Revised migration data shows extraordinary scale of UK population change
Updated data from the ONS shows that population growth since 2021 has been higher than previously thought, with 4.80 million people arriving in 2021-4 and net immigration of 2.55 million, equivalent to population growth of 3.8 per cent The net inflow of non-British nationals – 2.9 million people – is equivalent to around 4.4% of… View Article
Half-hearted asylum reforms won’t secure Britain’s borders
Responding to the Government’s asylum system reforms announced today, Centre for Policy Studies Research Director Karl Williams said: ‘As the CPS argued in ‘Stopping the Crossings’ in 2022, a radical overhaul of asylum is needed to diffuse deterrence throughout the system. While the measures announced by the Home Secretary today represent a small step towards… View Article
London housebuilding boost ‘encouraging’ but not the end of the road, says CPS
The government has today published a new package of support for housebuilding in London The average private renter in London can expect to spend between 40% and 50% of their income on rent. Homes England has estimated that increasing London’s housing stock by 5% would decrease housing costs by 10% and raise economic productivity by… View Article
Government drastically understating the burden of regulation, warns CPS
The Government’s ‘Regulation Action Plan’ contains many welcome ideas for cutting the burden of red tape But a new briefing by Robert Colvile, Centre for Policy Studies Director, argues that it is built around deeply flawed estimates for the costs of regulation The briefing shows that the Government has abandoned Keir Starmer’s promise to cut… View Article
Annual survey finds UK tax competitiveness remains woeful – and Budget could make things even worse
The 2025 edition of the International Tax Competitiveness Index (ITCI), published today by the US-based Tax Foundation, finds that the UK remains near the bottom of the global pile, with a tax system that is both uncompetitive and anti-growth The UK ranks 32nd out of 38 OECD countries, the same overall position as last year… View Article
Khan has ‘buried London in red tape’, says Cleverly, as housebuilding collapses
Of all the British regions, London has the biggest need for more homes. The median home in London is more than 11.5 times more expensive than the median London salary, and the capital has the lowest vacancy rate of any British region The average private renter in London can expect to spend between 40% and… View Article
Badenoch right to axe Britain’s worst tax
Given the scale of Britain’s fiscal problems, there is precious little space for tax cuts However, Kemi Badenoch is right to say that the first priority, if there is the fiscal headroom, should be cutting what is the consensus choice among economists for Britain’s worst major tax As Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride told the Centre… View Article
Centre for Policy Studies issues clarification on Indefinite Leave to Remain statistics
As part of announcing a package of policies on Indefinite Leave to Remain, Reform UK have alluded to research published by the Centre for Policy Studies in February of this year. Part of the research calculated a ballpark figure for the financial cost of the hundreds of thousands of migrants who will soon be eligible… View Article
Shadow Chancellor calls for ‘radical’ economic reform to break cycle of weak growth at CPS report launch
The Shadow Chancellor, Sir Mel Stride MP, spoke at a Centre for Policy Studies event this morning, where ‘Breaking the Cycle‘, a new economic report by CPS research fellow Dr Gerard Lyons, warning UK debt could hit 100% of GDP this decade without urgent action, was launched. Sir Mel Stride has called for ‘radical’ economic… View Article
UK facing ‘genuine risk’ of fiscal crisis without immediate action, says senior economist
Britain is living beyond its means. Without immediate, credible action to rein in spending, contain debt and keep inflation under control, a fiscal crisis may be looming This is the key message in a major new report by Dr Gerard Lyons, arguing that the UK needs a complete economic overhaul. Instead of tax, spend and… View Article
Press coverage for ‘Rail’s Last Chance’
Britain’s railways are bleeding £1.4 billion annually despite passenger numbers returning to near pre-pandemic levels, with the Government’s radical overhaul to create Great British Railways risking catastrophic failure without urgent course correction, according to new research from the Centre for Policy Studies. The research by Tony Lodge sets out a four-point plan to save Britain’s rail… View Article
Energy price cap increases while Labour’s 2030 target risks locking in higher bill costs, says CPS
Ofgem’s price cap for an average household paying by direct debit will be £1,755 from October, up slightly from the current level (set in July) of £1,720 and up substantially from the level at the time of the 2024 general election of £1,568 This means average household energy bills will have risen by 10% at… View Article
Asylum claims hit record high as returns remain ‘drop in ocean’ Subheading
New figures from the Home Office show asylum claims reached a record-breaking 111,000 in the year ending June 2025 – surpassing the previous peak of 103,000 in 2002 Returns from the UK increased by 25%, but this amounted to just 9,100 people Small boat arrivals represented only 39% of asylum claims, with many arriving legally before… View Article
Great British Railways risks ‘repeating the mistakes of British Rail’ says expert
The Government is introducing the biggest shift in how the railways are run since privatisation – a new CPS report from rail expert Tony Lodge warns that the plans risk repeating the mistakes of the past The introduction of Great British Railways (GBR) in its planned form will slash accountability, with most of the independent regulator’s duties… View Article
‘Alarming’ fall in housebuilding in London
Only 2,158 private housing constructions were started in London in the first six months of 2025, a measly 4.9% of the government’s target The second quarter of the year mustered just 731 new starts, half the already paltry figures from Q1 The new figures from consultancy Molior also showed just 3,950 new homes were sold in… View Article
Leaving ECHR may be the only way to avoid politicising judiciary, warns Lord Lilley
A new report by Lord Peter Lilley challenges the conventional wisdom that the ECHR was a British creation enthusiastically adopted by Churchill and Attlee Lord Lilley, who served in Cabinet under both Thatcher and Major, reveals that several Labour and Conservative leaders have considered overriding, ignoring or withdrawing from the ECHR The Strasbourg Court has… View Article
