IPPR urges shakeup of Labour spending plans
IPPR calls for a substantial rethink of Labour’s spending plans, arguing current proposals need reshaping to meet the think tank’s goals for fairness, greener outcomes and prosperity.
UK policy, filtered.
Everything government, Parliament, the statistical agencies and the major policy institutes published — read, summarised and ranked so you can skim the day in a minute.
5,510 articles · 37 live sources · updated 2h ago
The Putin Tax and the Cost of Russian Hostility to Britain
A new report examines the costs to Britain of Russian hostility, arguing government must quantify the economic and strategic burden—dubbed the 'Putin Tax'—that sanctions and ongoing tensions impose on the UK.
French Adults Stand Out for Their Economic Pessimism
In a multinational poll, 85% of French adults say their national economy is doing badly — the highest share among 18 high‑income countries included in the survey.
What Do Health and Wellness Influencers Post About?
Just over half of health and wellness social media content focuses on healthy living, around a third covers medical topics, and 38% of posts promote a product or service, per Pew’s content analysis.
What is a degree for?
Opinion piece argues the need to clarify what a university degree actually delivers for students and employers, questioning the value proposition prospective students face when weighing the cost of higher education.
Positive tone for cooperation at Pre-COP – setting the stage for COP31
Pre‑COP discussions emphasised cooperative tone, commitments to limit warming to 1.5°C, elevating Pacific priorities and accelerating implementation and urgency ahead of COP31, aiming to set a constructive stage for the summit.
Britain's Productivity Problem Is a Choice
Argues UK productivity stagnation since 2008 — output per hour growth halved from ~2% to about 1% or less — is self‑inflicted, widening gaps with the US, France and Germany and harming wages, public services and living standards.
Universities cannot leave social mobility to their widening participation teams alone
Argues universities must integrate widening participation across institutions rather than rely on isolated teams, warning that siloed summer schools and programmes will limit universities’ impact on social mobility.
China is Not Just Claiming the South China Sea. It is Learning to Govern It
Analyses Beijing’s behaviour in the South China Sea, arguing China now treats areas like the Second Thomas Shoal as administered space—enforcing restrictions and contesting others’ resupply missions.
Kemi Badenoch’s inheritance tax proposals are myth-based policy making at its worst
Kemi Badenoch’s inheritance tax proposals are criticised as being based on myths rather than evidence, with the piece arguing the policy lacks solid empirical justification and risks poor outcomes.
Healey’s Budget is a moment he must not miss
Commentary argues Chancellor Healey must use the forthcoming Budget as a decisive opportunity to set fiscal and economic direction, implying strategic tax and spending choices are needed to restore credibility and deliver policy priorities.
Climate Change Stocktaking: How the EU is tackling the new climate reality
E3G is hosting a Climate Change Stocktaking event on EU responses to recent extreme heat and a major El Niño, presenting scientific evidence to inform EU policymaking; registration is required.
IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings: Debt, energy and climate crises loom large
Finance ministers and central bankers will meet in Bangkok (12–18 October) to tackle intertwined challenges: fossil fuel supply shocks, rising sovereign debt distress and accelerating climate impacts that are squeezing fiscal space across many economies, notably in Asia.
A lovely example of the costs of bureaucracy
Argues that small urban plots under 2,500 sq m (around nine tennis courts) are often unused but could unlock housebuilding; RCKa estimates London has enough small-site land to deliver 850,000 homes and a Lewisham survey found space for about 9,700.
Budget 2026: When Fiscal and Monetary Policy Collide
Ahead of the 28 October Budget, NIESR warns of rising inflation driven by elevated global energy prices and examines tensions between fiscal tightening and monetary policy, exploring implications for growth, inflation and public borrowing.
Devolution is about more than acquiring powers
Argues strategic local authorities should use devolution not just to acquire powers but to reshape public services, emphasising systems change and inclusion as priorities for combined authorities such as the West Midlands.
Which Health and Wellness Influencers Talk About Medical Topics? Mostly Healthcare Professionals
Influencers who identify as healthcare professionals post substantially more about medical conditions, mental health and clinically supervised treatments than other health and wellness influencers, according to Pew’s content analysis.
Budget 2026
Project page tracking Budget 2026 coverage and analysis, maintained by the Institute for Government to follow fiscal announcements, policy measures and their implementation around the 2026 UK budget.
Religious groups’ midterm preferences
Public opinion polling summarises US religious groups’ midterm voting preferences, noting differences between denominations — for example, Catholics leaning three points towards Democratic House candidates — based on Pew’s recent analyses.
In Helping Ukraine, We Protect Ourselves
Argues that supporting Ukraine is in Western self-interest rather than charity, because Russia poses threats beyond Europe and Ukraine's battlefield innovation and civilian resilience offer lessons the West should adopt.
Once again, business rates are a tax upon landlords
The piece argues business rates effectively tax landlords and criticises proposals to shift costs onto large retailers. It highlights John Lewis chairman Jason Tarry warning Chancellor John Healey that a 'warehouse tax' to fund Andy Burnham’s pub and venue cuts would threaten high‑street closures.
Development Aid will be Critical to Securing Ukraine
Contends that while Ukraine needs weapons to win the war, European development aid and broader non‑military tools will be critical to securing and consolidating any lasting peace.
How big is the living standards challenge facing Andy Burnham?
Joseph Rowntree Foundation examines the scale of living standards challenges for Andy Burnham’s area, assessing pressures on low- and middle-income households and options to restore income growth amid the cost of living crisis.
Burnham's public service reforms still need a plan for schools
Analysis argues that Andy Burnham’s wider public service reform agenda lacks a clear plan for schools, urging detailed proposals on funding, outcomes and local delivery to align education with broader devolution ambitions.
Many Do More as One: What Functional Interdependence Can Tell Us About Coalition Building
Cities often cross administrative boundaries for travel, water, waste and economic links; the paper argues functional interdependence should inform coalition-building and coordination between municipalities for shared challenges like transport and pollution.
The chancellor must go big to keep Britain on board
Calls on the chancellor to pursue bold, large‑scale policy measures argue that the prime minister’s plan to dismantle four decades of neoliberal policy risks failing without major fiscal and political commitment.
Government must act to protect essential energy consumption for all
Finds that without government intervention UK energy bills would be about £200 higher than at the peak of the Russia–Ukraine crisis, and urges action to protect essential energy consumption for all households.
Unintended consequences: the anti-growth ‘Mansion Tax’
The proposed High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS) will apply from April 2028 to homes in England worth £2 million+, with annual charges from £2,500 up to £7,500 for properties over £5 million; the paper warns it may harm economic growth.
Andy Burnham should establish the National Care Service this parliament
Andy Burnham is urged to create a National Care Service within this parliament, arguing for devolution‑led reform to deliver a unified care system — a policy proposal for Greater Manchester and possibly a model for wider UK reform.
Every student needs a minimum AI requirement
Argues for a compulsory, minimum AI literacy requirement for all university students so they can both use and critically evaluate AI, rather than leaving such skills to optional workshops.