Publications
Healthy Food Subsidies: The Way Forward for Health Policy?
Ben North - January 2023
Obesity is a growing public health issue in the UK. With the cost of this and related illnesses to the NHS concomitantly rising each year, Ben North uses statistical modelling to demonstrate that pilot subsidies on fruit and vegetables would help to alleviate the substantial costs of this national health concern and improve the country’s health outcomes.
Bridging the Gap: A Fairer Path Forward for Disadvantaged Students in Scotland
Jan Ole Faust - October 2022
The current Scottish education system has created a wide chasm in grade attainment between socioeconomic groups in Scotland, exacerbating the 'attainment gap' phenomenon. In his paper, Jan Ole Faust argues that a more robust and nuanced system, including greater attention to technical and vocational education, is needed to help rectify this gap.
Reforming Refuge: Humanising the ‘New Plan for Immigration’
Marina Damji - September 2022
The ‘New Plan for Immigration’ marked the most recent overhaul to the UK’s asylum processing system. Marina Damji argues that this plan fails, however, to to rectify several pitfalls of the current system, and alternative changes are needed to create a truly equitable and efficient asylum process.
UK Property Tax: Old Ideas, Radical Alternatives
Xavier Atkins - July 2022
As the ratio between housing and incomes continues to increase, the next generation of UK home buyers face the very real possibility of renting for the entirety of their adult lives. Xavier Atkins discusses how changing our approach to property taxes could be one way out of the crisis.
A Blended Approach: Levelling Up Hydrogen Infrastructure
Fred Gibbs - January 2022
Hydrogen fuel is a promising sustainable replacement for fossil fuels. Fred Gibbs discusses its benefits and ways to integrate it into the UK’s economy.
Mind the Gap: Addressing the Lack of Sex-disaggregated Data in Public Health
Broghan Woolfe - August 2021
The UK’s failure to include enough females in clinical trials means resources are being wasted and treatments are created that fail to work in practice.
Recipe for Success: The Case for a Minimum Pricing Model to Tackle the UK’s Obesity Crisis
Naomi Norden - February 2021
The UK is facing a growing obesity crisis with very real effects on public health. Naomi Norden argues that the Government must introduce a minimum food pricing model to help people make healthier choices.
Under Lock and Key: The Disastrous Lack of Dignity in English and Welsh Prisons
Jack Morris - February 2021
The worrying state of English and Welsh prisons is damaging to the well-being of prisoners and is failing to provide for basic human dignity. Jack Morris argues that we must do more to provide for and reintegrate prisoners, especially since almost all prisoners will one day return to the community.
Jack Pot: The Economic, Social, and Scientific Case for Decriminalising Cannabis
Lewis Karl Williamson - December 2020
Cannabis policy in the United Kingdom is failing to keep up with social change both within the UK and across the western world. Lewis Karl Williamson outlines the case for decriminalisation arguing that we’re sitting on progress that could unlock a jackpot.
Getting on Board with Buses: Reinvesting in Britain’s Transport Network
Jacob Joad - October 2020
The bus is a historic mode of transport, but recently it has been left behind in favour of increasing investment in rail transportation. Despite this, buses still have a major part to play in Britain’s transportation networks and this report sets out how Britain can get back on board with buses to connect its towns and cities once again.
Back On Track: Rail For the Whole United Kingdom
Alex Whitham - October 2020
Franchising is over, and Britain’s radical privatisation experiment needs replacing. In Back on Track, Alex Whitham sets out how Britain can move forward to create a railway system that puts quality and customer satisfaction first and retain competition between public and private providers.
Brave New World: Securing Britain After Brexit
Alex Whitham, Flora Edmiston, Max Aylmer, Peter Wollweber, Lewis Karl Williamson - September 2020
Britain has left the European Union and is entering into a brave new world. In charting its new course, Britain must address its security concerns both at home and abroad and this paper begins to set out how it can do that. In a series of four essays, this paper sets out how the UK to reorient its post-Brexit defence collaboration and make good use of its intelligence capabilities both at home and abroad.
Room for Me? Scottish University Demographics by
Domicile
Matthew Greenwood, Callum Irvine - August 2020
Brexit is likely to have a considerable impact on the demographic composition of Scottish Higher Education Institutions when measured by domicile. In our timely review of the 2014/15 - 2018/19 data, we’ve identified the growth of different groups, and the impact this has had on the student composition of Scotland’s ancient universities and their offer rates.
Housing St Andrews: Our Perspective on the HMO Issue
PPRG - February 2020
In light of Fife Council's decision to substantially raise the cost of HMO licenses, the St Andrews Public Policy Research Group offers our insight on the fees and process.
Platform - Volume I, Issue I
PPRG - February 2020
The first issue of the St Andrews Public Policy Research Group's journal, Platform, includes pieces from our Constitutional Policy Unit, Home Affairs Unit, Foreign Affairs Unit, Defence Unit, Housing and Transport Unit, and Energy and Environment Unit. Inside, our members present six different proposals to improve Britain's future.
Restoring Accountability: Rolling Back the Supreme Court
Rory Gill - February 2020
The recent case of R vs The Prime Minister has once again sparked interest in judicial reform and the constitutional underpinnings of the United Kingdom. In this piece, Rory Gill argues that, in the past, arguments that claim the Supreme Court has enhanced our democracy were ill-conceived and that the reversal of Supreme Court reform would represent an enhancement of our democratic system.
A Home in the Country: Revitalising Scotland's Island Communities
Calum John Muir - February 2020
It's no surprise to say that Britain faces a housing crisis, but little attention is paid to the acute impact it is having on Scotland's island communities. Calum John Muir proposes how these communities can be helped.
Reforming Air Passenger Duty: A New Incentive to Accelerate Greener Flying
Jamie Nicholas - February 2020
As the evidence for an impending climate crisis becomes increasingly clear, the way we fly needs to change. In this piece, Jamie Nicholas suggests that Air Passenger Duty is not sufficient enough to encourage airlines to replace their dirty planes with ones fit for a green future and therefore it needs to change.
Policy Ideas for Britain's Next Prime Minister
Matthew Greenwood, Max Aylmer, Calum John Muir,
Peter Wollweber,
Chris Anderson, Pia Tiwari, Rory Gill,
Alex Whitham, Daniel Muir,
Charles Bason,
and Laurent Bélanger-Lowe
-
December 2019
With a General Election on the horizon, we've set out a broad range of policy ideas for Britain's next Prime Minister.
Revitalising Justice: Modernising the Human Rights Act for a Better Britain
Alex Whitham - November 2019
Much has changed in British society since the introduction of the Human Rights Act in 1998, but our human rights legislation has failed to keep pace and reflect these changes. In this piece Alex Whitham proposes a range of amendments to extend protections and create a better Britain.
The Only Way is Up: Fixing Westminster's Lack of Legislative Scrutiny
Matthew Greenwood - October 2019
The Houses of Parliament are responsible for scrutinising legislation that passes through them, yet the structure of the House of Commons and the incentives that exist within it fail to facilitate the rigorous evaluation of laws before they reach the statute books. Matthew Greenwood examines how this might be fixed.
Barriers to Entry: Reforming the Student Loans System
Chris Anderson - September 2019
Students across England and Wales are offered the opportunity for maintenance funding to support their studies, but these payments don't consider the cost of living. Chris Anderson suggests what might be done to fix that.
Britain Unmoored: A First Look at Security in the Brexit Age
Peter Wollweber - September 2019
As Britain departs the European Union, it will be required to reassess its foreign policy priorities as it will no longer be directly linked to the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Peter Wollweber offers an insight into where that might lead.