The Social Market Foundation is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank, standing proudly in the centre-ground of politics since 1989. We bring together people of all parties and none to develop evidence-based policies that support a fair society and a strong economy.
Publication
Clearing the air: Confronting the costs to cloud adopters of restrictive software licensing practices
This report explores the costs of restrictive software licensing practices on the public and private sector. It reviews existing literature on the cloud, draws upon interviews with IT professionals who oversee usage of cloud services in their daily roles, and quantifies the potential economic harm resulting from these practices.
| Published: | 03 July 2024 |
|---|---|
| Author(s): | Jake Shepherd, Hari Menon, Bohyun Bang |
Publication
Too much of a good thing? International students and the financial stability of English higher education
International students benefit the UK, but the speed of the increase in their numbers since 2019 has diluted these benefits and created pressures on student housing. This briefing lays out how to manage their numbers to reduce these pressures without creating a financial stability risk for the higher education sector.
| Published: | 25 June 2024 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Zeki Dolen |
Publication
Crazy for you: What just happened, and where next, for the UK’s switchback policy on international students?
The debate around international students has taken a more negative tone both in the UK and in other major host countries over the past year. This report sets out the competing priorities around the policies – which lie at the intersection of higher education, immigration and trade – governing questions of the UK’s offer to and admission of international students.
| Published: | 25 June 2024 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Jonathan Thomas |
Media Release
‘Is a battle coming between competition policy and industrial strategy?’
The drive for economic growth could confront a Labour government with choices between competition and industrial aims, says competition watchdog’s former strategy director.
| Published: | 05 July 2024 |
|---|
Media Release
Public sector could save £300m by tackling restrictive cloud licensing
A new report shows that the public sector could save £300m that is lost through restrictive software rules.
| Published: | 03 July 2024 |
|---|
Media Release
‘Fix universities’ overreliance on international students to improve long-term financial sustainability’, think tank says
Recent restrictions to international students coming to the UK haven’t addressed universities’ dependence on them for core funding, and risk worsening outcomes for all students, think tank says.
| Published: | 24 June 2024 |
|---|
Five new strategic battles that could shape the first six months for Labour
One of the most common mistakes in political strategy is to be fighting the last battle, instead of preparing for the new one. With this in mind, here are five new strategic battles that I think will shape the first six months for Labour.
Labour’s competition conundrum
In this blog, Stuart Hudson – former CMA Director of Strategy – argues that an incoming Labour government will need competitive markets to drive growth – and this means it will have to navigate three trade-offs in its industrial strategy.
Ask the Expert: Maximilian Kasy and Lukas Lehner on universal job guarantee
Universal job guarantee is a government policy that ensures every citizen who wants employment can obtain a job. In this blog, Jake Shepherd interviews University of Oxford economists Maximilian Kasy and Lukas Lehner to discuss the benefits of a successful job guarantee scheme in Austria, and its implications for UK policymakers.