Reports

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies looks at how to improve the accountability, transparency and effectiveness of the CMA. Two thirds of businesses do not know that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enforces competition law in the UK and two fifths have never heard of it, prejudicing the deterrence...

This report from UK think tank EDSK looks at the various arguments on 'low value' Higher Education. The debate over ‘low value’ Higher Education has reached a stalemate as politicians, policymakers, university leaders and students seem unable to agree on which degrees and institutions should be labelled as ‘low value’. This report explores the merits...

This report from UK think tank Centre for European Reform looks at how Europe and the UK can work together in foreign policy. Since Brexit, the UK has been reluctant to engage with the EU in foreign and security policy. The EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement of December 2020 does not cover provisions for working...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at how Hezbollah's hybrid status means power without responsibility. As a hybrid actor, Hezbollah has risen to become the most influential political organization in Lebanon. It enjoys legitimacy within the Lebanese state, but is able to operate without the accountability required of a state institution and...

This report from UK think tank the IFS looks at the complexities involved in understanding ethnic inequalities. Today’s second-generation ethnic minority adults, who were born and brought up in the UK, did much better in the education system than the white majority despite much less advantaged economic backgrounds. This was true, though differentially so, for...

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at the implications of the end of the EU settlement scheme. In his first speech as prime minister, Boris Johnson pledged to EU citizens living in the UK that under his government "you will get the absolute certainty of the rights to live and remain" as the...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at the generous EU Settlement Scheme. The terms of the EU Settlement Scheme are very generous in giving EU citizens the right to stay in the UK permanently, both absolutely and in comparison with the EU freedom of movement regime. However, those EU citizens...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at the near collapse of the state in Lebanon due to corruption. Lebanon is facing an unprecedented socio-economic crisis. Since the end of the civil war, corruption within the political elites – which have used the state as a vehicle for self-enrichment and patronage-distribution – has...

This report from UK think tank the Work Foundation looks at building the low carbon workforce of the future. The Government has committed to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This will require a transformative shift in our economy, with significant impacts on the make-up and viability of specific sectors, the jobs...

This report from UK think tank IISS provides a net assessment of cyber capabilities and national power. The result of two years of study by IISS researchers, this report provides a major new qualitative assessment of 15 countries’ cyber power, as well as a new qualitative framework for understanding how to rank global state cyber...

This report from UK think tank RUSI looks at whether cyber insurance can incentivise better cyber security practices among policyholders. This paper explores whether cyber insurance can incentivise better cyber security practices among policyholders. It finds that the shortcomings of cyber insurance mean that its contribution to improving cyber security practices is more limited than...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at ideas for improving strategic planning. Most international organizations were not designed to deal with the consequences of climate change. An overhaul of risk management, taking specific account of climate-related risks, is therefore needed to ensure the continued operational effectiveness of UN bodies and other agencies....

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust looks at postgraduates, prices and participation. When it comes to social mobility, the goalposts are always moving. As access to any given level of education becomes more common, inequalities tend to move upwards, with those from better-off backgrounds seeking to keep their advantages. While access to...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at balancing frictionless trade and regulatory autonomy. A new approach to the UK internal market is needed to avoid a collision course between the UK government and the devolved nations which could erode support for the union. A well-functioning internal market will mean fewer...

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at a plan for fairly decarbonising how people travel. The urgency of the climate crisis cannot be overstated. Yet the transport sector is currently the number one contributor to the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions and little progress has been made in over the past three decades in...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform looks at the future of EU-Turkey relations. Relations between the EU and Turkey have become fractious. In 2018, the EU froze Turkish accession negotiations in response to the deterioration of Turkish democracy. Ankara’s naval operations near Greek islands and Cyprus further increased tensions with...

This briefing by the Foreign Policy Centre looks at a way to address the continuing conflict in Syria. Ten years on since Syrians rose up against the oppressive Assad regime, a resolution to the devastating conflict that followed does not seem near. The US and the EU continue to back the UN-led political process bringing...

This report from UK think tank Localis looks at renewing the case for the local investment state. As far back as the twelfth century, we have evidence that local authorities have engaged in commercial activity effectively – benefitting residents, improving public services and generating much-needed revenue independent of central government. Jo Chamberlain’s fabled ‘gas and...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at the pernicious effects of politically sanctioned corruption on governance in Iraq. This paper explores the pernicious effects of politically sanctioned corruption on governance in Iraq. This type of corruption is more consequential for the coherence of the state, and for its everyday functioning, than petty...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Progressive Policy looks at expanding educational opportunities for every child. This working paper maps the ways in which social disadvantage affects educational outcomes among children and young people, impacting their progression through the education system and ultimately their employment prospects. Having commissioned Roger Taylor, former Chair...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at government targets, what they miss and what they help. Government targets in public services may do more harm than good. The government has added new targets to existing ones across key public services such as the NHS, schools and the police, which it...

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society looks at defending values in cyber. The report details heightened challenges in the cyber world that increasingly threaten the democratic goal of building a free and open cyberspace. Despite efforts to engage with these challenges, the findings show that so-far threats have outpaced strategy. For...

This report from UK think tank RUSI looks at how the Financial Action Task Torce can prioritise financial inclusion. This Policy Brief sets out five recommendations for how the FATF could refocus its framework so that it not only achieves its primary objective of effectively tackling financial crime but also actively promotes financial inclusion. Based...

This report from UK think tank RUSI looks at the extent to which the FATF framework has impacted digital financial inclusion. This Occasional Paper assesses the extent to which the FATF framework has impacted digital financial inclusion. This paper finds that the FATF framework has several effects on digital financial inclusion and financial inclusion more...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at the Declaration on Government Reform. Michael Gove has set out a new plan for reforming the civil service – and wider questions of how government works – that could lead to extensive changes. The Declaration on Government Reform was published in the name...