Issue Briefs

An overview of the alcohol duty regime in the UK: current duty levels, their history, the impact of Brexit, and the arguments made for and against higher alcohol duties.Read More

An overview of the apprenticeship system in the UK; its history, how it operates and is funded, and the debate around the current system.Read More

An overview of government policy on artificial intelligence. What are the threats and opportunities presented by AI for the UK?Read More

An overview of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, how it works, its history, and the debate around whether it should be independent of politics.Read More

An overview of UK business rates, how they operate, what they raise, the different aspects of business rate relief, arguments around the system, and suggestions for reform.Read More

An overview of cigarette taxation in the UK, covering the history of tobacco duty, current taxation levels, and the arguments involved in the debate around tobacco duty.Read More

An overview of Council Tax, how it works, what it collects, arguments for and against the current system, and suggestions for reform.Read More

An overview of employment rights in the UK, what is involved, how that compares internationally, its history, and the associated political debate around this issue.Read More

An overview of freeports. What is a free port? Why is the UK government pursuing them? What are the benefits and downsides?Read More

An overview of fuel duties in the UK, covering their history, what they raise, how they have changed, and the likely reform in the system as cars go electric.Read More

An overview of the concept of levelling up, what are the objectives, what it means in practice, statistics on the North South divide, and what are the criticisms of this new regional policy.Read More

An overview of the National Living Wage: the current levels, the history of minimal wage policy in the UK, and the political context and debate around the issue.Read More

An overview of quantitative easing, how it works, what is involved, its history both in the UK and internationally, and the arguments around the practice.Read More

An overview of research and development, its role in the economy, the current tax credit system, and the political debate around R&D.Read More

An overview of the road tax system in the UK, the history of vehicle excise duty, its current various reforms, and the debate around the merits of the current structure.Read More

An overview of trade unions, what they do, their history in the UK, the current legal framework, and the political debate surrounding how they operate.Read More

An overview of UK income tax covering current income tax rates, personal allowance levels, the history of the tax, and associated debate around income tax levels.Read More

An overview of inflation, what is it, what causes it, the problems caused by inflation, and its history in the UK.Read More

An overview of UK interest rate policy, how interest rates work, who sets them, their history, and the debate around their operation.Read More