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
Dwelling on it: Housing crises in the English speaking world
Countries across the English-speaking world are wracked by a housing crisis that is pushing the matter firmly up politicians’ agendas. This introductory paper – the first of a series of SMF reports on addressing the problem of housing – provides an overview of the scale of the crisis in homeownership, private renting, social housing and homelessness across the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Published: | 13 March 2024 |
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Author: | Jamie Gollings |
Publication
Fraudscape: The size of the fraud problem around the world
Fraud is not just a problem for the UK, it is a pressing issue for many countries around the world. Using data from 15 countries, this paper provides an aggregated picture of the scale of the ‘fraudemic’ being experienced by populations across the globe.
Published: | 12 March 2024 |
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Author(s): | Richard Hyde, John Asthana Gibson |
Publication
Despite throwing money at the problem, people still aren’t buying heat pumps
The UK’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2050 is legally binding, yet progress towards decarbonisation of home heating remains limited. This SMF commentary reviews a timely recent report from the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) at UCL, on how to induce households to change their behaviour and replace their boilers with heat pumps.
Published: | 08 March 2024 |
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Author: | Niamh O Regan |
EVENT
Promoting potential: how to improve jobs, boost growth, and unlock social mobility in every corner of the UK
At this event, our panel of experts discussed how regional economic growth and better employment opportunities are key to supporting social mobility.
29 Feb 2024
13:30 - 14:30
13:30 - 14:30
29
Feb
2024
13:30 - 14:30
Media Release
UK has highest housing costs in the English-speaking world
Brits spend more on housing than their counterparts in New Zealand, Ireland, Australia and Canada – comparable countries that have similar housing crisis issues, Social Market Foundation think tank analysis finds.
Published: | 12 March 2024 |
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Media Release
1 in 5 people have been a victim of fraud in the last couple of years, international survey finds
Just over 1 in 5 (21%) of adults across UK and in 14 other countries around the world were defrauded between 2021 and 2023, a landmark survey finds.
Published: | 12 March 2024 |
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Media Release
SMF responds to Spring Budget 2024
The Social Market Foundation's response to the Spring Budget 2024 follows below.
Published: | 06 March 2024 |
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Commentary & Podcasts
Making London a home and safe haven for everyone
Based on her own experience of navigating through a complex web of inequalities, London Mayoral candidate Natalie Campbell wants to ensure that the capital can now deliver a safe foundation for the next generation - as she sets out her plan to end youth homelessness and improve temporary accommodation in London.
How the next government can reform pensions to ensure a better deal for the economy and British savers
The UK’s pensions system is an international outlier, investing too little in illiquid assets. But there's great opportunity here - with DC schemes being able to take on greater risk as they are less constrained by regulation. In this blog, SMF Trustee Melville Rodrigues sets out how the next government should seek to unlock these savings to boost the economy and generate better returns for savers.
Upcoming fuel duty freeze will cost government over £20 billion and do nothing to alleviate poverty
It is all but announced that the Chancellor will continue to freeze fuel duty rates in the Spring Budget. But as the cost of the move to the Exchequer ticks up to nearly £130 billion - it's a shame that it will merely put money back into wealthy motorists' pockets, whilst also imperiling the Prime Minister’s goal of reducing debt as a proportion of GDP.