The Social Market Foundation is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank, standing proudly in the centre-ground of politics since 1989. We bring together people of all parties and none to develop evidence-based policies that support a fair society and a strong economy.
Publication
Beyond the comfort zone: How can planning reform boost housing supply and affordability?
Planning reform is of growing interest to policymakers across the Anglosphere as a way to increase the rate of housebuilding at minimal cost to the public purse. This report – the fifth and final instalment of our series on the housing crisis – looks at how effective planning reform is at increasing supply and how the UK can learn from failures elsewhere to ensure it succeeds here.
| Published: | 16 April 2024 |
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| Author: | Gideon Salutin |
Publication
Investing in the future: The case for universal financial education in the UK
Politicians across the spectrum are keen for education to provide young people with key life skills, yet financial literacy among young people in the UK remains inadequate. This report looks at how financial education can be delivered more effectively in the UK.
| Published: | 16 April 2024 |
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| Author(s): | John Asthana Gibson, Dani Payne |
Publication
Affordable living: Alternatives to the traditional homeownership model
High house prices are putting homeownership out of reach for many, but rising rents and insecurity of tenure make the private rental sector an undesirable long-term option. This report – the fourth in our series on the problem of housing – looks at the role social and cooperative housing can play and what the UK can learn from other countries.
| Published: | 11 April 2024 |
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| Author(s): | Niamh O Regan, Jamie Gollings |
Media Release
‘Social clubs should be part of national infrastructure’, says Labour PPC Kirsty McNeill calling for ambitious plan for clubs
The next government should consider reviving working class social and welfare clubs as part of key national infrastructure needed for ‘left behind communities’, says Labour PPC Kirsty McNeill.
| Published: | 18 April 2024 |
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Media Release
Planning reform will fail to address UK housing crisis without affordability requirements, think tank says
The UK should learn from successful planning policies that have deliberately prioritised affordable housing and are ambitious in nature, such as those implemented in the American city of Minneapolis.
| Published: | 16 April 2024 |
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Media Release
Only 1% of primary teachers think their students have adequate financial skills
New report reveals the dire state of financial education in English schools.
| Published: | 15 April 2024 |
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Club together: How clubs can help solve our connection crisis
In this blog, Kirsty McNeill, Labour PPC for Midlothian, makes the case for more investment in social clubs to strengthen local communities and solve our connection crisis.
Examining British police pay and the ‘P-Factor’
Sustained real-terms losses to earnings and heightened exposure to harm while on duty prompt questions about the adequacy of police officers’ salaries. This blog, sponsored by the Police Federation, examines UK police pay and discusses the ‘P-Factor’, a pay policy that renumerates officers for risks and restrictions inherent to the profession.
It’s time for a new generation of New Towns
In this blog, Labour PPC Chris Curtis sets out his vision for a new generation of New Towns to address the UK's housing crisis - bringing multiple advantages with them and learning from past mistakes.