Publications
All Policy Exchange publications are free to download in .pdf format. You can also purchase hard copies of the majority of our reports – check each individual report page for details.
Recent Publications
Silicon Cities: Supporting the development of tech clusters outside London and the South East of England
Eddie Copeland and Cameron ScottThe technology revolution is failing to reach all parts of Britain. Silicon Cities argues that ‘clusters’ – geographic concentrations of interconnected companies and institutions in a particular field – are the most effective way of boosting the technology sector across the country, and makes a number of recommendations as to how this can be achieved.
The Estate We’re In: Lessons from the Front Line
Charlotte McLeodWritten by inner-city crime writer Gavin Knight, The Estate We’re In calls for politicians from all parties to pledge to turn around the most deprived council estates within the next decade. The report highlights how decades of neglect and ghettoization have led to acute social problems and, using case studies to extract best practice, draws out the key lessons for policymakers in how to turn around the worst housing estates.
Green Society: Policies to improve the UK’s green spaces
Katherine Drayson and Guy NeweyParks and other urban green spaces are highly important to the social and economic wellbeing of the country. However, as local authority budgets have been squeezed, public funding of parks and open spaces has declined. In light of this, Green Society suggests a number of innovative ways to protect and improve the UK’s urban green spaces including the idea of a council tax rebate for local residents who volunteer to maintain nearby green spaces.
Only A Matter of Time? A framework for the most effective way to lengthen the school day in England
Annaliese Briggs and Jonathan SimonsBoth Labour and the Conservatives have recently called for more schools to run longer days – either to provide more opportunities for extra curricular activities, to help learning, or to provide a safe and secure place for childcare for working parents. Our report, and accompanying polling from YouGov, looks at what a longer day might look like in practice.
Joined Up Welfare: The next steps for personalisation
Guy Miscampbell and Ruth PorterRead Publication Jobcentres are failing to help people find long-term work and should be restructured under new plans that will enable private companies and charities to compete with government providers to offer more personalised and specialist support to jobseekers....
The Global Economy: Prospects for growth and assessing the UK’s position
Policy ExchangeBy 2050, global output is projected to treble, with two-thirds of growth coming from emerging economies. The developed world will have to change radically if it is to adapt to this new environment successfully. To realise the opportunities of the next four decades successfully – for the developing world to adapt to dramatic social and economic changes, and for the developed world to face its structural, fiscal and demographic challenges and ‘pay its way’ in the years ahead, it is vital that these long-term issues are addressed.
Getting Interconnected: How can interconnectors compete to help lower bills and cut carbon?
Simon Moore and Guy NeweyConnecting the UK to power stations in other countries could help bring down energy bills and meet our decarbonisation targets. Getting Interconnected shows that interconnectors could save British consumers as much as £1bn a year, as well as allowing access to zero-carbon electricity. The report calls for overseas generators to be allowed to compete for government subsidy in the new capacity market and endorses ways to ensure that revenue supports development of new interconnector links.
Technology Manifesto 2014
Eddie Copeland, Cameron Scott and Sarah FinkPoliticians and policymakers must put technology front and centre of their thinking for the 2015 general election. This manifesto sets out three principal goals: to build the world’s most connected and digitally skilled society; to make Britain the most attractive place outside of Silicon Valley for technology entrepreneurs to start and grow a business; and to make our government the smartest in the world.
A Portrait of Modern Britain
Policy ExchangeFor too long, people from ethnic minorities have been categorised under the catch-all title of “BME”. But this title does not depict the clear and meaningful differences between each of the communities that come under this title. A Portrait of Modern Britain draws on an extensive set of survey, census, academic and polling data to build up a detailed picture of the five largest minority groups in the UK. It outlines the demographics, geography, life experiences, attitudes and socioeconomic status of each of these major ethnic groups.
Northern Lights: Public policy and the geography of political attitudes in Britain today
Neil O'BrienIs there a north-south divide political divide? A major study into public attitudes – Northern Lights – examines the new political and social geography of England. The research finds that the way people vote is less and less determined by their social class, and more by how they think the government is performing and their attitudes to controversial issues like migration and crime.
