Institute for Public Policy Research

Southport MP says government ‘must do more’ to support riot towns year on from attack ‘It will always be a part of the town’s story and history,’ Patrick Hurley said

1 year on from riots, @patrickhurley.bsky.social tells @the-independent.com the govt "must do more" - he's right. Our paper shows how the loss of shared spaces leaves communities open to far-right influence. It's time to rebuild
🔗 www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

📝 www.ippr.org/articles/pla...

The spaces we share with one another are shifting. What role can the school gates play in helping us connect better? @parth0.bsky.social spoke to @figlover.bsky.social & Jane Garvey on @listentotimesradio.bsky.social earlier this week about our latest paper. Read more: www.ippr.org/articles/pla...

🤝 Rebuilding social connection starts with investing in communities and local infrastructure. This week, @marleymorris.bsky.social spoke to Jacob Rees-Mogg to reflect on the Southport riots, and how we begin to repair and reconnect as a country.

Read our latest paper: www.ippr.org/articles/pla...

Reform to special educational needs provision should be based on the lived experience of those it impacts, from parents and teachers to school leaders, and - most importantly - the children it aims to support. IPPR Inclusion Taskforce Chair, @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social on BBC R4 Today this morning.

🚨The IPPR Inclusion Taskforce, chaired by @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social, seeks to help improve SEND provision. 1 in 5 pupils has special educational needs, and far too many are being let down. We need practical solutions to ensure every child thrives.
➡️ www.ippr.org/articles/ippr-inclusion-taskforce

From disappearing benches to boarded up shops - Parth Patel talks to Nigel Farage about the impact of disappearing community spaces on how we build relationships @gbnews
Read our latest paper highlighting some solutions 👉 www.ippr.org/articles/pla...

You can’t fight extremism without fixing the high street A basic, daunting fact of politics today is the shrinking of our common ground.

Political trust is at crisis point and the decline of community infrastructure is a big part of the story. As pubs, youth clubs and libraries disappear, loneliness grows, and so does support for the radical right.

Nick Garland, research fellow at IPPR, for LBC 👇 www.lbc.co.uk/opinion/view...

. @parth0.bsky.social speaks with @nickferrarilbc.bsky.social @lbc.co.uk about how austerity and smartphones reshaped our ability to connect - and why rebuilding spaces for community is essential to social cohesion.

Read our new report here: www.ippr.org/articles/pla...

The Southport riots were not just a moment of disorder, they were a warning. When shared spaces disappear, people turn inward and become isolated. To resist division, we must rebuild places where people meet and find common ground.
Read more at ippr.org/articles/places-to-come-together

A decline in social club membership points to a deeper issue: the slow erosion of everyday community life. Social clubs once offered belonging, support, and a sense of purpose. Now, fewer people have access to those experiences.
Read more at www.ippr.org/articles/places-to-come-together

Pubs, cafes, clubs - the ‘third spaces’ between home and work are vanishing. With them goes the social fabric of everyday life. We must reinvest in the places that bring us together.
Read more at www.ippr.org/articles/places-to-come-together

🚨 | NEW PAPER: Community spaces are vanishing, and with them, the ties that bind us.
A year on from the Southport riots, we explore how the loss of pubs, parks and youth clubs is weakening social connection, and how to rebuild it 👉 ippr.org/articles/places-to-come-together

📝 We're looking to recruit a researcher in our energy & environment team to help shape progressive policy on climate, housing, energy, and the economy.

Find out more and apply by 4th Aug: www.ippr.org/jobs/researc...

Dayo Eseonu | IPPR Dayo (Temidayo) Eseonu is a lecturer in politics and policy at Lancaster University, UK. She is interested in the struggle for racial equity and the means

We're pleased to welcome @deseonu.bsky.social as an Associate Fellow ✨

A lecturer in politics & policy, & founder of the Racial Equity in Policy Network, Dayo is expert in racial equity & participation

She'll support us on participation & equity in politics & policy

www.ippr.org/profile/dayo...

Tackling small boat crossings means more than just going after smugglers. The government must also offer safe and legal alternatives so people aren’t forced to risk their lives crossing the Channel. @marleymorris.bsky.social on @lbc.co.uk

Watch his full speech here: youtu.be/hRd5fSZqNLs?... 📺

With Cleverly centre stage, the Tories have a new look – but that isn’t the same as a plan | Martin Kettle Does Kemi Badenoch’s reshuffle mean the Reform-lite strategy is over? I don’t know and I’m not sure she does either, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

In a pivotal moment for the centre-right, we hosted James Cleverly at IPPR just days before his return to the frontbench. His speech explored how the Conservatives might move beyond populist mimicry - Martin Kettle’s @theguardian.com piece captures the stakes: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

UK competition watchdog to act over Apple and Google’s mobile platforms CMA intends to force tech firms to make changes after designating them with ‘strategic market status’

Apple and Google’s app store duopoly is costing UK businesses billions. Good to see the CMA move to give them “strategic market status” — enabling targeted action.

Read more in our May report: www.ippr.org/media-office...

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Lack of alternatives forcing the poorest into barely affordable car ownership By being reliant on owning a car, the UK’s poorest households are spending a disproportionate share of their income on getting about, new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research has fou...

‘If the government is serious about tackling poverty, it must fix local transport. That means cheaper, more reliable services — designed with and for the people who rely on them most.’ - Becca Massey-Chase, @ippr.org airqualitynews.com/cars-freight...

Conversations about political process can feel abstract. So we asked Sir Ed Davey: what are some practical ways government could actually make and deliver policy?

This isn't really true though. Borrowing over the quarter is completely in line with OBR's expectations. Borrowing was higher than expected in June, lower than expected in May, overall no deviation to the OBR's forecast. Economists in the city just got it wrong...

The asylum accommodation system is in urgent need of reform. Hotels are costing far too much while failing to provide people fleeing war and persecution with the safe, clean environments they need.

Should we smash 'the system' and rebuild it from scratch — or is incremental reform enough?

"It's nonsense, it's unrealistic, and it should be discounted," says James Cleverly.

Will lowering the voting age to 16 help Labour?

📻 @harryqp.bsky.social tells @thejeremyvine.bsky.social: "I don't think any party can take for granted that any group will reliably support them." 👇

Today's stories saying the unemployment rate has risen from 4.6 to 4.7% tell only part of the story. The same data - the Labour Force Survey - shows this rise comes from more people who were inactive starting to look for work and so being classified as unemployed, which is good news 🧵 /1

Today’s policies are the biggest electoral reform since 1969. Lowering the voting age to 16 and steps toward automatic voter registration could eventually bring 9.5 million new people into our democracy.

📺 @harryqp.bsky.social on @news.sky.com 👇

IPPR Scotland: 10th Anniversary Conference | IPPR Ten years ago, in the wake of the Scottish Independence referendum, there emerged a clear need for a think tank to support progressive policymaking and fos

🎉10th ANNIVERSARY🎉

A decade ago, IPPR Scotland was established in a big moment of change to support progressive policymaking.

📢Now, as Scotland faces fresh challenges, we’re hosting a major conference to ask: What next?

🗓️Save the date: 29 Oct 2025

www.ippr.org/events/ippr-...

🚨 Today we publish State of the North 2025 🚨

The North gets just half as much arts and culture funding per person as London. We reveal the impact this & other regional divides have on young people, and what must change 👇

www.ippr.org/articles/the...

Good to hear @eddavey.libdems.org.uk put cheaper, more accessible renewable energy at the heart of the @libdems.org.uk vision for the future of the British economy. And glad he sees "fiscal responsibility as a means not an end in itself". @ippr.org

Ed Davey speaking from a lectern with an IPPR banner behind him

Joined @ippr.org yesterday to hear from @eddavey.libdems.org.uk about the steps that the @libdems.org.uk see as important for the creation of a dynamic and fair economy.