For better and smarter public services
Find coverage in the press of Reform's latest work below.
We are always happy to comment on policy issues relevant to our work. If you would like a quote, an interview, or a background briefing, please email press@reform.uk or ring 020 7799 6699 for the quickest response.
On Friday 3 July, Reform and the Learning & Work Institute published 'When furlough has to stop: Next steps to avert long-term unemployment'.
The report was covered by: the The Sunday Times, Independent, Politics Home, TES and FE News.
You can read the full report here.
Commenting on the Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland QC MP’s announcement that probation services will be renationalised, Aidan Shilson-Thomas, Reform Criminal Justice lead, said:
“Renationalising probation services is no silver bullet, and does not guarantee the quality of offender supervision needed to keep the public safe and reduce reoffending.
“It will be a huge challenge for the National Probation Service to take over from the private sector in such a short time, including recruiting and training large numbers of staff.
“Previous reforms have been rushed, and the next steps must be taken carefully. The Government must not make the same mistake of under investing, which crippled the current model, and avoid overburdening probation services with unnecessary centralisation.”
In response to the Chancellor's announcement extending the Corona Virus Job Retention Scheme and introduction of part-time working, Aidan Shilson-Thomas wrote a comment piece for City AM.
Read it here.
Welcoming the Chancellor’s statement to the House of Commons announcing an extension of the Furlough scheme and the introduction of part-time working, Aidan Shilson-Thomas, Reform Researcher, said:
“I warmly welcome this move which will help prevent a wave of redundancies and aid our economic recovery.
“Crucially, the Chancellor’s plan to introduce part-time working will give employers the flexibility to reintroduce furloughed staff gradually, following the tempo of the economic recovery.
“However, while the Chancellor is right to err on the side of caution, he must minimise the risk of wasting taxpayers’ money. Extending the scheme must be accompanied by an urgent review of the eligibility criteria to ensure only companies that have taken a serious financial hit receive support. To that end, Government should now ask employers to prove their financial hardship, as they do in other countries. HMRC must also ramp up efforts to deter any abuse of the scheme, with serious sanctions for would-be fraudsters.”
Reform Director, Charlotte Pickles, was interviewed by Newsnight to discuss the findings of our report 'Working through it'.
Charlotte set out the need for flexible 'short-time' working as we exit the COVID-19 lockdown.
You can watch the episode back here.
To accompany the launch of Reform's latest report 'Working through it', Aidan Shilson-Thomas wrote for Conservative Home.
The article praised the success of the UK furlough scheme, but outlined the need for changes as the UK economy reopens as the COVID-19 lock down is phased out.
On Wednesday 29 April, Reform published 'Working through it' calling for 'short-time' working to be introduced as the COVID-19 lock down is phased out.
The paper was covered by: The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Mirror, Daily Mail Online, Personnel Today, This is Money and the Morning Advertiser.
The findings also featured in the Today Programme's morning coverage. Aidan was interviewed by TalkRADIO and William Mills, co-author and Reform Communications Manager, was interviewed by BBC Humberside.
Commenting on Government plans to temporarily release low-risk prisoners to fight the spread of COVID-19, Aidan Shilson-Thomas, Reform Criminal Justice lead, said:
“The Government is absolutely right to take these steps to reduce the prison population and help mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Given the rate of spread, these measures should be actioned as quickly as possible, while maintaining public safety.
“But the Government must also reduce the flow of people entering prison in the first place. We therefore urge the Lord Chancellor to go further.
“Reform has shown that over 80 per cent of short sentences are not for non-violent offences, and community punishments are on average more effective. The Government should ban the use of these sentences immediately to further aid efforts to house a single prisoner per cell.”
Aidan Shilson-Thomas, Reform Researcher, appeared on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire to discuss our Reform Perspectives on 'Reducing the prison population: Extending Home Detention Curfew and scrapping short sentences'.
Listen from 17.40 here.