Fabian Society

The Fabian Society is an independent left-leaning think tank and membership organisation founded in 1884. We influence political and public thinking and provide a space for broad and open-minded debate. 

The society aims to promote: greater equality of power, wealth and opportunity; the value of collective action and public service; an accountable, tolerant and active democracy; citizenship, liberty and human rights; sustainable development; multilateral international cooperation. We publish insight, analysis and opinion; conduct research and undertake major policy inquiries; convene conferences, speaker meetings and roundtables; and facilitate member debate and activism across the UK.

We are one of the original founders of the Labour party and are constitutionally affiliated to the party as a socialist society. We have a stake in Labour’s democratic processes at local, regional and national level. But we are wholly independent of the party editorially, organisationally and financially.

We are a membership movement, active throughout Britain and open to everyone on the left, with over 7000 members. We don’t have organisational policy views but believe radical long-term goals are best advanced through empirical, practical, gradual reform.


Latest reports

Pressing reset

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society explores what a new relationship with Europe might look like. A decade ago, the British electorate narrowly voted to leave the EU. It was a decision of generational significance, predicated, in large part, on a picture of splendid isolation that has turned out to be false:...

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Adopt, innovate, transform

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...

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Testing Times

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society discusses devolution across Europe as the UK considers reform in this area. The UK is highly centralised by international standards. As the government turns to questions of devolution, is an important time to learn what does and does not work for some of our closest neighbours....

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Beyond numbers

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society examines what makes somewhere a great place to live and how policymakers can get there. For many years, England has been in the grip of a disastrous housing crisis. Chronically low rates of building have made both renting and buying a home extraordinarily expensive, and millions...

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Self-care

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society discusses providing income security for the self-employed. There are 4.4 million self-employed people in the UK. This is 13 per cent of people in work, and they make a substantial contribution to the economy. While some are relatively well off, average net income for a full-time...

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Forward planning

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society sets out solutions to improve existing stock and deliver better new-build options for older homeowners. Our population is ageing. Over the next quarter of a century, the number of people aged 55 and over in England will grow by five million. Most older people will remain...

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Taxing questions

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society sets out how the chancellor can raise the revenue we need to invest in public services. The chancellor will have to make some difficult decisions ahead of the upcoming autumn budget. In particular, she faces a fiscal gap of over £20bn if she wants to stick...

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Rural Futures

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society explores the British countryside and its potential. Rural Britain is often neglected in discussions about the big issues of the day. Yet it sits at the heart of the government’s missions to green the economy, boost growth, deliver housing and break down barriers to opportunity. The...

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Promising development

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society discusses the future of aid in an uncertain world. The postwar international order is breaking down – and with it, the international aid system. In particular, important donor countries, including the US and UK, have reduced the amount of development support they provide. The shock of...

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Nye’s lost legacy

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society considers how a National Occupational Health Service could work with others in keeping people well at work. Since Labour was last in power, the number of working-age people reporting a disabling condition has increased by 4.3 million. And over 300,000 people leave work with health problems...

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Ill-prepared

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society makes the case for strengthening sick pay for the self-employed. Self-employed workers account for 13 per cent of all people in work. There are more self-employed people than work in manufacturing, and four times as many as work in finance and insurance. Yet they have historically...

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Repair, reuse, recycle

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society looks at making the circular economy in England work at scale. Like most developed countries, the UK produces millions of tonnes of unnecessary waste each year. In 2020, the last year data was recorded, we produced 191m tonnes of total waste, with England responsible for 163m...

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Pressing Issues

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...

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Breaking ground

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’...

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Where’s the harm?

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society sets out a public health approach to gambling. Gambling is often seen as just another part of our cultural – and indeed physical – landscape. Our high streets host gambling shops, our sports teams advertise gambling companies, and our digital world offers us unlimited gambling options....

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