IPPR

IPPR is an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener and more prosperous society. We are researchers, communicators, and policy experts creating tangible progressive change, turning ideas that seem impossible into common sense realities. Working across the UK, IPPR, IPPR North and IPPR Scotland are deeply connected to the people of our nations and regions, and the issues they face.  

We have helped shape national conversations and progressive policy change for more than 30 years. From making the early case for the minimum wage and tackling regional inequality, to proposing a windfall tax on energy companies, IPPR’s research and policy work has responded directly to the crises facing society. 

Today, our work drives social, democratic, environmental and economic progress by securing: 

  • Well-funded and reformed public services (health, care, housing, education) and social security that ensures everyone has access to the basics they need to flourish. 
  • A renewed democracy which gives everyone a voice in society, ensures equal access to our rights and passes power down to people, places, and communities. 
  • A modern, green economy that delivers prosperity and justice to all people and places through actively shaping markets for social good and tackling concentrations of wealth and power. 

Our major projects all aim to support this. IPPR’s Centre for Economic Justice is reshaping the debate on the UK economy, building on our landmark commission report, Prosperity and Justice. Our Fair Transition Unit looks at how to achieve net zero and restore nature both quickly and fairly, expanding on the findings of our cross-party Environmental Justice Commission. Through our Commission on Health and Prosperity we are making the case that good health is a keystone of a strong economy; and we are addressing the challenge of place-based inequalities through our work on progressive ‘levelling up’. 

IPPR receives funding from a wide range of sources including leading trusts and foundations, and has been awarded the highest rating (A) for transparency from Open Democracy’s Who Funds You? project.


Latest reports

Fair play: how competition policy can drive growth

This report from UK think tank IPPR sets out the case for an unwavering and robust competition policy, enforced by a more responsive regulator. The UK’s competition framework — and its regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority — has struggled to prevent rising market concentration and stagnant productivity. At the same time, the UK economy...

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The direction of AI innovation in the UK: Insights from a new database and a roadmap for reform

This report from UK think tank IPPR analyses the AI innovation landscape in the UK to determine which type of AI deployment is and is not currently taking place. Recent developments in artificial intelligence could have transformative effects on the economy. With the latest models achieving top scores in scientific and diagnostic reasoning tests, they...

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Planes, trains and automobiles: how green transport can drive manufacturing growth in the UK

This report from UK think tank IPPR states that upcoming industrial strategy must make 'buying British and buying green' the easy option. Transport is essential to our lives. Unfortunately, it is currently also the largest source of UK domestic carbon emissions. Along with investment in infrastructure, the production of green transport equipment – electric trains...

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2030 and beyond: Great British Energy’s role in the green transition

This report from UK think tank IPPR offers an implementation strategy for GBE’s success. The UK government created Great British Energy to help deliver secure, clean and affordable electricity. Achieving this requires bold, but focused, actions, without burdening GBE with conflicting objectives. In this report, we offer an implementation strategy for GBE’s success. We outline...

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Who is losing learning? Finding solutions to the school engagement crisis

This report from UK think tank IPPR sets out 10 recommendations which, if delivered, would see a measurable improvement in school inclusion. An alarming number of children are missing out on the social and educational benefits of school. A crisis of lost learning is sweeping across schools in England. Children cannot learn if they are...

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Strategic planning for green prosperity

This report from UK think tank IPPR argues that the objective should be to deliver high-quality housing that meets the needs of local communities and has the buy-in of local people. Land is a finite resource, and the demands made of it have only increased over time. Not only do we need to house and...

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The new politics of AI: Why fast technological change requires bold policy targets

This report from UK think tank IPPR argues that AI needs to be directed towards societies’ goals, via ‘mission-based policies’. The upcoming AI Action Summit in Paris is an opportunity to show how we can harness artificial intelligence (AI) as a force for societal, economic, and environmental good. AI is fundamentally different from other technologies...

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The homes that children deserve: Housing policy to support families

This report from UK think tank IPPR recommends tackling child poverty by reforming welfare payments and building more social housing. As the government seeks to develop a new child poverty strategy, it will need to grapple with housing – the single largest cost faced by families. As the government seeks to develop a new child...

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Modernising elections: How to get voters back

This report from UK think tank IPPR puts forward policy approaches to improve turnout and reduce inequality at UK general elections. Elections are the defining feature of modern democracy. They are the process by which we express a desired future en masse. It is the mass dimension that matters most; it is the mass dimension...

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The childcare challenge: How can the new government deliver a real childcare guarantee?

This report from UK think tank IPPR seeks to reimagine childcare as a proper public service, capable of driving progress on the opportunity mission goals. Can we reimagine childcare as a proper public service? The newly elected Labour government has picked up where the previous government left off, by committing to continuing the plans to...

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Earning vs owning: Rescuing opportunity in the asset economy

This report from UK think tank IPPR puts forward a new typology of wealth and expands the conversation from wealth tax to a broader range of policy instruments. Life chances are increasingly determined by what you inherit, not what you do. But what can we do about it? More people own assets today than in...

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From the frontline: Empowering staff to drive the NHS reform agenda

This report from UK think tank IPPR puts forward a new approach, based on ideas of democracy and decentralisation, as the way to achieve better decision-making throughout the NHS. The return on public investment has weakened since the pandemic; more money is not leading to many more patients being treated overall. At the same time,...

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Transforming asylum accommodation

This report from UK think tank IPPR calls for an end to the ineffective use of resources on unsuitable accommodation and proposes a reimagined approach to asylum housing. Asylum accommodation costs have soared in recent years, with billions of pounds being spent on housing people in inadequate conditions, which is both a waste of public...

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Bookkeepers or changemakers? Understanding the chancellor’s choices ahead of the budget

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at understanding the chancellor's choices ahead of the budget. Voters believe the government should be "changemakers, not just bookkeepers." New polling from IPPR and Persuasion UK reveals the public want ministers to focus on investing in public services rather than just balancing the budget.

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Low capital gains tax is not a sensible way to support entrepreneurs

This report from UK think tank IPPR argues that raising Capital Gains Tax is the fairest way to generate revenue for fixing our public services. Raising Capital Gains Tax in the upcoming budget is the fairest way to generate revenue for fixing our public services. It won’t affect working people, nor will it discourage entrepreneurship,...

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