-off £2,000 cash lump sum, with no strings attached, were more likely to be in stable housing and less likely to be “sofa-surfing” than...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs examines Britain's inheritance tax system and asks if reform is enough. Britain has fifth highest tax in the OECD on what parents leave to children, placing it in a small group of high-tax outliers and far above where headline comparisons often suggest.The tax is...

This report from UK think tank IPPR makes the case for why progressives need to deal with extreme weather. The impacts of extreme weather are already directly affecting people and communities across the UK. We lack ways to deal with this. Without a serious rethink, we will lose any reputation for competence and leave an...

This report from UK think tank Nesta presents early insights into the programme's implementation and the experience of participants so far. About the pilot In April 2025, Camden Council began piloting the Family Hubs Pregnancy Grant. This is an offer of £500 to low-income pregnant people. Parents are notified of the grant and given simple...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies warns that surveillance is violating citizens' freedoms and their human right to privacy. This report provides the most comprehensive account to date of smart city surveillance in Africa. Expert researchers draw on their contextual experience of their own countries in detailed reports on Algeria,...

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores transnational anti-rights mobilisation as a hybrid threat to UK and European democracy. This paper highlights the growing threat of transnational anti-rights mobilisation to the UK and European democracy, driven by foreign actors, funding and influence. ​It examines how identity-based narratives are strategically weaponised to undermine democratic resilience,...