Think tank


Councils ‘resistant’ to repurposing empty commercial space 20/07/2021 A think tank has accused local authorities of being ‘resistant’ to measures that could see empty retail spaces repurposed for housing.
New index reveals most and least prosperous local authorities 13/05/2021 A new index to track the Government's progress on its 'levelling up' agenda has been launched today by a think tank.
Report calls for thousands of new green jobs in areas worst hit by pandemic 05/05/2021 More than 16,000 new green jobs could be created in areas with the greatest employment challenges with Government investment and raised ambition, according to new research by a think tank.
Social care reform depends on market overhaul 15/04/2021 Social care reform will ‘fail’ without addressing weaknesses in the provider market, a think-tank has warned.
Think tank calls for reform of 'regressive' council tax in Scotland 12/04/2021 Council tax in Scotland should be increased to the same levels as the rest of the UK, a think tank has argued today.
Public back more city devolution 09/04/2021 More than eight in ten people support more devolution to England’s largest cities, a new poll has revealed.
Think tank calls for political action on community power 23/02/2021 New legislation should be created to give communities more power over their places and services, a think tank has argued today.
Think tank calls for collaboration in face of ‘stark’ health inequalities 22/02/2021 A think tank has called on health and care organisations across London to continue working together closely after the pandemic in order to tackle health inequalities across the capital.
Think tank calls for a ‘street votes’ approach in the suburbs 17/02/2021 Local residents should be given the power to set their own local development rules at a street level, and share the wealth created by new housing, a think tank has proposed today.
Pandemic pushes 450,000 families into housing debt, says report 16/02/2021 A further 450,000 families have fallen behind on their housing payments due to the impact of the pandemic, a think tank has warned today.
Think tank's launches levelling up Big Bang theory 15/02/2021 The Government should launch a Northern Big Bang to ‘unleash a torrent of investment into the Northern economy’ says a report from a Conservative think-tank.
Councils face £1.3bn shortfall on council tax, says IFS 05/02/2021 Councils face a £1.3bn shortfall in the council tax they were expecting for 2020-21, finance think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has calculated.
Pandemic is 'levelling down' the South, report warns 25/01/2021 The economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic will make it four times harder to level up the North and Midlands, a new study has revealed.
New proposals to fix Britain's 'fraying social fabric' 12/01/2021 Every local area should be represented by a parish or town council in order to rebuild ‘fraying’ communities after the pandemic, a think tank has argued today.
Public health cuts biggest in North East 09/12/2020 The Midlands and the North have suffered the biggest public health cuts in England, new analysis has revealed.
Think tank calls for £164bn stimulus in spending review 23/11/2020 The UK’s economy needs a £164bn cash injection to restart it fully after the COVID-19 crisis, a think tank has said.
Think-tank issues warning on Brexit readiness 03/11/2020 Local authorities and the devolved nations risk being overwhelmed by Brexit as they are trying to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, a think tank has claimed.
Government needs a plan to tackle public service backlog, says IfG 02/11/2020 The Government needs a plan to address backlogs in public services caused by the coronavirus crisis, a new report has claimed.
Think tank proposes 10-point plan to reform business rates 29/10/2020 The valuation of business rates should be devolved to local government, under proposals published by the Centre for Cities.
Think tank calls for a 'family stimulus' boost 28/10/2020 A 'family stimulus' would help support hard-hit families through the pandemic, a new report has said.
Streamline local government under plans to save £30bn a year, think tank argues 21/10/2020 Streamlining local government and selling off high-value council properties could save billions every year, according to a think tank.
Government 'likely' to miss full fibre broadband 2025 target 07/10/2020 A Government promise to deliver full fibre broadband to every home by 2025 is likely to be missed unless ministers make radical changes to telecoms policy, think tank warns.
Levelling up agenda would add £242bn to economy each year, research finds 05/10/2020 Successfully delivering on the levelling agenda would boost the economy by £242bn a year, new research has argued today.
Think tank calls for sweeping reforms to local taxes 06/07/2020 A group of former Treasury special advisers have called for revaluation of the council tax and reform of business rates to boost the economy post-COVID-19.
Youth unemployment to double this year, warns think tank 03/07/2020 The number of unemployed young people could double this year without government intervention, a think tank has warned today.
Housing sector at risk of collapse due to Covid-19, think tank warns 10/06/2020 At least 76,000 homes are at risk of not being built this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, a think tank has warned today.
Think tank warns of growing educational gap during lockdown 18/05/2020 Children from better-off families are spending more time on educational activities than those from the poorest households, a think tank has found.
Debt collection needs reform, says think tank 27/04/2020 Local government should follow the lead of the private sector when it comes to debt collection, the latest report from the Centre for Social Justice think tank has claimed.
Think tank argues social care should be 'free at point of use' after Covid-19 22/04/2020 The Government has been urged to use the coronavirus crisis to undertake long term social care reform, in a new report by the Policy Exchange.
Think tank calls for benefit cap to be suspended to protect renters 09/04/2020 Social housing tenants are the most likely to be affected by the current economic crisis, a new report has found today.
Councils in London urged to increase cost of residential parking permits 18/03/2020 Councils in London are under-charging for residential on-street parking spaces, a think tank has found today.
Work alone cannot eliminate poverty, think tank says 04/02/2020 Policy makers need to focus on further interventions to reduce poverty, think tank says as a new report warns that work alone cannot eliminate poverty.
One in 19 deaths in cities due to air pollution, think tank reveals 27/01/2020 A think tank has urged councils to take urgent action to improve air quality in cities after research reveals that more than one in 19 deaths in urban areas is caused by pollution.
Think tank calls for levy to fund digital inclusion 24/01/2020 A think tank has called for reform of the Banking Levy on banks and financial service providers to fund the delivery of digital inclusion schemes.
Think tank launches new strategy to tackle ‘poor health outcomes’ 24/01/2020 The King’s Fund has announced a new strategy which places a ‘stronger focus’ on improving health and care services for people who currently have the poorest health outcomes.
Universal Credit creating ‘a complex mix of winners and losers’ 21/01/2020 The impact Universal Credit is having on different parts of the country is being ‘ignored’ a think tank has warned today.
Think tank warns red tape is ‘strangling’ the high street 17/01/2020 National planning guidelines and local plans are failing to revitalise the high street, a new report by a think tank has warned.
Major parties ‘fall short’ on social care funding commitments 04/12/2019 None of the three major parties have pledged enough in social care funding to fix the ongoing crisis in care provision, a health think tank has concluded.
Party commitments on council funding ‘starkly’ different, think tank says 03/12/2019 Money allocated to local government in the Conservative manifesto would not be enough to meet rising costs over the next parliament, think tank says.
No parties would reduce child poverty, warns think tank 26/11/2019 None of the party manifestos would reduce levels of child poverty, new research from the Resolution Foundation has found.
Think tanks calls for public health funding to be linked to NHS budgets 05/11/2019 Public health funding should be linked to increases in the NHS budget, a briefing published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) suggests.
Rent caps needed to curb housing crisis, report says 04/10/2019 A think tank has called for local leaders to have the power to cap rents in high-cost areas.
It’s time to reboot localism, says think tank 23/09/2019 Local authorities should formally commit to including the neighbourhood in all decision making processes, says Centre for London.
Think tank reveals outsourcing’s ‘mixed’ record 16/09/2019 Outsourcing services has delivered savings to citizens, although politicians have ‘consistently overstated’ the extent of these savings, think tank says.
Think tank calls for radical reform of children’s services 10/09/2019 A radical new approach to children’s services is needed to avert the growing crisis, a think tank has warned today.
Think tank calls for councils to have powers over immigration post-Brexit 06/09/2019 Councils should be given powers after Brexit to issue visas to foreign workers based on their assessment of local need, according to think tank Localis.
IDS think tank calls for raise in pension age to 75 19/08/2019 The state pension age should be increased to 75 in order to boost the economy by £182bn, says a centre-right think tank which is close to the Government.
More children being cared for in failing council services, says think tank 12/08/2019 Nearly 50,000 children are being cared for in areas where council services are failing, a think tank has warned today.
Education disadvantage gap has ‘stopped closing’, think tank reveals 30/07/2019 Poorer pupils in the North are struggling to keep up with their peers, an education think tank reveals, as research shows the education disadvantage gap has stopped closing.
Integrating migrants could boost economy by £7bn, think tank says 18/06/2019 A think tank has called for the setting up of ‘local integration funds’ to help migrants find jobs that match their skills as part of a series of proposals to improve integration.
Planning system 'fuelling' North-South divide, says think tank 11/06/2019 The current planning system is increasing the North-South divide, according to a think tank.
Councils spend £74m on empty properties in two years 03/06/2019 Local authorities have spent millions maintaining empty properties over the last couple of years, anti-tax campaigners have revealed.
Healing the divisions through local economic power 16/05/2019 The nation is becoming increasingly divided, but a think tank report on Britain post-Brexit provides a positive vision for the future, says Mark Whitehead.
Think tank calls for creation of a British Investment Bank 15/05/2019 An investment bank should be set up to 'kick start a productivity revolution' after Brexit, according to a local government think tank.
Think tank calls for ‘new relationship’ between employers and communities 24/04/2019 A new relationship is needed between major employers and their local communities, according to a new report.
Think tank calls for ‘major rethink’ of electric vehicles roll out 10/01/2019 The roll out of infrastructure for electric vehicles risks exacerbating the divide between rich and poor, creating ‘a tale of two cities’ in urban centres, a think tank has warned.
One in 10 deprived areas ‘food deserts’, think tank says 15/10/2018 Nearly one in 10 deprived areas in England and Wales do not have easy access to healthy, affordable food products, new study shows.
Councils urged to offer staff low interest loans 12/09/2018 Local authorities should offer staff low interest loans that could be paid back through their payroll system, according to a new report by ResPublica.
Universal Credit entering ‘most difficult phase’, think tank warns 06/09/2018 The Government should speed up Universal Credit payments if it wants its flagship welfare reform to be successful, think tank says.
Social care system demonstrates ‘remarkable resilience’ 15/08/2018 Local social care services have demonstrated ‘remarkable resilience’ in the face of Government cut backs and demographic changes, think tank says.
Think tank publishes scorecard for local government financing 23/07/2018 A new scorecard assessing the options of funding local government post 2020 has been published by a think tank.
Public 'willing' to pay more tax for certain services 25/06/2018 Most people would be prepared to pay more in council tax or one-off voluntary levies to fund particular local services, a new poll has revealed today.
Whitehall cuts ‘undermining’ support services for vulnerable children 01/05/2018 Government funding reductions have forced councils to cut back on early support services for vulnerable children, an education policy think tank has found.
Report scathing on public sector accountability 23/04/2018 Britain’s system of public sector accountability is failing to keep up with the realities of modern government, a think-tank has warned.
Housing shortage condemns ‘millennials' to renting for life 17/04/2018 A think tank has called for councils to receive more support to build affordable housing as report reveals a third of millennials face renting from ‘cradle to grave.’
Industrial strategy neglecting fortunes of ‘left-behind’ areas, think tank warns 26/03/2018 The Government’s decision to focus its industrial strategy on the most advanced areas of England risks neglecting the economic fortunes of the bulk of the country, think tank warns.
Planning laws should be reformed to protect commercial space, think tank says 21/03/2018 Major cities in the North and Midlands are growing rapidly, but the Government needs to take action to protect the commercial space driving this growth, think tank says.
Scrap 'outdated and regressive council tax, says think tank 20/03/2018 Council tax is ‘outdated and regressive’, and the Government should consider scrapping it in favour of a fairer system, according to a think tank.
Think tank calls for 1% levy on gambling industry to help treat addictions 24/01/2018 Funding to help problem gamblers is three times less than funding to treat alcohol or drug abuse, a think tank has highlighted.
Pause all outsourcing and PFI contracts, urges think tank 22/01/2018 A think tank has called for an end to the Government's 'love-in' with outsourcing and Public Finance Initiatives.
Councils urged to adopt a ‘changemaking’ approach 04/01/2018 A think tank has warned that a radical cultural shift is needed in local government rather than the rigid redesign of structures.
300,000 ‘forgotten unemployed’ missing out on benefits, think tank reveals 02/01/2018 An estimated 300,000 people are ‘falling through the cracks’ of the welfare system and missing out on the financial support they are entitled to, new research reveals.
Single local councils could save £2.9bn a year, says think tank 17/11/2017 Abolishing district councils and replacing them with single unitary authorities could save £2.9bn a year, a think tank has argued.
Think tank warns of huge disparities in productivity across the country 16/11/2017 Cities in the South East of England are nearly twice as productive as other places in Britain, according to new research.
Report calls for land market reform 10/11/2017 Councils should be allowed to buy land at prices closer to its existing use value in order to unlock new social housing and generate extra income, a new report has argued.
Councils should be given powers to ‘disrupt’ housing market, think tank says 16/10/2017 Local authorities should be given powers to re-designate greenbelt land and employers should auto-enrol the young to encourage saving for house deposit, think tank says.
Think tank proposes establishment of mayors’ senate to deal with Brexit 12/10/2017 A local government think tank has told Whitehall they cannot ‘cherry pick’ what powers are handed down locally and has called for ‘radical change’ to help councils tackle major challenges.
Benefit freeze ‘biggest policy driver’ of poverty, think tanks finds 10/10/2017 Real terms cuts to working-age benefits and tax credits are set to drive almost half a million more people into poverty in 2020, think tank reveals.
Local government reforms undermined by ‘depressing’ lack of female representation, report finds 21/08/2017 Council chiefs say progress in achieving gender balance in local government should be made at a ‘faster pace’ after think tank warns of a lack of women in top jobs.
‘Local industrial strategies’ needed to boost employment in cities, think tank says 16/08/2017 A think tank has called on the Government to devise ‘local industrial strategies’ in order to tackle unemployment and underemployment in the UK’s major cities.
Local people should have control over new housing, argues think tank 11/08/2017 Up to five million new homes could be built if people in individual streets were given control over planning permission, according to the Adam Smith Institute.
Nearly half of councils using powers to ban anti-social behaviour 31/07/2017 More than 100 councils have used new powers to curb a range of anti-social behaviour – from begging to swearing – in a 16-month time period, according to a new report.
Excluded school pupils being failed by ‘broken system’ warns think tank 21/07/2017 At least half of pupils excluded from school have a mental health issue and are being failed by an ‘unjust system’, a new report has found.
Regional cities must attract investment to rebalance economy, report says 19/07/2017 Regional cities must take the lead in rebalancing the London-centric investment market, think tank says as figures reveal London captures half of the country’s commercial property investment.
Councils must tackle ‘killer fumes’ in the north, report says 18/07/2017 A progressive think tank has called on councils to do more to tackle pollution as it warns ‘killer fumes’ are blighting UK regional cities.
Housing crisis risks causing ‘demographic time bomb’, report says 17/07/2017 High house prices are preventing a generation of people from having children and risk contributing to a ‘demographic time bomb’, think tank warns.
Ending public sector pay cap would cost £10bn, think tank says 10/07/2017 Ending the public sector pay cap could cost nearly £10bn over the next five years, warns think tank.
Think tank urges urgent health and social care ‘reboot’ 05/07/2017 The integration of health and social care requires an urgent ‘reboot’ by Whitehall following last month’s General Election result, think tank says.
Mental health system ‘failing’ young people warns think tank 21/06/2017 Councils should be able to retain a percentage of the pupil premium allowance to help provide school-based support services, a think tank has argued today.
Mayors must unite behind devolution agenda, think tank says 05/05/2017 England’s mayors must unite to demand more devolved powers to improve local public services and boost trade post-Brexit, a leading think tank says.
Think tank warns of 'complex and fragmented system' for HIV care 26/04/2017 People will HIV are being let down by the complexity of the health system in England, a new report has found.
Think tank calls for ‘overhaul’ of local democracy in Scotland 18/04/2017 A think tank has published a ‘blueprint’ for a complete overhaul of local governance in Scotland via the introduction of primary legislation.
Mayors can ‘transform’ city regions but need more power, report says 10/04/2017 The new metro mayors will have the power to transform their city regions, but there has been little policy development for this purpose, progressive think tank says.
Small town England must have ‘radical powers’ to make Brexit a success, says think tank 22/03/2017 Whitehall must grant small town England ‘radical new powers’ to revive moribund local economies if the country is to make a success of Brexit, think tank says.
Councils urged to adopt one of three standardised waste systems 01/03/2017 Brexit presents a 'huge opportunity' for the UK government to develop a new approach to waste and resources policy, according to the Policy Exchange think tank.
Health service reforms ‘not credible’ without social care investment 21/02/2017 Local plans to reform health services to secure the future of the NHS are ‘not credible’ unless cuts in social care and public health budgets are reversed, think tank says.
Think tank calls for creation of new Northern Infrastructure Bonds 20/02/2017 London will receive £1,500 more in transport spending per person than the North over the coming years, think tank says.
Four million more people living below an ‘adequate income’ 15/02/2017 Millions of just about managing families are on the ‘tipping point’ of falling into poverty, warns think tank.
Whitehall should ‘abolish’ free childcare, think tank says 06/02/2017 The Government should abolish universal free childcare and directly target support at the most disadvantaged families, free-market think tank argues.
IPPR: Lessons from German housing market could benefit UK 05/12/2016 Germany has higher rates of housebuilding, a much less volatile housing market, and a larger private rented sector than the UK, new report reveals.

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