Reports

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at a positive example of rapid innovation in the delivery of public services. Oak National Academy stands out as a positive example of rapid innovation in the delivery of public services. This report discusses how the idea for Oak was developed, its launch and...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at changing the model of exam assessment reform. The question of whether exams taken at 16 and 18 in England are effective and proportionate is a vexed one. Secondary assessment in the highly centralised English system is particularly high stakes and multi-purposed – being...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at what the government can do to address rising energy bills. Big increases in energy bills mean that UK households are set to face a very difficult winter. Annualised bills for a typical household are currently £1,971, already 50% higher than in March, but...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies explores the question: what is environmental degradation and what are its causes? This short paper explores the question: what is environmental degradation and what are its causes? It seems an obvious question, but it is not. The paper explores definitions of environmental degradation (and restoration),...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at MoJ's preparations for reunification and their transition back into the department. The reunification of probation services successfully took place on 26 June 2021. The fact that a transition of such scale was delivered as planned with virtually no disruption is impressive, even without...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at addressing issues with delays, attracting talent and politicisation in public appointments. This report argues that high-profile leaks and disputes over appointments to Ofcom, the Charity Commission and the Office for Students have been corrosive for the public appointments system. It calls on the...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society looks at Scotland and the path to a Labour government. Our new report by the Scottish Fabians argues that Scotland should be a ‘key battleground’ for Labour at the next election with two dozen seats ‘within its grasp’ by targeting SNP and Green voters. Our analysis...

This report from UK think tank Green Alliance looks at a new land use framework to restore nature and level up Britain. British farmers are facing several major challenges with rising costs, the impacts of climate change and new post-Brexit trade agreements. In our new report, we set out how the government’s new Land Use...

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

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society looks at pushing power down to spread prosperity out. Our new report explores how giving power and funding to neighbourhoods can help solve some of our biggest challenges. It seeks to flesh out Keir Starmer’s vision of a society that ensures “local people are in charge...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform looks at a new political and military reality in Europe. Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has established a new political and military reality in Europe. But the continent faces other challenges in the Western Balkans, the Middle East and Africa. Meanwhile, China poses increasing...

This report from UK think tank the IIED looks at experiences of public participation in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal. Effective climate budgeting requires meaningful participation and systematic public engagement. Without these it is difficult for governments to provide climate financing that aligns with household priorities, and households will continue to spend large amounts of money...

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute looks at reforming the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This report proposes a number of reforms to improve the efficiency and value for money of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This paper is part of the Adam Smith Institute’s “Reforming...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society looks at how to ensure every child can access a good music education. Many young people in England are being denied access to good music education: in schools, there is reduced access to statutory provision and it is now often taught in rotation with other arts...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies looks at challenges affording the cost of online connectivity and devices. As every aspect of life – from job seeking to health care – moves online, digital connectivity is a daily necessity, not a luxury. Against the backdrop of the UK’s worst cost of...

This report from UK think tank Onward looks at how can the UK become a science superpower? Since the 1980s, UK science policy has adhered to a mostly arms length science model, driven by curiosity, and disproportionately funded by taxpayers. It has generated a broader and deeper science base than any comparably sized nation and...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust looks at whether efforts have gone far enough to help pandemic related earning loss. This year has seen exams take place again for the first time since 2019, a move back towards the pre-pandemic norm for schools and colleges across the country. But the cohort of...

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

This report from UK think tank the IIED provides a spotlight on the long-term finance goal of the Paris Agreement. Article 2 of the Paris Agreement provides a reinforced framework for climate action by setting out three interlinked long-term goals: limiting temperature rise (2.1a); increasing ability to adapt (2.1b); and making financial flows consistent with...

This report from UK think tank CEPEO looks at the disruption caused to pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities by Covid-19. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profoundly disruptive impact on education. Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), whose inclusion was already a challenge before the pandemic, are at risk from being...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Development Studies looks at delivering affordable, nutritious food to low-income communities. Yet food systems are under threat from multiple stressors. During the Covid-19 pandemic, government support was directed at maintaining business activity, so understanding how this affected small food businesses offers insights for future policy design....

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

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at vote-trading as a widespread practice in Nigeria. Vote-trading has become a widespread practice in Nigeria, where democracy has struggled to be fully consolidated due to the country’s complex political landscape and its entrenched corrupt political class. Where acute socio-economic hardship persists, vote-selling traps citizens in...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at democratic evolution, national identity and political partisanship in South Korea. Academic and policy analysts are sharply divided over the strength and durability of democracy in South Korea. The political system nominally assures a reliable and representative process. But divisive identity politics, mass protest and the...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at how to ensure the FCO is capable of responding to the war in Ukraine and future crises. How should the Foreign Office change now? assesses the impact of a morale-damaging merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International...