Unleash power of ownership to boost security and wellbeing, says Redwood
Ownership is at the heart of conservatism but the country is at risk of forgetting lessons learned after the Second World War ‘The Power of Ownership’ by Sir John Redwood MP warns that the UK is at risk of slipping back into nationalised industry, government-directed companies, and reliance on Whitehall to generate solutions Instead, politicians… View Article
Nutrient neutrality reforms ‘badly needed’ says CPS Director
Responding to the government’s announcement on planned reforms to nutrient neutrality laws, Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, said: ‘These reforms are badly needed. As we and others have repeatedly warned, the crude and unworkable interpretation of the original ECJ ruling on nutrient neutrality has blocked and delayed a huge number of… View Article
Energy Price Cap fall ‘does not disguise the need for change’
Responding to a fall in the Energy Price Cap, Dillon Smith, CPS Energy and Environment Researcher and author of ‘The Case Against the Energy Price Cap’, said: ‘While a fall in the energy price cap is welcome, today’s announcement does not disguise the need for change. The cap was designed for yesterday’s market and is… View Article
Energy price cap costing consumers money and driving inflation, says new report
Although introduced with the best intentions, the Energy Price Cap (EPC) has gone far beyond its intended purpose and is actively harming competition The EPC was originally brought in as a time-limited intervention to protect a specific group of customers from price-gouging The recent energy crisis has meant it now functions not as a price… View Article
Families unfairly penalised by British tax system, says new report
A new report from the Centre for Policy Studies and Conservative Growth Group warns that the British tax system is increasingly unfair towards families Couples with the same overall income can end up paying dramatically different amounts of tax depending on how earnings are divided between them. A couple earning £60,000 with two children will… View Article
Inflation hammering value of cash savings worth more than £2 trillion
Britons like to save – but too many of us are saving in cash, despite the more attractive returns which might be available through investing in shares There is £1.8 trillion of cash in savings accounts – roughly equivalent to the entire market capitalisation of the FTSE 100 – and approximately £300m in National Savings… View Article
Government must accelerate academies programme, warns former adviser
The growth of academies and multi-academy trusts has changed the face of English schools for the better From only 203 in May 2010, academies now make up more than 10,000 of the country’s 22,000 state schools The growth in ‘multi-academy trusts’ (MATs) has allowed leaders to push up quality and standards for children across multiple… View Article
‘Unregulated Regulator’ undermines tech superpower ambition, warns CPS report
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Bill, currently progressing through the House of Commons, would give the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) new, extensive and unchecked powers to reshape digital markets and regulate outcomes across the economy As currently drafted, the Bill undermines parliamentary sovereignty and removes democratic accountability by handing such expansive ‘quasi-legislative’… View Article
CPS responds to Labour’s mortgage plans
Responding to Labour’s plans to ease the mortgage crisis, CPS Research Director Tom Clougherty said: ‘Labour’s plan mostly “requires” lenders to do a variety of things they will already be doing voluntarily, because they understand the pressures their customers are facing and don’t want people to lose their homes unavoidably. ‘But direct intervention of this… View Article
Does Britain care about freedom? New survey reveals sharp, deep political divides
We are all obsessed with which party is getting what share of the vote – both now and at the next UK election – but what are the fundamental values driving British public opinion? In a major new survey Dr Frank Luntz, the world’s leading expert on political language and communication, has worked with the… View Article
CPS responds to net migration figures
Responding to the ONS’ net migration figures, Karl Williams, Deputy Research Director at the Centre for Policy Studies, said: ‘Today’s figures for net migration were lower than expected – but this reflects changes in the Office for National Statistics’ methodology and understanding. Even with these changes, and with the inclusion of refugees from Ukraine and… View Article
Britain needs a fairer system of motoring taxation, says CPS report
Britain is a nation of drivers, with 88% of the miles travelled in 2021 being via car, van, or taxi. But current policy is letting drivers down. Road transport in Britain generates too much congestion and air pollution. Motoring has also been treated as a cash cow, with drivers paying far more through taxation than… View Article
UK right to not engage in semiconductor ‘subsidy war’ says CPS
Responding to the publication of government’s National Semiconductor Strategy, CPS Business Researcher Gerard B. Lyons said: ‘The National Semiconductor Strategy is welcome, after an unnecessarily long period of delays and uncertainty. The Government is right to acknowledge that the UK simply cannot afford to compete in the global subsidy war being played out by other… View Article
CPS responds to Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
Responding to the news that England has come fourth in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study of 43 countries for reading proficiency, CPS Head of Education, Mark Lehain said: ‘The PIRLS results released today demonstrate once again the power of the literacy reforms pushed in recent years. That reading standards stayed so high despite Covid… View Article
CPS responds to ‘Smarter Regulation’ announcement
Responding to the publication of ‘Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy’, CPS Research Director Tom Clougherty said: ‘The Government is taking the right approach to reforming the better regulation framework. We should only regulate when there is a compelling case for doing so, when the benefits clearly outweigh the costs, and when we’re sure that… View Article
CPS researcher responds to FCA proposed reforms to listing regime
Centre for Policy Studies Business Researcher, Gerard B Lyons, responds to FCA proposed reforms to listing regime: ‘The FCA should be praised for its proposed reforms to the listing regime, which will undoubtedly improve London’s international competitiveness. Amid intense global competition, the UK cannot afford to take its foot off the pedal but must ensure… View Article