Latest Publications

We publish research reports and briefing papers under the following five main categories. Click a category below or use the search box to find what you are looking for.

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
Author: Jamie Gollings
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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

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
Author: Niamh O Regan
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Publication

What the NHS can and cannot learn from the Singaporean health care system

Singapore spends less on healthcare than the UK, and achieves remarkable health outcomes. Yet it is often unclear how far these lower costs are due to the design of their healthcare system as opposed to wider societal and cultural factors. This paper focuses specifically on primary care, and argues that Singaporean-style polyclinics and telemedicine could help drive efficiency in the UK, as they have done in Singapore
Published: 04 March 2024
Author: Max Thilo
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Publication

Member choice for pensions: Addressing some common questions

This paper builds on the SMF paper published in December 2023, which argued for ‘member choice’ in pensions. With such a proposal under consideration by the Government, it addresses some common questions and misapprehensions.
Published: 16 February 2024
Author: Michael Johnson
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Publication

Weighing the pounds: The economics of public health intervention

This is the third of three papers exploring tobacco, alcohol, obesity and gambling policy. It argues that the contribution of such activities to the economy should not be used as a justification to avoid action to discourage them, whereas the costs they generate through ill health are more significant – though they should not be overstated.
Published: 09 February 2024
Author: Aveek Bhattacharya
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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

Local heroes? Assessing leadership and management in local government

Local government plays a key role in delivering services to the public and developing local economies, and its role has evolved in recent years in response to a number of challenges. This report looks at the role of effective leadership and management in helping local government meet these challenges and the obstacles facing leaders and managers in local government.
Published: 25 January 2024
Author(s): Richard Hyde, Niamh O Regan
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Publication

A new lease of life: Three steps to success for the NHS

The crisis in the NHS, with unacceptable waiting lists and ever increasing emergency admissions, shows the current model is failing to meet modern healthcare needs. This briefing proposes a new model to increase efficiency, shifting care away from the district general hospital towards fewer, specialist teams, more neighbourhood care and greater transparency.
Published: 25 January 2024
Author(s): Nick Bosanquet, Andrew Haldenby
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