“If anyone was to draw up a list of the top twenty most influential think tanks in Westminster, can anyone seriously doubt that Policy Exchange would be at number one?” That’s the verdict of Iain Dale in the LBC presenter’s latest column for Conservative Home. He calls Policy Exchange “the pre-eminent think tank in the Westminster village” and notes our unique convening power, saying: “There are few organisations that could attract power players like Mark Carney and Alan Greenspan, or Dominic Raab and Mike Pompeo to appear on its platforms.”

Policy Exchange was delighted to welcome Hon Michael R. Pompeo, US Secretary of State, to speak on “The Future of the Special Relationship”, in conversation with Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP, the Foreign Secretary, at an event in Westminster. The discussion – which ranged from Brexit to the rise of China – was moderated by Dean Godson, Director of Policy Exchange. Watch the full video here, and read coverage in The Express

The Government is launching an eight-week consultation on decriminalising BBC licence fee evasion, said the Rt Hon Baroness Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in a speech at Policy Exchange on the Future of Media and Broadcasting. Watch her speech here.

Policy Exchange’s Visiting Scholar, Dr William Schneider Jr, delivered a keynote speech on “Delivering National Scientific & Technological Advantage: DARPA and the American Approach”. As a former Chairman of the US Defense Science Board, Dr Schneider is a leading authority on strategic innovation and tech R&D. His wide-ranging speech addressed issues including the evolution of national defence technologies, space security and how to help create high-tech innovation. You can watch a video of the event here and read his paper here.

A major new Policy Exchange report has called for a complete overhaul of the planning system by the Government. The report was covered in The Times whose article said Policy Exchange’s proposals were being “seriously looked at” by the No 10 policy unit. It was also featured in The Sun, ConservativeHome and on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

The world’s leading urban economist, Harvard University’s Professor Edward Glaeser, describes the report as “superb” and “a bold entry into the global conversation about land use reform” in his Foreword to the report (also featured in The Times).

“Place is regaining its importance in British politics,” according to The Economist’s Bagehot column, which cited Dean Godson, Policy Exchange’s Director, on the “somewhereisation” of UK politics, and David Goodhart, author of The Road to Somewhere and Policy Exchange’s Head of Demography. Read the article here.

Peers debating the Queen’s Speech cited Policy Exchange research nine times in the House of Lords, covering a broad range of recently published research. Supporters and opponents alike acknowledged the influence of Policy Exchange papers such as Protecting the Constitution, a paper by Professor Richard Ekins published in late December. It was described as “the basis” of Government policy on constitutional reform by Lord Thomas of Gresford OBE QC, a Liberal Democrat peer.

Lord Brown of Eaton-Under-Heywood PC, a former Supreme Court Justice and a cross-bencher, recognised the case for a new Treason law, and commended Policy Exchange – an “admirable body” – for its work on the subject, which includes Aiding the Enemy. He also quoted First Hundred Days, a report published last month that set out “quick wins” for the new Government, on the subject of prorogation. Baroness Kennedy, a Labour peer, also mentioned Policy Exchange in reference to the debate over the lawfulness of prorogation. 

Baroness Tyler of Enfield, a Liberal Democrat peer, referred to Whitehall Reimagined and noted that it “rightly points out that recruitment freezes, below-inflation pay rises and major cuts to budgets have put the [Civil Service] under severe strain in the past 10 years”. Lord Faulks QC, a former Minister of State for Justice, praised Policy Exchange for its “continuous work on trying to protect our troops from vexatious claims”. He also referred to the constitutional reform proposals from Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project. Read more in Hansard here.

The Sun reported that the Government is considering a Department for the Union to strengthen the bonds between the nations, as recommended in Policy Exchange’s Modernising the United Kingdom paper. This follows the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee backing Policy Exchange’s proposals to increase the number of sporting events that must be shown on free-to-air TV, for example women’s national football tournaments and test cricket in Public service broadcasting: as vital as ever.

Policy Exchange was delighted that the party election manifestos reflected the priorities of our cross-party research since the last general election (and even earlier). Ideas from at least 24 papers were contained in the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green 2019 manifestos – from social care to education, farming to judicial power. Explore the infographic showing which ideas were adopted by the different parties here.

Dean Godson, Director of Policy Exchange, was delighted to welcome the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, to the official launch of the final volume of Charles Moore’s authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher, Herself Alone.

The event, hosted by Policy Exchange, was the Prime Minister’s first visit to a think tank since he took office. It was attended by some of the surviving dramatis personae from the Thatcher era and other senior figures from the world of politics, journalism and public life.

The Prime Minister praised the biography, saying, it is “not just the greatest recent work of biography but… also, in our lifetimes, the greatest work of modern British history”. Charles Moore, the author of the 20-year project, is a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange and was previously Chairman of the Trustees. Watch the video of the speeches on YouTube