CPS Head of Education responds to ‘Beyond Ofsted’ inquiry
In response to launch of ‘Beyond Ofsted – An Inquiry into the Future of School Inspection’, Mark Lehain, CPS Head of Education, said: ‘What and how Ofsted inspects is a very important topic for discussion. Being sponsored by a union that has long questioned Ofsted’s legitimacy, it will be really interesting to see what the… View Article
Should higher-rate pension tax relief be abolished?
Michael Johnson, CPS research fellow and pensions expert, contributed to this weekend’s ‘Big Question’ in The Times newspaper. Michael took the ‘Yes’ side of a debate which asked if higher-rate pension tax relief should be abolished, arguing that the UK needs to encourage a savings culture. Read the full debate here.
Is it time to abolish the 45p rate of income tax?
CPS Head of Tax Tom Clougherty took the “Yes” side of The Times’ ‘Big Question’ – Is it time to abolish the 45p rate of income tax? Debating Arun Advani, associate professor of economics at the University of Warwick, Tom argued that while the politics of cutting the rate would be fraught, the principle is… View Article
Extension of Avanti contract is new low for rail passengers
CPS Research Fellow Tony Lodge wrote the Thunderer column in today’s Times newspaper, calling the extension of the Avanti contract on the West Coast Main Line “a new low”. Lodge writes that “passengers on Britain’s most important railway have been failed consistently for a generation” and the government has consistent failed to extend the open-access… View Article
CPS responds to Hewitt Review into integrated care
Responding to the Hewitt Review of integrated care systems, Karl Williams, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Policy Studies, said: ‘The Hewitt Review makes some promising recommendations on integrating healthcare data to drive better outcomes for patients and enhance accountability within the health service. Similarly, its suggestion that ICSs are benchmarked against each other will surely help highlight areas of… View Article
Britain poised to sign Indo-Pacific trade deal
The Daily Telegraph reports that Britain is poised to join an Indo-Pacific trade pact, becoming the first non-founding member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), giving businesses easier access growing economies in the region. The newspaper highlights the findings of CPS report ‘Looking East’ which made the case for UK membership, highlighting… View Article
MP welcomes reports UK set to join CPTPP
Responding to news reports that the UK is set to join the CPTPP, Anthony Mangnall MP, co-author of CPS paper ‘Looking East: The Case for UK Membership of CPTPP’, said: ‘It is enormously welcome news that the UK appears set to join the CPTPP and realise the benefits my CPS report laid out. ‘Membership will… View Article
How high-tax Britain is fuelling a wave of early retirement that has made us all poorer
The Daily Telegraph reports on how higher taxes are driving a wave of early retirement, something the recent CPS report ‘Where are the Workers?’ focused on in detail. Tom Clougherty, CPS Head of Tax, told the newspaper “paying tax on your income makes work less attractive at the margin and makes leisure more attractive because… View Article
How a Labour capital gains tax raid would make Britain a global outlier
CPS Head of Tax Tom Clougherty is quoted in the Daily Telegraph, responding to calls from some front-bench Labour MPs that a Labour government could align the rates of capital gains tax. Tom told the paper the move would mean “Britain would end up with the least competitive personal tax system in the OECD. Considering… View Article
The UK’s growth stagnation
Douglas McWilliams, a speaker at the CPS’ Budget 2023: The Verdict panel discussion, turned his contributions into a piece for Reaction. In it, he argues the Budget did little for growth stagnation and that “repairing the UK’s growth problems is difficult without addressing the country’s productivity problems.” Read Doug’s article here, or watch the whole… View Article
The Government can build a new consensus on international development by focusing on investment
Gareth Davies MP writes for ConservativeHome following the publication of his new report, published by the Centre for Policy Studies. In the article Gareth compares the ongoing debate over British Overseas Development Assistance vs the lack of awareness about development finance, despite the incredible impact and significant financial returns the latter can generate. Read Gareth’s… View Article
Childcare rules: Why hitting six figures leaves high-flyers in a Parent Trap
New childcare rules announced in yesterday’s Budget are welcome, but cliff-edges for higher earnings need to be ironed out, says City A.M. Jeremy Hunt extended free childcare for one- and two-year-olds but this is withdrawn once a parent earns over £100,000 which the paper estimates could cost parents earning above the threshold £25,000 over the… View Article
CPS welcomes focus on business investment and economic inactivity
The Centre for Policy Studies welcomed the Chancellor’s decision at today’s Budget to focus on the issues of business investment and economic inactivity – and of course the news that Britain is expected to avoid recession. On business investment, the think tank was warmly supportive of the decision to introduce ‘full expensing’, a policy it… View Article
The true cost of the teachers’ strike
As teachers across the country walk out for another national strike day, Mark Lehain, CPS Head of Education, has written for the Spectator’s Coffee House. In the piece Mark argues that strikes are “divisive” for the profession and damaging for children who have already had three years of disrupted education during the pandemic. Read Mark’s… View Article
Older people quit workforce ‘because they can afford to’
The Times today covers a new report from the Centre for Policy Studies highlighting the spectrum of causes contributing to increasing economic inactivity. The article leads with the research which shows economically comfortable people over 50 are feeling increasingly able to stop working, contrary to the popular narrative that workers are being driven out of… View Article
Britain’s economic inactivity problem misdiagnosed, says new report
Tomorrow’s Budget is widely expected to focus on economic inactivity, which is now one of Britain’s biggest economic challenges The UK has 516,000 more economically inactive people aged 16-64 than pre-pandemic. Only three OECD countries have seen inactivity increase more than the UK A new Centre for Policy Studies report tempers two common explanations for… View Article
