Latest Publications

Power and wealth are not well distributed in Britain, meaning too many people feel excluded from politics and policy-making. Our work explores ways to give more people a say and a stake in the country’s future.

Latest Publications:

Publication

Carefully, compassionately: Canadian lessons on assisted dying

Objectors to assisted dying policy often cite Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) programme to exemplify the danger of doing so, including concerns about due process and eligibility. The following briefing is designed to evaluate where Canada has gone wrong, why it should not deter policymakers in Britain, and how we learn from Canadian mistakes to ensure assisted dying can be safe.
Published: 11 November 2024
Author: Gideon Salutin
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Publication

The fight for trust

Trust in government is at a historic low. In this paper, Steve van Riel argues that overcoming falling levels of trust will require rethinking how we understand the concept. He sets out aims to help policymakers look a layer beneath the abstract concept of trust, and be “strategic about where greater trust will really make a difference”.
Published: 10 October 2024
Author: Steve van Riel
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It’s a fraudster’s world: Exploring the scale, impact, and globally interconnected nature of fraud against consumers

Fraud is a growing problem around the world. This report provides a sense of the scale of fraud across 15 countries, highlights the need for international collaboration to make a meaningful impact on fraud and identifies key obstacles hindering counter-fraud efforts and how to overcome them.
Published: 28 September 2024
Author(s): Richard Hyde, John Asthana Gibson
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Labour Economics: Thinking through Labour’s economic agenda

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 the gaps it needs to fill.
Published: 22 April 2024
Author: Various
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Fraudscape: The size of the fraud problem around the world

Fraud is not just a problem for the UK, it is a pressing issue for many countries around the world. Using data from 15 countries, this paper provides an aggregated picture of the scale of the ‘fraudemic’ being experienced by populations across the globe.
Published: 12 March 2024
Author(s): Richard Hyde, John Asthana Gibson
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The UK’s coming election and the politics of immigration: Five key themes – and what they mean – for any party wanting to govern for all

Divisions over immigration and asylum have been a feature of British politics for decades. Much of the debate in this policy area has become tired and repetitive. This short briefing sets out a different perspective, and a challenge to the parties ahead of the next election. It highlights five alternative themes that, while generally overlooked amid the fractious debates, are in fact key to addressing concerns, bridging divides and restoring public faith.
Published: 01 February 2024
Author: Jonathan Thomas
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Publication

Degrees of separation: The education divide in British politics

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 choice than any other demographic or economic variables other than age. This report, from leading political scientist Professor Robert Ford, explores the implications of the changing electoral landscape for the UK’s major political parties.
Published: 27 November 2023
Author(s): Robert Ford, Hannah Bunting, Ralph Scott, Maria Sobolewska
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Fraudulent times: Identifying a consensus for an agenda to beat fraud

We are in the midst of a fraud emergency, but efforts to tackle it have consistently fallen short of reversing its growth in recent years. This report argues that a more concerted and long-term effort against fraud is needed, requiring a “whole eco-system” approach based around extensive cooperation by all those involved in the fraud chain and between the public and private sectors.
Published: 30 October 2023
Author: Richard Hyde
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Publication

A tale of two human rights lawyers: Could a Labour government realise a better future in the UK for refugee protection with control?

The question of whether and, if so, how countries can construct arrangements to transfer asylum seekers to other countries is viewed with alarm by most supporters of refugee rights. But this need not be so. This briefing shows how Labour’s focus on the potential for tough action on Channel crossings, when combined with improved responsibility sharing for refugees across Europe, may represent a way forward that is compatible with the Refugee Convention, and a preferable alternative to the ‘Rwanda scheme’.
Published: 24 October 2023
Author: Jonathan Thomas
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