The Policy Institute

The Policy Institute at King’s College London works to solve society’s challenges with evidence and expertise. We combine the rigour of academia with the agility of a consultancy and the connectedness of a think tank.

Our research draws on many disciplines and methods, making use of the skills, expertise and resources of not only the institute, but the university and its wider network too. The institute’s current research programme spans six areas:

This research is supported through communications, impact and engagement activities. The institute has a strong track record of engaging with the media to promote research findings and stimulate public debate, generating coverage in outlets including the Guardian, the Times, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph, and the Financial Times, and across broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

The Policy Institute’s work is enhanced by its network of visiting fellows and professors, including current and former civil servants, politicians, journalists, writers and researchers, who give their time and expertise to the institute and wider King’s community. They are a valuable resource, providing expert advice on research projects, opening up their networks to maximise the impact of our work and strengthening the relationship between academia, policy and practice.

The Policy Institute is led by Professor Bobby Duffy. Prior to joining King’s, Bobby was Managing Director of Public Affairs for Ipsos MORI, which is a team of around 230 researchers in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Brussels, and Global Director of the Ipsos Social Research Institute, across around 30 countries.


Latest reports

Care work in the UK

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute explores public attitudes and misperceptions about care work in the UK. The public significantly underestimate the likelihood of becoming an unpaid carer at some point in their lives, guessing 38% of people in the UK ever will – far below the reality of 65%, according to...

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What the public think the 1997-2010 governments got right and wrong

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute finds that memories of New Labour vary sharply across party supporters. Labour supporters today still look back fondly on the New Labour governments of 1997–2010 – but most think Andy Burnham’s government is performing about as well as or better, according to a new study. Among...

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The Liberal Democrats: How their rivals and the public see them

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute explores how the Liberal Democrats are seen by others. The Lib Dems are the party most liked by their political rivals, according to a new study published ahead of the party’s annual conference in Brighton. The research, by the Policy Institute at King’s College London, finds...

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I don’t have a pension, really: Women restarting work after 50

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute explores women's experiences of returning to employment later in life and rebuilding retirement security. Policies to extend working lives increasingly seek to support people over 50 to return to employment. Yet we know relatively little about the role of pensions in this return, especially for women...

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London has fallen?

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute explores misperceptions of crime, race, religion and life in the UK capital. London has among the lowest violent crime rates of any region in England and Wales, tops a global ranking of best cities, and pays more in tax than it receives back in public spending...

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Trust in scientists

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute examines the role of values and moral and political identities in the UK. Trust in scientists in the UK is strong overall, with 63% indicating they have high trust in scientists in general – but a major new study finds this trust is closely shaped by...

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What do Reform UK supporters really want?

This report from UK think tank Policy Institute explores the myths and realities of Britain’s new voter bloc. Reform UK supporters are imagined to be more hostile to rejoining the EU and keener on low taxes for the wealthy than they really are – while also viewed as the group of voters most driven by...

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Wrongful convictions?

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute examines misperceptions of crime among the UK public. Most crime in England and Wales is falling – but the public think it's rising. In fact, they are wrong about crime on nearly every measure: from how many people fall victim, to the ethnicity and nationality of...

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AI and the future of work

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute outlines the first findings from a major new tracker of attitudes to AI and work. Seven in 10 of the UK public are worried about the economic impacts of AI, six in 10 think it will eliminate more jobs than it creates, half think its impact...

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The use of AI in UK healthcare

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute examines public perceptions and healthcare priorities. AI is creating a significant shift in how people access healthcare, yet public attitudes to the technology remain deeply divided, according to a major new study by King's Health Partners, Responsible AI UK and the Policy Institute at King's College...

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European higher education in the 2020s

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute brings together essays from leading higher education figures across Europe. Despite taking very different approaches to financing, higher education sectors across major European economies are experiencing the same underlying pressure. Universities have grown enormously since the 1950s, but public funding has not kept pace. The tools...

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Cash transfers for care leavers

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute examines the findings of a randomised controlled trial into cash transfers for care leavers. Young people leaving care who were given a one-off £2,000 cash lump sum, with no strings attached, were more likely to be in stable housing and less likely to be “sofa-surfing” than...

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Declining urgency, enduring support

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute examines public attitudes to net zero and climate policy. The share of the UK public who say the country needs to reduce carbon emissions to net zero sooner than 2050 has nearly halved since 2021, according to a major new study. 29% of the public now...

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Higher, further or tertiary?

This report from UK think tank The Policy Institute looks at the future of education from across the UK nations. Edited by Professor Alison Wolf, member of the Augar Review of post-18 education, the collection of essays by sector leaders, including current and former university vice-chancellors, looks at how England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland...

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Embracing the “new normal”?

This briefing from UK think The Policy Institute looks at why people largely feel so positive about the shift to hybrid working. As hybrid working becomes a feature of everyday life for so many people post-pandemic, the Policy Institute and King's Business School carried out a representative survey of 2,030 London workers aged 16+, between...

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