Teachers need urgent support to tackle conspiracy theories in the classroom, landmark study finds.
Children in primary schools should be taught to recognise and resist online misinformation and conspiracy theories, according to a landmark study. Researchers from the Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools carried out polling and focus group conversations with young people, school staff, and parents across the country to find out how conspiracy theories are manifesting in England’s classroom
Unlocking AI’s potential for Union workers
AI has the potential to transform workplaces across the UK, driving productivity and efficiency gains worth billions. But for many unionised workers, AI remains an unfamiliar tool—one they rarely use or see as relevant to their jobs.
Sustainability Sentiment Tracker 2024/5
Today Public First launches the latest Sustainability Sentiment Tracker with 5 lessons for businesses in 2025.
PolEcon 2024: December Edition
In early December, Public First returned to the PolEcon conference to poll a new batch of sixth form Politics students.
Understanding the knowledge gap: public perceptions of UK universities
A new report by Public First, funded by the All-Party Parliamentary University Group, examines public attitudes to universities and higher education and their role in helping the UK meet its current and future challenges.
How Would We Know If Democracy Had Died?
Public First worked with BBC Radio 4 on a war game to see how young voters would respond to a national crisis if they were the Cabinet.
When Reality and Perception Match (…or Don’t)
New polling from Public First shows that the public’s views on the quality of their local public services do reflect local realities, though it varies by the service.
Generative AI could save UK’s public sector up to £38 billion a year and significantly reduce waiting times
New research by Public First, commissioned by Google Cloud, reveals the potential of generative AI to provide a once in a generation opportunity to boost productivity, improve working conditions and enable new innovations across the UK’s public sector.
New polling on Labour’s policy to end North Sea oil and gas licensing
Public First carried out a large-scale, nationally representative poll for Uplift to understand the British business leaders attitudes towards the Government's policy to end North Sea oil and gas licensing.
The Shoplifting Capital of England
New research by the policy consultancy Public First highlights the scale of the shoplifting crisis facing retailers across the country - and the hotspots where the problem has become most acute.
Focus Group with the New Statesman: Perceptions of the Labour Government
This week, Public First held a focus group for the New Statesman with 10 working-class voters in the Tudor Rose pub in Sittingbourne.
Save the Children – Child Lock Campaign
New economic modelling and focus groups for Save the Children’s child poverty campaign
Primark’s impact on the UK economy and communities
Public First has worked with Primark to measure their impact in the UK, where they have over 190 stores across our towns and cities.
The case for inclusive planning
Public First has worked with Leeds Building Society to explore how the planning system could be reformed to better represent broader public opinion rather than vocal minorities.
What the UK public thinks about Opera
Public First has published the results of research, commissioned by the Laidlaw Opera Trust, looking into UK public attitudes towards opera.
Immersive Research with the Telegraph: Perceptions of the Government two months after the Election
Public First conducted immersive research for the Telegraph - speaking to voters in Hitchin about their perceptions of the Labour Party two months after the General Election.
New Polling for the IHPN
Public First conducted a Nationally Representative poll for the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), which features in the 2024 Going Private report.
Student polling for the International Baccalaureate
Public First has today published the findings from a survey carried out for the International Baccalaureate (IB) of its students around the world.
What Would a Kamala Harris Presidency Mean for Tech Policy?
Understanding how a Harris presidency could shape the digital landscape requires looking at her career “in the context” of the Internet’s evolution, her rise in public office, and (most importantly) how her plans align with the electorate’s wishes.
The Pub and the People – Immersive Research Study
Public First immersive research study of 11 pubs in Bolton, Greater Manchester over five days in November 2023
Saving Generation Z: How 16 – 27 year olds save and spend
New Public First research for Yorkshire Building Society on how Generation Z save and spend.
Public First Government Missions Tracker
The Public First team is tracking all key policy announcements made by the Government relevant to its 5 missions
Sky’s Attention Index: How we watch and connect.
A new report from Sky and Public First reveals what is grabbing our attention in today's information-rich world.
Institution Overboard: New Public First report calls for £2.5bn government fund to stop universities going under
New Public First report calls for £2.5bn government fund to stop universities going under
Exploring Political Sentiment in Newark: An Immersive Study
In collaboration with The Times newspaper, Public First ran an immersive research study in the constituency of Newark where we spoke to residents over a two-day period (24th-25th June) during the 2024 general election.
Great British Energy: From pledge to reality
Great British Energy: From pledge to reality is a Public First report, commissioned by RenewableUK.
The Planning Premium: The Value of Well-made Places
Public First today publishes a new analysis of the potential economic impact of successful planning on the quality, desirability and volume of new housing developments.
Public First’s pub focus group with the Telegraph: ‘Farage is right – nothing works anymore’
This week, Public First held a focus group for The Telegraph - speaking to members of the public in Wolverhampton about the upcoming general election.
Public Attitudes to Opera – Laidlaw Opera Trust
Today, we release a preliminary report on some of the most interesting findings from our research into public attitudes to Opera, which we have been working on with the Laidlaw Opera Trust.
Delivering the Goods with DoorDash: 2023
Public First has produced a new report on the impact of DoorDash in the United States in 2023. The report highlights the role of DoorDash in providing flexible earning opportunities for ‘Dashers’, in helping merchants like restaurants or grocers grow their businesses, and in enhancing the choice and convenience of consumers.
Public First research into the university student experience – Student Futures 2
New research for the UPP Foundation Student Futures Commission highlights the affordability crisis for students and the impact on engagement.
Mind the Gap: Exploring Britain’s energy crunch
New report from Public First presents a practical route forward for keeping the UK’s energy system secure.
New Business Sector Polling for Google on AI
Public First carried out polling of senior decision makers across the EU, in a range of sectors, on the impact they anticipate from increased AI availability in their sector and how they have already used it if at all.
Schools warn pupils are being let down by delays to accessing mental health services
School leaders from some of the most high-profile state and independent schools in the country have warned that vulnerable children are being let down because of delays in being able to access mental health services.
Parents and teachers want a more transparent, well rounded and less high stakes accountability system in schools
Parents and teachers want Ofsted inspections and the school accountability system to be more transparent, well-rounded, and less high-stakes, a major new report into public support for education reform has found.
New Polling on Research & Development
Public First carried out new polling for the Campaign for Science & Engineering (CaSE).
New report on young people’s attitudes to jobs in the green economy for The Prince’s Trust
Young people’s lack of awareness of and interest in green jobs presents a serious risk to the UK meeting its ambitious Net Zero targets, which depend on training and retraining hundreds of thousands of workers.
The Success of Free Schools – Legacy Report
The free school programme is one of the most radical and impactful education policy reforms of the last thirty years. Public First gathered insights from school founders, former Ministers and thought leaders in education to analyse the legacy of the programme so far and make recommendations for its future.
New polling on the UK public and local green energy development
In August this year we conducted research in partnership with the Conservative Environment Network on local opinion towards renewable energy development, such as solar farms and wind turbines.
New polling on Environmental Policy
Public First carried out polling on the impact of including pro- and anti-environmental policy in policy platforms.
New Report on Grid Decarbonisation: Hitting the Ground Running
In this report, we argue that preparing the network for decarbonisation by 2030 is not impossible – merely very difficult – and that it presents an ambitious goal for industry and the public to rally behind.
Public First and UK in a Changing Europe: ‘Bregret’ Report
Brexit refuses to go away, and over seven years since the referendum, the issue continues to generate headlines and spark furious debate. We spoke to the public to find out what they thought.
Public Attitudes to Tuition Fees
Public First published the findings of its landmark study into public attitudes to tuition fees.
Public First polling for Centrica
Public First carried out polling on behald of Centrica, as part of its second publication of the Net Zero Index.
Public First polling for Energy UK
Public First carried out polling on behald of Energy UK.
Public First polling on Net Zero for Onward
Public First carried out polling on behald of Onward, looking into public attitudes towards Net Zero and environmental policy.
Google’s Impact in Canada
Public First conducted consumer and business polling, and economic modelling, to determine Google’s Economic Impact in Canada in 2022.
Public First research finds parental support for fulltime schooling has collapsed
There has been a profound breakdown in parental attitudes to the idea of full-time school attendance in the years since the Coronavirus pandemic, a landmark study has found.
Hybrid Work Commission – New Research
Led by Public First, the Commission on Hybrid and Remote Work was set up to examine the rise in hybrid and remote working and make recommendations on how the UK Government can respond to the rise in hybrid and remote working to the advantage of people, communities, and the broader UK economy.
A review of collaborative support for improving equality of opportunity within access to higher education
Public First are undertaking a review of collaborative support for improving equality of opportunity within access to higher education across England on behalf of the Office for Students (OfS).