Britain must build more gas-fired power plants now – Tony Lodge
Falling capacity margins in European electricity markets should “concern British policy makers”, writes Tony Lodge in The Times, Monday 4 February. As Britain’s reliance on European imports increases, Germany and Europe are switching from coal to renewables and supplies of cheap, abundant electricity for Britain are reducing. Lodge warns that – if cheap European electricity does… View Article
Government must ‘strain every sinew’ to boost home ownership – Robert Colvile
Home ownership has become an increasingly distant prospect for an entire generation”, warns Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, warns in the Mail Online, Friday 1 February. Commenting on the news that home ownership among young adults has plummetted by a third, Robert encouraged the government to “strain every sinew to fix the… View Article
How Chavez turned South America’s richest country into a hellhole
“Venezuela has plunged into the abyss…a brutal, corrupt government has turned what has once Latin America’s richest country into a hellhole”, writes Robert Colvile in The Sun, Sunday 26 January. Presidents Chavez and Maduro nationalised the oil industry, heavily taxed foreign firms, introduced price and currency controls, and seized the goods of private companies. Robert also… View Article
Alex Morton: For voters to have more money, Government must spend less
“It is right and crucial that politicians back hard work and effort, rather than seeing the British taxpayer as an endless source of money”, writes Alex Morton in his regular ConservativeHome column. He argues that post-Brexit, the Conservative Party will need to re-engage with their voters and members and the best way to do this… View Article
Public sector is most to blame as British productivity lags
Britain’s productivity crisis is being driven by low productivity and inefficiency in the public sector, says Robert Colvile, CPS Director, in The Times on Monday 21 January. As highlighted in a CPS report in 2018, the NHS spends hundreds of millions of pounds printing and posting appointment letters rather than investing more modern, digital solutions…. View Article
Dominic Raab hails future outside the EU
Dominic Raab MP has set out his plans to “cut taxes, reduce household bills and help small businesses”, reports the Daily Express, Tuesday 15 January. In a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies, the former Brexit Secretary also gave his support to a policy increasing the National Insurance contribution threshold – as proposed by the… View Article
Raab: Brexit was a roar for change – and Britain is capable of so much more than this
“MPs should vote against [the Withdrawal Agreement], send a clear message to Brussels that the UK will not be bullied”, writes Dominic Raab MP, in The Telegraph. Writing ahead of a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies, the former Brexit Secretary argues that voting the deal down would leave the UK in a ‘stronger position’… View Article
In defence of Britain’s railways
In the week of the annual rail fare rise, this year at the higher rate of measured inflation, writing in defence of Britain’s railways is a brave — or perhaps even foolhardy — endeavour”, admits Conor Walsh. But writing for CapX, Conor sets out how – but many metrics – Britain’s railways are both significantly improved… View Article
This has been the worst decade for house-building since World War Two
“We decided as a nation…that housebuilding didn’t matter”, writes Robert Colvile, 1 January 2019. As The Telegraph reports on our analysis which showed Britain is on track to build fewer houses in the 2010s than any decade since World War Two, the CPS director argues that all is not lost. Current and recent housing ministers have “done their best… View Article
The Sun backs CPS calls for 50p Universal Credit taper rate
The Sun’s ‘Make Universal Credit Work’ campaign is calling for a reduction in the Universal Credit taper rate, as proposed by Tom Clougherty, CPS Head of Tax, in our recent ‘Make Work Pay’ report. Robert Colvile is quoted in The Sun article, Thursday 20 December, in support of the reduction saying “it is morally wrong that the… View Article
The fax machine bonfire has begun – now for the pager scrapheap
Increasing the use of technology in the NHS will “improve patient care, [allow the NHS to] communicate more easily, and offer online booking for appointments, whilst saving money in back-office administration that can be re-directed to front line services”, writes Alan Mak MP in The Spectator, Monday 10 December. Writing following the announcement that the NHS… View Article
Brexit gives Britain the chance to better help its poorest regions
Brexit is an opportunity for Britain to replace the European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund with a system which better recognises areas of need. Lucky Dube, one of the Centre for Policy Studies’ research interns, writes for CapX on the unfairness of the fact that Tower Hamlets (one of the UKs most deprived… View Article
There’s more to in-work poverty than the alarming headlines suggest
Yesterday’s Joseph Rowntree Foundation on poverty makes some good points but, as James Heywood sets out for CapX, the headlines do not give us the full picture. Heywood, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Policy Studies, sets out that although in-work poverty has risen very slightly, a household in poverty is still much more likely… View Article
Alex Morton: Whether you like her plan or not, the Prime Minister target reducing immigration
“Evidence is that immigration was a critical part of the Brexit debate”, of course the Prime Minister is right to place it at the heart of her Withdrawal Agreement, writes Alex Morton in his regular column with ConservativeHome. Theresa May has been criticised by some for prioritising ending free movement of people over other issues… View Article
Of course Thatcher should be considered as the scientist for the new £50 note
Should Margaret Thatcher be considered as the scientist to be featured on the new £50 note? Of course, says Emma Revell. Writing in City A.M.’s Debate column on 28 November, Emma argues that although science isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, Mrs Thatcher’s scientific achievements are worthy of a place on the Bank… View Article
DEBATE: How can the Government help renters?
Rental insurance should be introduced in order to make life easier for those in the private rented sector, says Conor Walsh. Participating in a debate on the Smart Thinking website, Conor makes the case put forward in the Centre for Policy Studies report ‘Down with Deposits’ which argues for a system of rental insurance as an alternative… View Article
