The grants were awarded to nine organisations following the launch of our new fund aimed at informing policy, pledges and public debate in the run-up to the next UK general election.
With a general election expected next year, some of the projects will provide evidence that can be used by political parties to develop their manifestos, and some will assess their policies, pledges and claims to provide the public with the facts they need to make informed voting decisions on important issues including the economy, taxation, housing, health and education.
The organisations funded are the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Resolution Foundation, the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, the Fraser of Allander Institute, London Economics, the Nuffield Trust, the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Social Market Foundation and the Education Policy Institute (EPI).
The EPI grant was awarded earlier in 2023 and the first report was published in July. It summarised the best evidence on the current education challenges in England and proposed policy ideas to tackle them.
The next government will need to confront significant and challenging decisions regarding matters such as the economy, taxes, and public services. Our general election projects aim to ensure that political promises are grounded in robust evidence and subject to expert and public scrutiny. Ultimately, our goal is to assist the electorate in making well-informed voting decisions supported by unbiased and reliable analysis.Mark Franks , Welfare Director and lead for the General Election Analysis and Briefing Fund
We’re looking forward to seeing the research tackle some of the tough and topical issues that look set to be key deciding factors in the next election.
Findings from the research projects will be published regularly. Some of the organisations plan to hold briefings and events to provide more in-depth engagement with the public and the media, and when the election is called and party manifestos are published, other projects will provide a rapid examination of their policies.
The Foundation hopes that the wide range of research we are funding will make a positive contribution to the political debate and play an important role in holding UK politicians to account.
