Latest Publications
We publish research reports and briefing papers under the following five main categories. Click a category below or use the search box to find what you are looking for.
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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Author: | Jonathan Thomas |
Publication
Pensions: a vision for the future
The pensions landscape is complex and unsustainable in its current form. This report proposes a vision for a simpler, fairer and more sustainable pensions landscape, incorporating the three pillars of State Pension, workplace provision and personal provision into a holistic framework.
| Published: | 10 June 2024 |
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| Author: | Michael Johnson |
Publication
Testing patience: Reducing the burden of the English school curriculum
Nearly a decade on from the last major reforms, politicians are again turning their attention to the national curriculum. This briefing assesses claims that the curriculum is ‘too packed with content’, and sets out how curriculum and assessment reform can improve secondary level education in England.
| Published: | 07 May 2024 |
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| Author: | John Asthana Gibson |
Publication
Up for grabs? Public attitudes on the pensions ‘pot-for-life’ proposal
The SMF recently published proposals for ‘member choice’ over pensions, whereby individuals can direct their contributions to a scheme of their choice. Meanwhile, the government is consulting on related proposals for a ‘lifetime provider’ model. This paper presents evidence on public attitudes to these proposals, drawing on a survey of workers, and two expert roundtable discussions on the topic.
| Published: | 26 April 2024 |
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| Author: | Niamh O Regan |
Publication
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 |
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| Author: | Various |
Publication
Beyond the comfort zone: How can planning reform boost housing supply and affordability?
Planning reform is of growing interest to policymakers across the Anglosphere as a way to increase the rate of housebuilding at minimal cost to the public purse. This report – the fifth and final instalment of our series on the housing crisis – looks at how effective planning reform is at increasing supply and how the UK can learn from failures elsewhere to ensure it succeeds here.
| Published: | 16 April 2024 |
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| Author: | Gideon Salutin |
Publication
Investing in the future: The case for universal financial education in the UK
Politicians across the spectrum are keen for education to provide young people with key life skills, yet financial literacy among young people in the UK remains inadequate. This report looks at how financial education can be delivered more effectively in the UK.
| Published: | 16 April 2024 |
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| Author(s): | John Asthana Gibson, Dani Payne |