Social Market Foundation

Britain’s leading cross-party think tank, with a mission to enable markets and government to work together to benefit society.

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

If you're not a subscriber, make sure you sign up to Wonk Week here: https://t.co/njl5fJTK3m

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

If you're not a subscriber, make sure you sign up to Wonk Week here: https://t.co/njl5fJTK3m

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

MPs are back in Westminster, with a new government and shadow cabinet, conference season kicking off this weekend and a looming autumn budget...

📩 Want to keep up with the latest policy news?

Wonk Week, the best policy email in Westminster, is back in inboxes next week ⬇️

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

It's beginning to look a lot like... Conference season 2026

We're starting it off at Reform Conference in Birmingham this Saturday with @GoogleUK, tackling AI skills and training access.

Join us for a panel event with @NeildMichaela, @doniyasc, @jeegarkakkad & @theobertram

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

Heading to Birmingham for Reform Party Conference?

Come find us. We're teaming up with @GoogleUK to talk about how policymakers and the tech industry can widen access to AI skills and training.

🗣️@NeildMichaela, @doniyasc, @jeegarkakkad, @theobertram.bsky – see you Saturday!

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

Heading to Birmingham soon for Reform Party Conference?

We'll be there with @GoogleUK with a panel event on how policymakers and the tech industry can work to widen access to AI skills and training.

🗣️
@NeildMichaela
@doniyasc
@jeegarkakkad
@theobertram

See you Saturday!

[Healthcare Management @Health_Mgmt_UK]

Remove social care costs from council budgets, says think-tank https://t.co/SCUBEX40Wc via @healthcare @SMFthinktank

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

What should that major change look like?

It starts with taking social care costs out of council budgets, as we explore in our report, out today, which will make room for old age social care and council tax reform.

Kindly sponsored by @trustforlondon
https://t.co/soTTq5ZU2e

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

Voters think councils spend just 13% of their budget on adult social care. The real figure is 39%.

Huge spending needs for social care make it difficult for councils to carry out basic services – leaving the rightly public frustrated.

It’s time for a major change...

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

⬇️Read the report, kindly sponsored by @trustforlondon
https://t.co/soTTq5ZU2e

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

Council tax and old age social care are two of the most persistent failures of British public policy.

Both need reform, but both are left unresolved by successive governments wary of a political backlash.

Our latest report argues the two are more tractable if tackled together.

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

Read the report, kindly sponsored by @trustforlondon ⬇️
https://t.co/soTTq5ZU2e

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

🚨NEW REPORT🚨

Council tax reform 🤝Social care reform

Our latest research makes the case for moving old age social care onto a national footing, creating room to reform council tax without the wave of losers that has doomed past attempts.

[PoliticsHome @politicshome]

In a new report from @SMFthinktank, @BarneyDowling argues that Andy Burnham's attempts to fix social care could be a chance to finally reform council tax🏠
https://t.co/c04nfWtzvY

[Theo Bertram @theobertram]

New analysis from @SMFthinktank on GCSE results:

Regional gaps in attainment have widened. 71.7% of GCSE results in London at grade 4 (C) or above, compared to just 62.4% in the worst performing region, the West Midlands.

The gap between London and the worst performing regions widened slightly this year (from 8.7 percentage points in 2025 to 9.3pp now).

Top grades remain regionally divided. In London, 28.6% of grades were at grade 7 and above, compared to just 17.7% in the lowest performing region for top grades, the North East.

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

Our full analysis of today's results day is available here👇

https://t.co/ZjPOTxVctv

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

Wide regional inequalities in education persist this #GCSEResultsDay.

72% of GCSEs in London were grade 4 (C) or above, compared with 62% in the West Midlands.

The gap between the best and worst performing regions has grown slightly from 8.7pp in 2025 to 9.3 in 2026.

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

Private schools also continue to dominate top grades.

47% of grades awarded to students attending them were grade 7(A) or above, more than doble the 21% awarded to students in state funded schools.

[Social Market Foundation @SMFthinktank]

As youth unemployment remains high, getting young people into work is a key priority for the Government.

Our latest event will launch new SMF research into the role of a first job in shaping career progression and social mobility.

Sign up 👇
https://t.co/UFT2Kk9haz