Self-care
There are 4.4 million self-employed people in the UK. This is 13 per cent of people in work, and they make a substantial contribution to the economy.
While some are relatively well off, average net income for a full-time self-employed worker is 12 per cent lower than for a full-time employee. And while many actively choose this way of working, many are trapped – two-in-five self-employed workers would work a salaried job if they could. Many self-employed people face a major income shock when they fall sick, have children or retire.
The self-employed must be included in this welcome drive to improve working conditions and income security. This briefing paper sets out three income protection options for the government to consider, dealing with sick pay, parental leave, and pensions in turn.
Future Planning
18 November 2025
This report sets out a series of solutions to improve existing stock and deliver better new-build options for older homeowners.
Forward Planning Housing
Taxing Questions
25 October 2025
This collection brings together leading MPs, economists and policy experts to set out options for tax increases that would be progressive, that would avoid undermining the growth potential of the economy, and that would be in keeping with Labour’s manifesto.
Continue reading Tax / Public Services
The Fabian Review
This edition of the Fabian Review assesses the continued relevance of liberalism, and the challenges it faces, featuring Stella Creasy MP, Karl Pike, Anna Dixon MP, David Smith MP, Iggy Wood and Chloe Brooks. Elsewhere, Ellie Reeves MP looks ahead to Labour’s second phase of government, and Erin Sanders-McDonagh highlights an untapped resource in the fight against domestic violence.
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Joe Dromey reacts to the budget
26 November 2025
Joe Dromey reacts to the budget
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Beyond transparency
25 November 2025
ALEX PARSONS AND JULIA CUSHION: Clarity around political gifts and donations is valuable - but not enough
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Changing tack
19 November 2025
IGGY WOOD: The government should reverse its proscription of Palestine Action and set out to cultivate lively informed debate
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Joining the dots
17 November 2025
LAUREN EDWARDS MP: The government, employers and educators need to work together
Continue reading Employment / Education
Crux of the matter
12 November 2025
STEPHEN CARTER: Fixing our broken democracy must be an immediate priority
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Human cost
10 November 2025
CHLOE BROOKE: Social liberalism in Labour must be defended
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Nye's lost legacy
Against the backdrop of Sir Charlie Mayfield’s independent investigation into healthy and inclusive work, Sasjkia Otto sets out an ambitious vision for a universal and integrated occupational health system, matched by rights and responsibilities. In ...
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Forward Planning
This report sets out how the government can ensure that owner-occupiers are able to age well in their own home. It identifies the scale of the challenge faced by older owner-occupiers, the barriers to improving housing, and the case for action. The r...
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Rural futures
This pamphlet brings together rural MPs with a variety of experts and policymakers to explore the future of our countryside. As the authors set out, the potential of Britain’s rural areas is immense. By seeing rural areas as an social and economic as...
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Pressing issues
In this pamphlet, journalists and experts set out the problems that characterise the media landscape, propose a range of changes to improve standards, and set out how the government can uphold the rights of journalists both at home and around the wor...
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Ill-prepared
In this report, Eloise Sacares and Luke Raikes make the case for sick pay for the self-employed, review support in the UK and other countries, and set out recommendations for the government to consider.
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Levying up
The Labour government has committed to reforming the apprenticeship levy into a ‘growth and skills levy’, giving employers more flexibility. In this report, general secretary Joe Dromey and senior researcher Sasjkia Otto set out a series of recommend...
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Repair, reuse, recycle
This policy briefing sets out how government policy can upscale the circular economy. It first sets out the key features of the circular economy in England, before identifying practical steps to reduce unnecessary waste and upscale the circular econo...
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Climbing the Mountain
This report identifies 150 non-Labour seats on the new boundaries which will likely make up a very high proportion of the constituencies that Labour will target at the next election.
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Equal Footing
Anneliese Dodds MP explains how Labour's ambitious agenda to tackle inequality will benefit us all.
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Whatever the Weather
Fabian Society researcher Eloise Sacares makes the case for climate adaptation, identifying three key areas of life which will be severely impacted by climate change and in which practical changes in government policy could make a significant differe...
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The Final Furlong
In spite of Labour's extremely strong polling numbers over the past year, there has been continuing media speculation about a hung parliament. The Fabian Society undertook research during summer 2023 to understand voters’ preferred election outcomes...
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By the People, With the People
In this pamphlet, Charlotte Augst and Paul Corrigan set out to identify the factors that have scuppered progress on health system reform, and refine the calls for change into two simple questions. First, how can the NHS work with people to keep them ...
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In Tandem
Michael Jacobs, Robert Calvert Jump, Jo Michell and Frank van Lerven scrutinise the lack of cooperation between the UK government and the Bank of England, and propose a new Economic Policy Coordinating Committee to help achieve the multiple objective...
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Equality and empowerment
Fabian Society research director Luke Raikes sets out to make a progressive case for devolving public spending, raising important questions about how public money can be used more effectively to deliver policy objectives.
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Caring for Carers
Fabian Society researcher Eloise Sacares and general secretary Andrew Harrop present a series of policy options for the employment and financial protections of unpaid carers.
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