Many have bemoaned the UK’s relatively low income compared to the US. This paper dives into consumption patterns in both countries to see how far this gap translates into a genuinely higher standard...

Over the last 20 years immigration numbers to the UK have hugely impacted British political and public life. This report looks at the past, present, and future of these immigration numbers, from...

Key points ‘Cash benchmarking’ practices have become common in poorer countries in recent years and used by development agencies to compare programme outcomes against the alternative of giving people...

This is the first of three papers exploring tobacco, alcohol, obesity and gambling policy. It compares different types of policy approach, and concludes that more ‘interventionist’ and apparently...

In this blog, Labour PPC Chris Curtis sets out his vision for a new generation of New Towns to address the UK's housing crisis - bringing multiple advantages with them and learning from past mistakes.

The government’s long-awaited review of the Gambling Act is underway. Officials have already collected evidence on the effects of gambling in order to “assess t

With Labour Party having vowed to achieve the fastest growth in the G7, the SMF has brought together leading economic experts to provide independent analysis of the party’s proposed approach – and...

This report explores the role that adult education does and could play in improving the labour market outcomes of low-income households. It draws on desk research, quantitative analysis and in-depth...

The UK is a nation of animal lovers, but are we doing enough to understand and reduce animal suffering everywhere– even farms? In this report, we attempt to identify a working definition and practi...

Whereas vegetarianism and veganism were once relatively fringe, interest in reducing meat consumption – whether on animal welfare, health or environmental grounds – is on the rise. This report, the...

A few weeks back, our chief economist Aveek Bhattacharya suggested that the Government should respond to rising household costs – in particular higher energy prices – with a ‘cost-of living-bonus’....

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...

Police officer pay in the UK has declined substantially in real terms since 2000, making the police an outlier among similar occupational roles and among public sector workers more widely. What could...

In this briefing, we present the results of a nationally representative survey which shows that the general public believe vocational qualifications to be just as useful and desirable as a university...

This Social Market Foundation virtual Ask the Expert event, in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), explored how small businesses have responded and adapted to the pandemic and how it...

This paper makes the case for introducing a statutory levy on the gambling industry, to be overseen by a new independent board led by the Department of Health and Social Care. The paper surveys the...

Key points Singapore has experienced extraordinary economic success since the 1960s. Between 1970-2019, Singapore’s annual GDP-per-capita growth averaged 4.7%, compared to the UK’s 1.9%. The UK...

This essay originally appeared in the Social Market Foundation and Chartered Banker Institute’s “Pathway to COP26” essay collection. Introduction The COVID-19 crisis will continue to define public...

The answer lies not just in comparing the costs to parents, but also the societal costs of providing childcare - which is surprisingly difficult to work out, requiring bottom-up data gathering and...

Help with bills via a social tariff would hark back to the success of the Covid universal credit uplift, writes Polly Toynbee

On the face of it, the dilemma facing the Scottish Government as it weighs restrictions on alcohol marketing seems clear enough.

This report builds a picture of the needs and experiences of those doing gig work and how they compare to those in more traditional forms of work. The findings have implications for how policymakers...

With labour immigration to the UK scrambled by Brexit, the pandemic, and broader developments in the practical economy, this report focuses on the challenges of labour shortages for UK immigration...

Exposure to lead is likely harming our health and our economy. In this blog, Lee Crawfurd makes the case for greater screening, tracking and awareness to address the 'silent epidemic'.

 A full transcript can be found here  

It costs our economy some £137 billion a year. Just a small amount of that could more than cover the costs of a new force and save banks and insurers billions.

Informed by a recent expert roundtable and polling evidence commissioned for the SMF, the report highlights a lack of public understanding of Net Zero and the need to transition homes away from...

The draft National Policy Forum documents published by LabourList in May contained a pledge by the party to “ensure animals are treated with respect”. Yet…

This briefing paper considers whether the UK Government should support the development of alternative meat products as part of fulfilling its Net Zero ambitions.

The current system of policies supporting households with high energy bills is inadequate for an era of high energy bills. In this final, report with Public First, we present a new policy framework...

Despite recent challenges to the Bank of England’s independence, this briefing suggests that over-politicisation is a greater threat to sound macroeconomic policy than empowering technocrats. It...

This blog, by Fair By Design's Martin Coppack and Carl Packman, analyses the shortcomings of the current energy products market and makes a case for inclusive designing that prevents low-income...

The past decade has brought a decline in the number of school students in England participating in work experience. Far too many have to rely on their parents’ connections to get worthwhile and...

Covid has thrown the disparity of opportunities into even sharper relief

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...

Chancellor’s 5p freeze will save £60 a year for well-off motorists compared with just £22 for lower earners

This review can learn from the mistakes of the past 15 years and help to prevent harm to people around the country, says James Noyes, fellow of the Social Market Foundation

This is the second of three papers exploring tobacco, alcohol, obesity and gambling policy. It explores the political opportunities and constraints around action on these issues, based on a review of...

This report puts forward a series of policy recommendations ahead of the Government’s anticipated review of the 2005 Gambling Act.

It is dismaying that child hunger is one of the leading political issues in the UK in the year 2020. Given the wealth of the country, the welfare state of which