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
Fixing Britain’s broken asylum system
This briefing paper discusses the on-going war of words between the Government and refugee advocates over recent rhetoric on asylum and illegal migration. It sets out the complexities and challenges facing Britain's asylum system and makes the case for co-operation between both sides over increased participation in international resettlement schemes.
| Published: | 30 November 2020 |
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| Author: | Jonathan Thomas |
Publication
Elusive quality: how should we evaluate higher education?
This briefing paper provides an overview of the current system of quality assessment in higher education, exploring how well it functions and the main criticisms levied at it. The report also identifies four tasks for the Government should it want to design a better system of quality assessment.
| Published: | 19 November 2020 |
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| Author: | Aveek Bhattacharya |
Publication
London coronavirus economy tracker – November 2020
Key findings: The latest claimant count data show unemployment continuing to rise in London. Between August and October, the claimant count increased by 1.2% in the capital, compared with a...
| Published: | 18 November 2020 |
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| Author(s): | Amy Norman, Scott Corfe |
Media Release
Fixing Britain’s broken asylum system means taking more refugees
Migrant rights campaigners and the Home Office should agree a truce and work together on an approach that could see Britain accepting more refugees through safe and legal routes, a think-tank says today.
| Published: | 30 November 2020 |
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Media Release
Crackdown on “low-quality degrees” worthless without proper assessments
Politicians who criticise “low-quality” degree courses should develop a clearer way of assessing university courses, a new report says today.
| Published: | 19 November 2020 |
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Media Release
Covid unemployed need big new training package
Workers losing jobs in the pandemic desperately need a major overhaul of adult skills and training services to help them find new work and avoid falling into poverty, a report says today.
| Published: | 12 November 2020 |
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Ask the Expert: Achieving a green and just recovery from the Coronavirus crisis
In this instalment of the SMF’s Ask the Expert series, convened in partnership with UK Research and Innovation, we were joined by Ece Özdemiroğlu, Polly Billington and Matthew Pennycook MP to discuss how a green and just recovery from the coronavirus pandemic could be achieved.
The ‘new normal’ might look more like the old one than we expect
“I never make predictions, especially about the future”, the American sage Yogi Berra is reported to have said. If only the rest of us had such a luxury.
SR2020 lacked a punch on skills provision and jobs creation
The Chancellor was right to declare an “economic emergency” at the House of Commons dispatch box yesterday. If he believes this is an emergency driven by an escalating employment crisis, it is one which can be remedied through Government-created jobs and much more ambitious skills provision.