Latest Publications

Power and wealth are not well distributed in Britain, meaning too many people feel excluded from politics and policy-making. Our work explores ways to give more people a say and a stake in the country’s future.

Latest Publications:

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
Author(s): Richard Hyde, John Asthana Gibson
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Publication

The UK’s coming election and the politics of immigration: Five key themes – and what they mean – for any party wanting to govern for all

Divisions over immigration and asylum have been a feature of British politics for decades. Much of the debate in this policy area has become tired and repetitive. This short briefing sets out a different perspective, and a challenge to the parties ahead of the next election. It highlights five alternative themes that, while generally overlooked amid the fractious debates, are in fact key to addressing concerns, bridging divides and restoring public faith.
Published: 01 February 2024
Author: Jonathan Thomas
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Publication

Degrees of separation: The education divide in British politics

British politics since the 2016 Brexit referendum has been characterised by the emergence of a new divide, between graduates and school leavers. Education now has a stronger relationship with vote choice than any other demographic or economic variables other than age. This report, from leading political scientist Professor Robert Ford, explores the implications of the changing electoral landscape for the UK’s major political parties.
Published: 27 November 2023
Author(s): Robert Ford, Hannah Bunting, Ralph Scott, Maria Sobolewska
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Fraudulent times: Identifying a consensus for an agenda to beat fraud

We are in the midst of a fraud emergency, but efforts to tackle it have consistently fallen short of reversing its growth in recent years. This report argues that a more concerted and long-term effort against fraud is needed, requiring a “whole eco-system” approach based around extensive cooperation by all those involved in the fraud chain and between the public and private sectors.
Published: 30 October 2023
Author: Richard Hyde
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Publication

A tale of two human rights lawyers: Could a Labour government realise a better future in the UK for refugee protection with control?

The question of whether and, if so, how countries can construct arrangements to transfer asylum seekers to other countries is viewed with alarm by most supporters of refugee rights. But this need not be so. This briefing shows how Labour’s focus on the potential for tough action on Channel crossings, when combined with improved responsibility sharing for refugees across Europe, may represent a way forward that is compatible with the Refugee Convention, and a preferable alternative to the ‘Rwanda scheme’.
Published: 24 October 2023
Author: Jonathan Thomas
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Publication

Towns Vitality Roadmap: A new policy framework for the UK’s towns

Towns are the backbone of our economy, the heart of our communities, and the engine of job creation. Yet, they often face significant challenges, including funding allocation, skills challenges, infrastructure issues and digital adoption. In a time of economic uncertainty, rising living costs, and productivity challenges, it is crucial to create the right conditions for towns, helping them to thrive and grow.
Published: 19 September 2023
Author(s): Aveek Bhattacharya, Sam Robinson
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Publication

The view from the ground: Building a greater understanding of the impact of fraud and how the public view what policymakers should do about it

The UK is experiencing an epidemic of fraud, yet the threat of it has remained neglected in political debates about crime, with insufficient research into the problem. This report investigates the extent of fraud, its economic and psychological impact on victims, and sheds new light on the public’s attitudes towards key debates on fraud policy.
Published: 14 September 2023
Author(s): Richard Hyde, Peter Wilson
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Publication

Social mobility and its critics

Social mobility is more controversial than it might appear, with critics seeing it as excessively demanding, a cover for economic inequality, and inherently wedded to hierarchies of status. For Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, a conception of equality of opportunity based on opportunities for self-realisation, rather than social advancement, offers a way forward.
Published: 25 July 2023
Author: Aveek Bhattacharya
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Publication

The sound of silence: Rethinking asylum seekers’ right to work in the UK

Debates on asylum policy – specifically on their right to work – have been at an impasse, stuck between extremes. To break the policy impasse of over twenty years, this report makes the case for taking a different, centrist approach to the policy around asylum seekers’ right to work in the UK.
Published: 24 July 2023
Author: Jonathan Thomas
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