Latest Publications

Markets are the best way to create and distribute wealth, but they don’t always work well for all the people in them. We research ways that sensible interactions between the state and the private sector can maximise growth and fairness.

Latest Publications:

Publication

Squeezed out or opting out? Understanding ethnic differences in use of financial products and services

The ethnic minority gap in financial products such as pensions and insurance is well-documented, but poorly understood. Drawing on existing and new survey data, and in-depth interviews, this report seeks to understand the scale of this gap, and possible explanations behind it, as well as proposing recommendations to policymakers and the industry on how to reduce the risk of disadvantage faced by ethnic minorities.
Published: 06 February 2023
Author(s): Niamh O Regan, Aveek Bhattacharya, Gideon Salutin, Scott Corfe
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Publication

Just a click away: How e-commerce can boost UK exports and growth

The UK has had an exports problem since the financial crisis of 2008, further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this report, we show that e-commerce should be a key focus of trade policy effort as it offers a route to get more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exporting, and how to remove the barriers they face.
Published: 02 November 2022
Author(s): Richard Hyde, Scott Corfe
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Publication

Social value roadmap for real estate

This briefing paper argues that the real estate and investment sectors must accelerate their journey from theorising about social value into widespread practice. It sets out recommendations for how designers, developers, the financial services industry, and local and central government can work together to maximise social value.
Published: 28 September 2022
Author(s): Scott Corfe, Linus Pardoe
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Publication

Household energy: a long-term funding proposal

This briefing presents a long-term solution for keeping consumer energy companies afloat through the current crisis while limiting the financial burden on taxpayers, drawing upon the structure of the Brady Plan which helped to successfully resolve the 1980s sovereign debt crisis.
Published: 01 September 2022
Author: Michael Johnson
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Publication

Childcare costs and poverty

Childcare costs in the UK are contributing to poverty and gender inequality. As part of our cross-party Commission on Childcare, we're publishing new analysis on the extent of the childcare crisis - the impact of being dragged out of the labour market to look after children has a long-term, scarring effect on wages. We'll be engaging with stakeholders and developing policy solutions in Autumn.
Published: 21 July 2022
Author: Scott Corfe
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Publication

Banking on access: Ensuring access to banking in a digital age

The shift towards digital banking, accelerated by the pandemic, creates many opportunities and offers benefits for the economy as a whole – but also brings with it some risks. This report explores future access to retail banking services, and the best way to ensure any such changes take place fairly and sustainably, and no one is left behind.
Published: 22 June 2022
Author(s): Scott Corfe, Richard Hyde, Bill Anderson-Samways
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Publication

Putting British success on the menu: Time for a UK alternative proteins strategy

This report calls on the UK Government to adopt a comprehensive policy stance on alternative proteins.
Published: 10 June 2022
Author: Linus Pardoe
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Publication

High societies: International experiences of cannabis liberalisation

Across the world, approaches to cannabis regulation are changing. This report reviews evidence from jurisdictions that have liberalised cannabis, assessing how they have impacted health, crime, and economic outcomes, comparing them against the UK’s prohibition regime.
Published: 20 April 2022
Author: Jake Shepherd
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Publication

Extending credit: Understanding pawnbroking customers’ options

Around 350,000 people use pawnbroking services each year, but the industry is in decline. This report builds a picture of why pawnbroking customers' use the service, how satisfied they are with it, and, crucially, what they would do if it were to vanish from the credit market.
Published: 19 April 2022
Author: Jake Shepherd
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