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Policy Brief

Expert Analysis. Practical Solutions.

POLICY BRIEF REPORTS

UK ARMED FORCES STEPPING UP FOR NATO ACROSS LAND SEA AND AIR
Putting the British Army back on its feet
15 Min Read
Paul Cornish
| University of Exeter
The British Army is threadbare, strategically directionless, and unable to credibly fulfil its commitments. But the SDR 2025 plan, backed by both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State, offers a coherent path to recreating a capable, credible force. Paul Cornish sets out what the Army is for, what the plan requires, and how it must adapt — arguing that since government now owns this programme it cannot walk away from it.
The Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce- The wrong questions, the wrong team, the wrong answers
The Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce: The wrong questions, the wrong team, the wrong answers
Stephen Thomas
| Greenwich University
The UK government's 2025 Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce, established to cut "red tape" blocking nuclear expansion, is fundamentally misconceived. Historical evidence shows that failed nuclear projects collapsed due to financial risk, not regulatory failure. The Taskforce lacked expertise in radiation science, environment, and economics, its recommendations threaten regulator independence, and its reforms will consume government resources without delivering new capacity before the mid-2040s.
London-,September,,18,,2023:,The,Ministry,Of,Defence,Main,Building
The MOD’s perpetual procurement crisis and what should be done about it
Steve Prest
The MOD's procurement failures stem not from flawed organisation charts but from deeper systemic problems: chronic overcommitment, optimism bias, dysfunctional incentives, and the diffusion of accountability. Structural reform without behavioural change will simply recycle familiar problems. The solution lies in empowered programme leads, realistic resourcing, and a culture that favours timely ‘good enough’ delivery over procedurally perfect failure.
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POLICY BRIEF

Electricity,Pylon,Overhead,Power,Line,Transmission,Tower,At,Sunset.
Green, cheap and smart energy
The unbeatable combination of renewables and batteries. Unblocking Scottish wind power Why LDES window 1 needs window 2 soon How the sun went down on UK nuclear The scandal of winter deaths in the UK.

Policy Briefs

POLICY BRIEF

Special Report on Early Years Education
Screenshot 2026-09-22 at 09.59.52
Rescuing early years education
A ‘good childhood’ matters for education Why more play improves educational outcomes. The damage of trickle down education policy and practice. Building a quality early years education workforce. Early Years learning for Heads.

POLICY BRIEF

Special Report on Defence
Screenshot 2026-09-22 at 10.00.10
A Growth Strategy that imperils defence A hybrid Navy: rethinking maritime power
This shock to NATO should send a shock wave through Whitehall. The Next Generation Fighter Aircraft: a European Dilemma? Those in peril on the sea: the dilemmas of asymmetric warfare Sinking the third component of the Royal Navy’s fighting power Early Years learning for Heads

LATEST POLICY BRIEFS

Ed milliband
The crisis of overseas aid and the urgency for a renewed narrative
10 Min Read
Gabriele Alletta
Foreign aid faces a deepening crisis of funding and a continuing failure to set out a convincing public narrative. Tracing its Cold War origins to today's UK retreat from 0.7% leader to a shrinking budget diverted to asylum costs and defence, the piece argues advocates must move beyond moral appeals toward a mutual-interest case: development assistance secures Britain's own stability, markets and influence, not just recipients' welfare.
William III and the City
Financialisation, Industrial Strategy and the British Economy
12 Min Read
James Silverwood
| Leeds Beckett University
Britain’s economic weakness reflects a centuries-old finance-led growth model. The article argues that industrial strategy alone is not enough without reshaping the state’s relationship with capital.
Water,Pipeline,To,Hydro-electric,Power,Station,At,Tarraleah,,Tasmania
Ofgem's cap and floor: a good first step for Long Duration Energy Storage – but much more will be needed
10 Min Read
Pete Roche
Ofgem has backed 16 Long Duration Energy Storage projects totalling 7.6GW. The article argues the UK should go further by supporting a wider mix of storage technologies, including green hydrogen.
Royal Navy F-35B fighters of HMS Prince of Wales intercept a Russian military aircraft
Securing effective deterrence for peace and prosperity
13 Min Read
Matthew Heaslip
| University of Portsmouth
Britain's conventional deterrence is under growing strain as hostile states test UK resolve. Years of underinvestment have left the armed forces overstretched, making significantly higher defence spending essential to restore credible deterrence and avoid greater costs in the future.
Girl,With,Autism,Identification,Necklace
Autism risks becoming invisible in England’s policy agenda
12 Min Read
Jolanta Lasota
| Ambitious for Autism
With England's autism strategy ending and no replacement in place, autism risks being overlooked across education, health and employment reforms. The government must embed autism into policy design to ensure reforms meet the needs of autistic people rather than leaving them behind.
How the UK should now deploy its overseas aid
How the UK should now deploy its overseas aid
15 Min Read
Mikaela Gavas
| Center for Global Development
Sara Casadevall Bellés
| Center for Global Development
The UK's development reset must ensure limited aid is targeted effectively, with a clear focus on poverty reduction, local leadership and lasting impact.
London,-,July,1:,Hon.,Margaret,Thatcher,,British,Prime,Minister,
Derisking, Industrial Strategy and the British Economy
9 Min Read
James Silverwood
| Leeds Beckett University
Britain’s growth model has used privatisation, outsourcing and PFI to create assets for global capital. The article argues for an industrial strategy focused instead on the foundational economy.
Nursery,Teacher,With,Children,Boy,And,Girl,Learn,Color,And
What is the point of nursery provision for 0–2-year-olds in England?
7 Min Read
Dr Mona Sakr
| Middlesex University
Dr Sara Bonetti
Kayla Halls
| Middlesex University
England now funds childcare from nine months, but the purpose of nursery provision for under-twos remains unclear. The article calls for a defined purpose to guide quality, workforce and family support.
Why France is lukewarm towards a major EU-UK reset
Why France is lukewarm towards a major UK-EU reset
10 Min Read
Pauline Schnapper
| Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris
France supports closer UK-EU cooperation but remains wary of Britain seeking selective single market benefits. The article explores French concerns over free movement, funding and political instability.
Roderick Crawford

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At Policy Brief we bring insight and commentary from leading experts to policy makers and opinion formers. We challenge existing views and inform public debate and policy makers with the aim of contributing to improved policy and investment decisions that benefit the whole of society.

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Editor, Policy Brief

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From 1992-2012 Roderick Crawford directed Parliamentary Brief with great style and effect.  Policy Brief has the capacity to illuminate the issues in British politics in a decisive way

Lord Bew

Lord Bew is a Crossbench member of the House of Lords. He is a member of Committee A (Sovereign Matters) of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

Policy Brief offers reliable and carefully researched policy analysis in a marketplace dominated by narrow Westminster interests. In Roderick Crawford clients work with the former editor of Parliamentary Brief and benefit from his expertise on economic policy, social policy, the North, and UK-EU relations. 

Matt Beech

Dr Matt Beech is Director of the Centre for British Politics at the University of Hull and IES Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley.

When I was trying to draw attention to the potential ill-effects of children’s changing lifestyles on their physical and mental health, it was difficult to interest either press or politicians. Roderick Crawford saw the merit in my work and not only gave me a platform but published a series of articles on childhood issues.

Sue Palmer

Sue Palmer, childhood campaigner and author of ‘Toxic Childhood’, ‘21st Century Boys’, ‘21st Century Girls’ and ‘Foundations of Literacy’.

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