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
How Labour got it wrong on housing, time and time again
CPS Head of Housing, Samuel Hughes, spoke to the Telegraph about Labour’s proposed housing reforms and how they could ‘misfire’ by hurting homeowners and the market. ‘Some first-time buyers are affluent young professionals, and some second-time buyers are struggling families in overcrowded flats – so as a redistributive measure it will misfire in some cases.’… View Article
It’s time to liberate our streets by handing back control to local communities
Writing in Building Design CPS Head of Housing, Samuel Hughes, asks why we subsidise on-street parking when there are so many other good uses for our streets. He suggests empowering communities to decide how parking spaces are utilised, allowing for more activities such as outdoor dining for restaurants to the benefit of local residents and… View Article
Britain must take back control and kick its addiction to immigration
CPS author Nick Timothy has written his regular Telegraph column on the need to tackle immigration. Nick, who co-authored our 2022 paper ‘Stopping the Crossings’, highlights CPS analysis which suggests net migration in 2022 could be between 700,000 and 997,000 and argues that “maintaining a reliance [on immigration] comes at a significant cost” in terms… View Article
Bring back train ticket checks to curb costly fare-dodgers
Tony Lodge, Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies, writes in The Times today on the growing issue of fare dodging on Britain’s railways. Tony, author of several reports on the future of rail, including ticketing reforms, notes that “lost revenue through fare evasion ultimately means higher fares and less investment, as losses and… View Article
Semiconductor strategy funding ‘disappointing’, says UK tech industry
Tech leaders have declared the UK’s long-awaited semiconductor strategy “disappointing” but a CPS researcher said the government is “right to acknowledge that the UK simply cannot afford to compete in the global subsidy war”. Gerard B. Lyons, business researcher and co-author of “Cashing in our Chips – How to strengthen the UK’s semiconductor sector” said the… 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
Tories can’t hide from the reality of migration figures
The Sunday Times cites CPS analysis that net annual migration to the UK has passed 700,000 — more than double the pre-Brexit record. ‘The aim of building 300,000 homes a year, which the UK is already failing to meet, was based on an assumption that net immigration would run at 170,000 a year. According to… View Article
Net migration may top one million this year, Home Office fears
Analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) forecasts that net migration could hit between 700,000 and 997,000 for the year ending December 2022. Karl Williams, CPS senior researcher, said: “If emigration has reverted to pre-pandemic and pre-Brexit patterns, we could see net migration hit the one million mark. This would be at the very… 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 director gives housing analysis as cabinet backlash over fall in new homes in England
“There is no issue as toxic for the Tories as housebuilding. Because nothing else pits their present so squarely against their future” writes Robert Colvile, CPS Director. As some Conservative voices blame local election loses on too much housebuilding and others too little, the CPS Director analyses the rate of housebuilding versus need and argues… 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
Britain’s legal migration numbers matter more than small boats
CPS researchers have estimated that the net migration in 2022 will be at least 700,000, more than double the pre-Brexit record. The numbers were revealed in CPS Director Robert Colvile’s Sunday Times column where he highlights the impact on areas such as housing policy of increasing immigration. Read the full article here.
UK should accelerate reform of biofuels mandate to boost green credentials and food security, says new CPS report
Every time a motorist refuels their vehicle, they are paying for the UK’s biofuels mandate, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). This is buried in the per litre cost at the pump, so public awareness is low, but 6% of the total fuel bill in fact pays for biofuels blended into petrol and diesel. While… View Article
Britain’s renters are the real victims of this inflation and interest rate crunch
City A.M.’s economics editor Jack Barnett’s weekly column focuses on problems in the UK housing and rental sector, referencing work by the Centre for Policy Studies. The column quotes from ‘The Case for Housebuilding’ by Alex Morton and Elizabeth Dunkley which found real house price increases in the UK have been more than double those… View Article
