The Centre for Policy Studies is working with the Conservative Party’s 1922 Committee to bring the best think-tank ideas to the heart of government. The CPS is acting as the secretariat alongside Steve Baker MP – the Conservative member responsible for health, education and transport policy on the backbench committee – in bringing forward innovative new ideas to be pitched to both backbench Tories and members of the Number 10 Policy Board, headed by Jo Johnson MP. The aim is to feed through new ideas for both immediate implementation and the next Conservative manifesto in 2015.
The first meeting took place on Tuesday 9 July on the subject of rail competition, with further meetings this week on improving NHS productivity and enabling free schools to expand rapidly.
Sue Cameron reported on the developments in The Daily Telegraph:
“A Dragons’ Den approach to policy-making, with rival think tanks waging a battle of ideas in front of an audience of Tory MPs, is being launched next week. The aim is to hammer out ideas for inclusion in the 2015 election manifesto, but the scheme could mark a new era of openness in policy planning… The Centre for Policy Studies, a Right leaning think tank originally founded by Margaret Thatcher and Keith Joseph with the aim of “thinking the unthinkable”, will provide the secretariat and lead the project.”
Date Added: Thursday 18th July 2013
