Small firms bullied by banks could have affordable route to justice
The Centre for Policy Studies is delighted to announce a new research project in conjunction with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking (APPG). The research project will examine the best way of establishing an independent resolution mechanism for complex financial disputes. The Centre for Policy Studies will produce policy recommendations into how… View Article
Nationalising rail won’t magically end rail strikes – Robert Colvile
One of the more peculiar arguments for rail nationalisation is that it will lead to a new age of industrial harmony, writes Robert Colvile, in City A.M.’s “Debate” column on Tuesday 27 March 2018. Debating against Emily Horton of The London Student, Robert pointed out that industrial action is 15 times more common in the… View Article
Russia has systematically flouted every international norm – Robert Colvile
Robert Colvile joined the BBC News Channel to discuss possible UK responses to the Russian poisoning of Sergei Skripal, Tuesday 13 March 2018. Robert pointed out that Russia has “systematically flouted” international norms and even prior to the latest apparently assassination attempt, there were questions being raised about the England team’s participation in the upcoming Russia World… View Article
‘Beast from the East’ exposed our energy failings
The ‘Beast from the East’ put significant strain on Britain’s energy generation capacity, electricity supplies were worryingly low, and current government policy is set to make things worse, writes Tony Lodge in The Telegraph, 13 March 2018. Britain’s power generators can no longer supply all the electricity consumers desired, the government has systematically increased the… View Article
A Thatcher statue is essential if you support women’s equality
By refusing the celebrate the achievements of Margaret Thatcher, those on the left are impeeding the move towards equality for women, writes Emma Revell – CPS Communications Officer, in a piece for CapX. Written to mark International Women’s Day, the piece examines the lack of public art celebrating (or even containing) women and argues Margaret… View Article
Heseltine and Blair do more harm than good to Remain
Interventions from Michael Heseltine and Tony Blair won’t win Remainers any support, writes Robert Colvile in The Times Monday 5 March 2018. Polling by YouGov back in 2016 found only 2% of Britons think of the former Prime Minister “very favourably” so it is unlikely Tony Blair is the man to persuade the British public… View Article
Jeremy Corbyn: not a spy but a fool who hates the West
Jeremy Corbyn was almost certain not a Communist “asset” but he has never missed an opportunity to praise an enemy of America, writes Robert Colvile in The Telegraph Thursday 22 February. While it might be appealing to think of Corbyn “huffling scruffily around St James’s Park with his cling-filmed sandwiches, looking for dead drops –… View Article
Raise benefits or raise wages – how best to end poverty?
What is the best solution to ending poverty, raising benefits or raising wages? Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, joined Helen Barnard of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to discuss this question as part of BBC Radio 5 Live’s poverty week. Robert and Helen discussed the case for raising the living wage, the… View Article
Labour misses the point of the new gig economy
Labour’s approach to protecting employees rights at work is based on a mistaken assessment of the current situation, writes Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, in The Times. More regulation and more protection for workers ignores the reality that a large proportion of those working in the gig economy are “relatively content… View Article
Gavin Williamson is right: Britain’s energy supply is threatened by Russia
Gavin Williamson is right to warn about the Russian threat to Britain’s energy supply, writes Tony Lodge, CPS research fellow, in The Spectator. In his 2017 report “The Hidden Wiring” Lodge highlighted the dangers of the UK increasing energy imports from Europe rather than increasing generation capacity at home. Importing increasing amounts of energy means Britain’s supply… View Article
Hammond, McDonnell battle over new CPS report
Yesterday, the Centre for Policy Studies published The Cost of Nationalisation. This new report represents the first independent attempt to calculate the total upfront cost of Labour’s nationalisation plans – a figure which John McDonnell has repeatedly refused to provide. The report by Daniel Mahoney, the CPS’s Head of Economic Research, estimates that the upfront cost of Labour’s plans –… View Article
Daniel Mahoney discusses Carillion with PM’s Eddie Mair
Daniel Mahoney, Deputy Director and Head of Economic Research at the Centre for Policy Studies, joined BBC radio 4’s PM programme to discuss Carillion and the future of public-private partnerships. Daniel, debating economist Ann Pettifor, pointed to private sector efficiency – estmiated by the CBI to be around 11% of costs – and risk sharing… View Article
When will the Tories start actually asking people to join them?
Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, has written for Conservative Home on the challenges facing the Conservative Party and their steadily declining membership. Robert highlights his personal experience that despite being a clear candidate for party membership, no one ever asked him to join. He considers what the recent reshuffle, including changes… View Article
Carillion collapse: We need to open up the supply chain to SMEs
Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, joined BBC Radio 5 Live’s Breakfast show to discuss the collapse of Carillion and the future of public-private provision. Robert highlighted the need for more competition, the need to “open up the supply chain…let more small companies in”, in order to provide better services to the taxpayer. He… View Article
The reshuffle was a missed opportunity
Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, has written for The Times Red Box on the Conservative Party’s talent pool following last week’s reshuffle. In the piece Robert cheers the promotion of some of the 2015 and 2017 intake, not least Rishi Sunak MP who has written two reports for the CPS and… View Article
MPs quizzed on support for a Royal Commission
Jon Snow, Channel 4 News, quizzed three leading MPs and health campaigners on their views about an NHS Royal Commission on Channel 4 News, Wednesday 10 November. Dr Andrew Murrison, Conserverative MP and former front bench health spokesman, said “I and others are calling for a Royal Commission…we need to do it properly.” He echoed the… View Article
