Reform's research and commentary is regularly featured in the media. You can find press coverage of Reform's work here.
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.
On Tuesday 18 June, Reform published a report titled Gainful gigging: employment services for the platform economy. The report explores how the Government can help people make the most of the gig economy. Media coverage included Public Finance, Workplace Health, The Times (£), City A.M., The Times (£), CIPD and Chronicle Live.
Alexander Hitchcock, Senior Researcher, appeared on BBC Radio Kent and BBC Sussex to discuss Reform's recent report on digital borders. He argued that the Government should install new technology at the border, such as e-gates, to increase security and enable quicker access to the UK. Listen to the full episode of BBC Radio Kent here. Listen to the full episode of BBC Sussex here.
Eleonora Harwich, Researcher at Reform, was interviewed for Diginomica about the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for UK public services. AI offers great opportunities for public services, including personalised and proactive services, and assisting public servants to detect and identify social issues and create smart interventions. However, she argues that this can't just be rolled out enmasse across the system. This partly because the quality of available data is not unbiased and complete enough, and because there needs to be much more communication and engagement with the public about what it means, how it would be used and the possible positives and negatives.
"We just have not had a sufficient level of debate with the public on the issues of access, transparency and privacy that using data like this warrants. There’s also difficult ethical questions surrounding the use of algorithms in decision-making. Before we get the machines to make an ever-increasing number of decisions for us, we need to do a lot of thinking ourselves."
Read the full article here.
Louis Coiffait, Head of Education at Reform, wrote an article for Public Sector Focus titled 'With funding, there will only ever be one way schools can have their cake and eat it'. In this article, Louis outlines what a minority Conservative government and the "end of austerity" will mean for school funding. He argues that over the next few years an overall budget cut of minus three per cent and uncertainties about a National Funding Formula are not as important as what schools actually choose to do with their funds. Instead they should make the most of their freedoms to work together and determine their own, and their pupils' futures.
Read the full article here (page 66-67)
Reform published a report on how technology could transform the UK's borders. In light of Brexit and the issue of the UK-Ireland border, this issue is now of critical urgency. Read the full report here.
The report was featured in the Daily Mail, The Telegraph, Daily Express, BT News, UK Authority, Sunday Express, Conservative Home, Belfast Telegraph, E&T, the Irish Independent, Irish Examiner, Digital by Default, Think Digital Partners and Yorkshire Post.
After the publication of Reform's report, The future of public services: digital borders, Maisie Borrows wrote an article in Conservative Home on why a digital border would be a major boost to security and trade.
"The Chancellor is right to look to new technology to upgrade the UK’s border. Not only could this better facilitate trade and tourism in an ultra-competitive world, but it would improve security too. Ministers should see Brexit as the perfect opportunity to do this – for the UK’s benefit both during the negotiations, and beyond."
Read the full article here.
Danail Vasilev, Researcher at Reform, wrote an article in Public Finance on why pre-funded care is an attractive solution to address the problem of the UK's ageing population. He argued that having a pre-funded funding model for social care would be better than the current pay-as-you-go system in the long-term. The benefits are twofold: it would be more cost-effective and fairer to young generations. In the short-term, whilst funds were being built up, funding for social care could be achieved through scrapping the winter fuel allowance, the triple lock and by tapping into the housing wealth of older people. "Bold, radical reform such as this can ensure better social care for generations to come."
Read the full article here.
Andrew Haldenby, Director, wrote an article for The Times Red Box on why reforming how the UK pays for social care is the "most urgent question facing the Welfare State". He argued that there are many options available but that introducing compulsory insurance, which working-age people and their employers would pay into, would build up funds to pay for future social care costs. In the short-term, as funds are being built up, funding towards social care could be gained by scrapping the triple lock and the winter fuel allowance.
"How to fund social care is now the most urgent question facing the Welfare State. After the Election debacle, for Theresa May to lead the country towards a new solution would be a superb achievement."
Read the full article here.
Reform published a report on Social care: a prefunded solution on Tuesday 27 June 2017. Coverage included The Times Red Box, Public Finance, The Sun, Local Government Association, Local Government Chronicle, WN, AOL News and FT Adviser.
Andrew Haldenby, Director at Reform, appeared on Sky News to discuss how police can increase efficiency.
Eleonora Harwich, Researcher, authored a blog on biases in data, how these emerge and the negative impact of using algorithms based on such information as decision support tools.
"It’s because of the ubiquity of algorithms and AI in our daily lives that we should not become lazy and blindly or naively think that we should delegate all tasks to them. We need to be very aware of the limitations of the data we feed into these decision-support tools."
Read the full article here.
Louis Coiffait, Head of Education at Reform, contributed to an article in Schools Week encouraging leaders of stand-alone schools to work with others more.
Read the full article here.
Louis Coiffait, Head of Education at Reform, wrote an article in Education Executive on issues schools should consider if they are considering becoming academies. Schools should take into account their individual circumstances when weighing up whether joining an academy is the right decision for them. Making sure schools don't remain isolated is important, and there are many other partnership models available.
"If nothing else, one silver lining of a minority government is that it could be an opportunity for political parties to focus on working together in addressing the priority issues that really matter. In that situation what could be more important than unlocking the untapped potential within our currently divided school system?"
Read the full article here.
On 13 June 2017, Reform hosted a major speech by Makhdum Ali Chishty QPM on 'The challenge of policing violent extremism'. Mr Chishty recently retired as Commander of Engagement from the Metropolitan Police after 31 years’ police service. Coverage of the event included The Telegraph, The Yorkshire Post, The Times Red Box, Evening Standard, BBC News and BBC Radio 4.
Alexander Hitchcock, Senior Researcher at Reform, writes in Public Finance following the general election result. In light of the unexpected election result, he argued that all parties should work together on issues they agree on. That won't be the case on the NHS, where the two largest parties stood on very different policies. But on other issues including digital infrastructure, building new homes and investing in employment-services programmes, there could be real opportunity for cross-party reform. The government should take it.
"With the difficulty of negotiating Brexit with a minority government, the government would be right to be pragmatic. But today’s dodged reforms will be more pressing for the next government. May must try to address these where possible. If there is ever a time for all parties to work to serve the country, this is it."
Read the full article here.