James Vitali
Head of Political Economy
Dr James Vitali is a Head of Political Economy at Policy Exchange. He joined the team in 2022 after completing a PhD in Politics at Cambridge University. He was the JH Plumb Scholar at Christ’s College and taught undergraduates in the History of Political Thought. He also served as President of the Cambridge Union. Prior to his time in Cambridge, he worked for a Minister of State in Parliament.
Download Publication Online Reader This paper is concerned with one of the most elemental structural features of British society: who owns it? Since classical antiquity, thinkers have recognised an intimate connection between the ownership of private property and the vitality of a political order. Ownership gives people self-sufficiency, independence, and a sense of stake in their community, both local and national. It is a spur for enterprise, a driver of […]
Download Publication Online Reader More Help to Grow offers an analysis of the Government’s ‘Help to Grow: Management Scheme’, introduced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak whilst he was Chancellor of the Exchequer. The programme is designed to upskill business leaders in the SME sector, and to provide them with the tools they need to expand and improve their companies. It has received strong positive feedback from the businesses who have […]
Download Publication Regulations are an indispensable part of social and economic life. They constitute the “rules of the game” by which companies, public bodies and consumers interact with one another. When working well, they institute important protections for individuals, ensure a level playing field within markets, and incentivise activity and innovation that will benefit society as a whole. Yet in numerous sectors, the existing regulatory framework is blighting the […]
Download Publication Online Reader The economics of the UK housing market are highly dysfunctional. For decades, demand for housing, through population expansion and changes to the nature of households, has consistently outstripped the supply of new homes, and this has translated into vastly inflated prices across the UK. In an effective market, supply is responsive to demand, and this has a balancing effect on prices. When it comes […]
Why does Policy Exchange need a Head of Political Economy? Political economy and economics are often treated as synonyms. But there are some important differences between the two, and recognising them can greatly enrich the way we frame both the challenges facing our country, and how best to solve them. Of course historically, political economy predates economics as a discipline. Alfred Marshall became Cambridge University’s first professor of economics in […]
High on the list of topics guaranteed to agitate Conservative MPs is planning reform. It is unsurprising, then, that the Government has put votes on the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill on ice after 47 MPs signed an amendment designed to water down targets on local councils to build additional homes in their area. The Tory rebels who regrouped this week are not “wicked” for defending a constituency of existing homeowners […]