Reports

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute provides a plan for 'full fat' freeports. Some academic economists are sceptical of the ability of freeports to add value to the British economy, arguing that they primarily divert (rather than create) economic activity; Policymakers need not risk this being the case—freeports offer an exciting...

This report from UK think tank Civitas looks at the creation of the modern welfare state in 1942 and its impact on family ormation. This philosophical discussion paper looks at the creation of the modern welfare state in 1942 and its impact on family formation. Charles Amos argues from a libertarian perspective drawing on Robert...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies assesses proposals for the reform of Capital Allowances. For many years, the UK has adopted a strikingly ungenerous approach to capital cost recovery – the ability of firms to write off investment against tax. This has coincided with consistently low levels of business investment....

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute looks at reforming HM Treasury. This report proposes a number of reforms to improve the efficiency and value for money of HM Treasury. This paper is part of the Adam Smith Institute’s “Reforming the Civil Service” series. The Treasury has responsibility for a number of...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies looks at a year of conflict, climate change, and Covid-19. As we highlight in the IDS 2021–22 Annual Review, these uncertain times demand that development research be done differently, with new approaches to learning and knowledge exchange that engage policy actors and diverse communities....

This report from UK think tank the Centre for London looks at how local authorities could use their money and property to deliver social value to their residents. Local authorities in London are responsible for managing valuable resources. This report shows how they could use their money and property to deliver social value to their...

This report from UK think tank IIED looks at the promise and reality of including smallholders from developing countries in modern value chains. This report examines the promise and reality of including smallholders from developing countries in modern value chains as a path to sustainable development. Drawing on an extensive literature review and interviews with...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at the case for keeping and improving the government’s performance framework. The prime minister should embrace outcome delivery plans – introduced in 2020 to set out and measure government departments’ plans and performance – if she wants to make progress on her delivery priorities....

This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit looks at the operation of prerogative powers - past, present and future - and proposals for reform. This work provides a comprehensive guide to the operation of prerogative powers - past, present and future - and proposals for reform. The prerogative derives from the original executive...

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute looks at testing the Government's projections for electricity supply and nuclear capacity. This report highlights the fact that the Government is under-investing in the nuclear power it needs to reach its decarbonisation targets, and sets out how we can fast-track approval for modern, less expensive,...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at what the Truss government should learn from other countries. The government should do more to address the UK’s energy efficiency problems - or risk finding itself in an even more difficult position next year over rising energy bills. The report finds that the...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at structural economic change, inequality and the depoliticization of economic policymaking. Understanding contemporary challenges to democracy in Europe requires looking beyond the rise of ‘populism’. Instead, it requires acknowledging a multiplicity of threats to democracy, in particular those arising from the structure of European economies and...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform argues that the UK and the EU need to work together in good faith to fix the Protocol. In a new Centre for European Reform policy brief, ‘How to fix the Northern Ireland Protocol’, Hilary Benn MP argues that the UK and the EU...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at AI being introduced to help decision-making in high-risk fields, including asylum and refugee protection. Artificial intelligence (AI) is being introduced to help decision-making in high-risk fields. This includes decision-making about asylum and refugee protection, where automated ways of processing people and predicting risks in contested...

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute looks at how (and how not) to tackle the energy crisis. This report sets out the most effective policies to tackle the energy crisis and alleviate pressure on poorer households. Since the Adam Smith Institute published its paper on the cost of living crisis in...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at what awaits Kwasi Kwarteng as he takes over the reins at HM Treasury. New chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng will need to cut spending on public services, raise other taxes or break the government’s fiscal rules if he implements Liz Truss’s promised tax cuts. While...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies looks at mini-grids as a technology for electrifying remote communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Renewable, decentralised mini-grids are a promising technology for electrifying remote communities in sub-Saharan Africa. However, most mini-grids struggle not only to obtain a profit, but also to recover costs. This Policy...

This report from UK think tank Onward provides a 5-Point Plan for the new Prime Minister on the energy crisis. The new Prime Minister’s handling of the energy crisis could make or break their premiership. Boris Johnson’s successor must be realistic about the scale of the challenge the UK faces and pragmatic about the solutions...

This briefing from UK think tank The Policy Institute reviews the role of science in policy decision-making and when people should trust expert opinion. People in the UK are least likely to think that the government is motivated by improving the lives of future generations, and the lives of people like them, when it comes...

This briefing from UK think tank the Policy Institute looks at what students and the public think about free speech in UK universities. There is strong agreement among students that their university is protecting freedom of expression and robust debate, as well as academic freedom – but growing minorities nonetheless feel free speech is under...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at the economic and geopolitical implications of the war for the UK. The UK is less exposed to the direct trade effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine than its European neighbours. However, both the indirect and longer-term effects on UK trade are potentially significant. This briefing...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at how to create a predictable and stable business environment. Written by former No.10 adviser Giles Wilkes, this report warns that a failure to stick to a clear direction and fulfil policy promises is very damaging to businesses whose plans are dependent on government...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at how to get to grips with departmental budgets. When a new government is formed, or a reshuffle occurs, new secretaries of state usually arrive in their departments with plenty of ideas about what they want to do or achieve. But the departments they...

This report from UK think tank Onward looks at why young people are detaching from democratic and social norms – and what to do about it. Young people today are unhappier, less socially trusting, and more detached from society than young people historically or older people today. They have fewer friends and lower quality friendships....

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform looks at whether ‘level playing field’ tools can be repurposed to help deliver new priorities. Policy-makers in Brussels and EU capitals are increasingly worried that other countries are taking unfair advantage of the EU’s open markets. They fret that EU firms are disadvantaged. In...