Publications The great escape Why Britain is stuck in a fiscal funk and how we can break free 16 July 2026 by Simon Pittaway and Cillian Sheehan and James Smith and Andy King This report is the first in a series on the size and shape of the state, and how the public finances can be better managed in an era of low… Continue Reading
Events Breaking free of fiscal chains How to get the public finances back on a sustainable path Thursday 16 July 2026 In recent decades, fiscal policy in the UK has delivered the worst of all worlds. Spending on key public services has fallen, taxes are at a record high, and yet… Continue Reading
Publications See it. Say it. Sort it. How to reset Britain’s economic policy 14 May 2026 by Matthew Cavanagh and Alex Clegg and Ruth Curtice and James Smith This briefing note sets out how the Government should reset its economic strategy against a bleak backdrop of weak growth, falling living standards, and high borrowing costs. It provides clear… Continue Reading
Publications The localisation era Assessing the post-2013 rise of localised social security 20 November 2025 by Alex Clegg This report is part of the project Safety Nets: social security for families in a devolved UK, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. It examines the growth of localised social security… Continue Reading
Publications Mission impossible? Five things to look out for at next week’s pivotal Spending Review 4 June 2025 by Ruth Curtice and James Smith After a shaky start on the economy, Ministers have been happy to emphasise three trade agreements and some better-than-expected growth in recent weeks. They will hope the Spending Review (SR),… Continue Reading
Publications Renew and improve Setting up the Household Support Fund for the future 22 May 2025 by Alex Clegg and Ruth Patrick and Jed Meers and Mike Brewer and Uisce Jordan and Millie Light and Rhiannon Simms and Hayley Bennett and Beth Watts-Cobbe and Joe Pardoe This briefing note, part of the Safety Nets project, assesses how the Household Support Fund could be improved in a longer-term settlement, through analysis of administrative data and interviews with… Continue Reading
Publications Capital gains Public investment priorities for the 2025 Spending Review 29 April 2025 by Zachary Leather and Felicia Odamtten and Cara Pacitti and James Smith This report assesses the UK’s public investment challenges ahead of the 2025 Spending Review, highlighting legacy weaknesses in social infrastructure spending and setting out how targeted investment can boost growth… Continue Reading
Publications At your service? Why the 2025 Spending Review must reckon with the distribution of public service use 9 April 2025 by Camron Aref-Adib and Emily Fry and Zachary Leather Post-Covid, the British state is estimated to have reached a historic high of 45 per cent of the size of the economy. Past strategies to cope with increasing pressure on… Continue Reading
