Air Marshal Edward Stringer CB, Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange and former Director-General of the Defence Academy, has contributed a timely paper on the security threats facing the UK. The PM should establish a ‘war cabinet’ to deal with the interrelated national security aspects of energy security as it would an existential wartime concern, the senior defence advier claims. Inefficiencies in defence spending and procurement mean that the UK is not getting good […]
The landmark bipartisan report, Defence Space: through adversity to the stars?, is Parliament’s first in-depth look at the role of outer space capabilities in a military-strategic context. It quotes several times from Policy Exchange’s February paper, UK’s Defence Space Strategy in Context: An Analysis, by Gabriel Elefteriu FRAeS, our Director of Strategy and Space Policy. In particular, the House of Commons committee report highlights one of Policy Exchange’s main conclusions regarding the […]
Policy Exchange, Westminster’s leading think tank, has announced new additions to our expanding team in Westminster, increasing our ability to develop innovative policy solutions that command consensus across the political divide. Foreign policy expert Sophia Gaston will be heading up the Foreign Affairs Unit, former No.10 Chief of Staff Nick Timothy joins as a Senior Fellow along with Boris Johnson’s former senior transport adviser Andrew Gilligan and Air Marshal Edward […]
Policy Exchange came first in two categories at last night’s prestigious Prospectmagazine 20th Annual Think Tank Awards – winning first place for Advocacy, and Health, Science and Medicine think tank of the year. The judges – including former NHS England Chief Executive Lord Stevens of Birmingham – praised Policy Exchange’s Health and Social Care Unit, headed by Robert Ede with Dr Sean Phillips as Senior Fellow, for its “measurable impact […]
The winner of this year’s Wolfson Economics Prize, which has invited proposals to “radically improve” hospitals for patients and staff in the UK and around the world, was announced at a Gala Dinner in Central London last night. The £250,000 prize was awarded to Ab Rogers Design and their ‘Living Systems’ submission which envisions the hospital building as a ‘third carer’ alongside medical staff, patients and the public. Their proposal […]
Policy Exchange, Britain’s most influential think tank, today announces the launch of a new international commission on the Indo-Pacific led by the former Canadian Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Stephen Harper. The Indo-Pacific Commission will include* diplomats, politicians and military and civil leaders drawn from the United Kingdom, the United States and across the Indo-Pacific region – including Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore. The aim of the Commission is to write […]
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.
"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.
Policy Exchange extends its condolences to Lady Scruton and the family and friends of Sir Roger Scruton, whose death was announced on 12th January. Sir Roger was the greatest conservative philosopher and cultural thinker of our time. In Policy Exchange terms, he was recently the co-author of Building More, Building Beautiful with Jack Airey, our Head of Housing. The report’s findings, which showed that there was broad support for traditional architecture among all […]
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.
Boris Johnson set out his vision for the United Kingdom on the steps of Downing Street yesterday - in the course of which he embraced many of the ideas championed by Policy Exchange in our series of policy proposals for the next Prime Minister.
Boris Johnson set out his vision for the United Kingdom on the steps of Downing Street yesterday - in the course of which he embraced many of the ideas championed by Policy Exchange in our series of policy proposals for the next Prime Minister.
The final two candidates for the Conservative Party’s leadership came together on Armed Forces Day to welcome a Policy Exchange report – Protecting Those Who Serve – which calls for the incoming Prime Minister “to act urgently to protect UK troops, whether serving or retired, from ongoing exposure to legal risk and to unfair legal processes.”
A day after HRH the Prince of Wales issued a call for action for “the creation and regeneration of genuinely beautiful places” – in a report that cited our research five times – Policy Exchange published a report that puts the Prince’s vision into practice to help solve the housing crisis.
The new PM must “seek a new approach to the Irish border issue as part of a broader strategy after Brexit to stabilise and strengthen the Union,” said a new briefing paper by Lord Bew.
Polling commissioned by Policy Exchange revealed massive support for social care being largely free at the point of use and funded out of general taxation.
In a major win for Policy Exchange, the official body advising the UK Government has recommended it considers the adoption of carbon border adjustment tariffs to help meet the Net Zero carbon emissions target.
In a Q and A after her speech in Belfast on how Brexit will affect Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister was asked about Lord Bew’s recent Policy Exchange paper, The Backstop Paralysis: A Way Out. Specifically, did she agree with his assessment that the UK Government has not challenged the Irish Government’s narrative on the Good Friday Agreement being under threat.
“Beauty may have been neglected for years, but now decision-makers are moving in the right direction,” says Clare Foges in The Times. She praises Building Beautiful as “a superb collection of essays published… by the think tank Policy Exchange” and mentions contributions from the celebrated Syrian architect and author Marwa Al-Sabouni and Sir Terry Farrell, whose essay (and Times column) argued for a new generation of mansion blocks.
Rt Hon Liam Fox MP, Secretary of State for International Trade, visited Policy Exchange to deliver a keynote speech on free trade and the UK’s place in the world after its departure from the EU.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney spoke at a Policy Exchange event with Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and Adrian Wooldridge, The Economist’s Bagehot columnist, to launch their new book, Capitalism in America.
At a cross-party event in Parliament, Policy Exchange launched a new report, The Age of Incivility: Understanding the New Politics, and a new Civility Hub aimed at analysing the worst examples of abuse which coarsen our public discourse. Former EHRC Chairman Trevor Phillips, who co-authored the report, chaired a debate with Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, FT journalist Sebastian Payne and Labour activist Emily Benn.
"It’s difficult to think of anyone other than Policy Exchange who has had such an impact on education in this country – apart from E.D. Hirsch," said Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Education, in a vote of thanks after Professor Hirsch’s keynote speech, which argued for “a definite knowledge-based curriculum” for all children.
Speaking at Policy Exchange’s annual reception at Conservative Party Conference, the Home Secretary said: “If I think about the policies regarding all the different roles I’ve had in Government – in every different role I’ve had there’s always been something from Policy Exchange that has helped us shape policy and have a real impact.
A star panel championed the work of some of the greatest political thinkers and leaders in history and asked what lessons we could learn from them as we grapple with the great policy questions of our time. Author Ferdinand Mount urged everyone to read more history, Jesse Norman MP made the case for the subject of his latest book Adam Smith, Chloe Smith MP argued that Disraeli’s idea of One […]
In the past few decades, cries of Nimbyism have put off political leaders from allocating and approving new homes. In Policy Exchange’s Building More, Building Beautiful, we published exclusive polling which showed that the public is more amenable to new developments when popular design and style are made central to the planning and building process. Joining Policy Exchange’s Jack Airey to debate the importance of beauty in the built environment […]
Looming over British politics are divisions that threaten the very cohesion of the nation – Leave vs Remain, old vs young, metropolitan vs provincial and more. Exploring the ideas needed to forge a new consensus were former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips, former Labour Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales, Justine Greening MP, business consultant Charlotte Black and student Benjamin Barnard, chaired by Policy Exchange’s […]
In today’s politics, a smaller number of people with extreme views have a disproportionate voice, partly thanks to the megaphone of social media. Policy Exchange’s Hannah Stuart joined Nusrat Ghani MP, Resham Kotecha from Women2Win and Frances Scott of the 5050Parliament project to question how we can improve the level of public discourse without restricting freedom of expression, with Nusrat and Resham sharing examples of the kind of abuse they have both received from constituents and voters.
Policy Exchange hosted four events in the Politics tent at the Big Ideas Festival, looking at some of today’s most contentious issues. A top range of speakers debated how to raise the tone of public discourse; building a new national consensus; beating NIMBYism by building beautiful homes; and using great thinkers and leaders of the past to solve today’s problems.
Former Chair of the Charity Commission, William Shawcross CVO, is to join Policy Exchange as a Senior Fellow. He will be examining new forms of extremism in public life, including anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim prejudice, as part of a new book project he is working on.
Speaking in a debate on Strengthening the Union, Conservative MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk John Lamont cited Policy Exchange’s recent polling on the strength of the Union, saying “We should strengthen our Union because it is the will of the people of our land. Recent polling by Policy Exchange clearly demonstrates that the majority of people across the United Kingdom are in favour of the Union in its current form. Some 68% of people in England, 52% of people in Scotland, 66% of people in Wales and 59% of people in Northern Ireland want a continuation of the Union.”
Policy Exchange welcomed Zoran Zaev, the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia on Tuesday 10 July for a private breakfast discussion about his country’s current challenges and its planned accession to both the EU and NATO. Mr Zaev was in London for the Western Balkan Summit and will also be attending the NATO summit in Brussels later this week.
Will Heaven, Managing Editor of The Spectator, will join Policy Exchange as Director of Policy later this summer. He will play a leading role in our domestic research programme, notably on two of our new work streams – Place and Prosperity.
Highlighting Policy Exchange’s place as the leading think tank of modernisation, the Prime Minister praised its latest report on tackling the housing crisis.
A clear majority of people in all parts of the United Kingdom think that the monarchy unifies the country following the Brexit referendum, according to polling data carried out exclusively for Policy Exchange. Even in Scotland and Northern Ireland, which voted to remain in the EU, more than double think the monarchy brings the country together than the reverse.
The Evening Standard strongly urged the Mayor of London to read Policy Exchange’s latest report Better Brownfield, for ideas to tackle London’s housing crisis. 1,220 sites across London covering 43 Hyde Parks can between them accommodate between 250,000 and 300,000 new homes alongside workplaces, according to new analysis carried out by Create Streets for Policy Exchange. The Evening Standard strongly endorsed the report.
Policy Exchange’s research on teacher retention was highlighted in a House of Commons debate on schools funding by Rob Halfon MP, the Chair of the Education Select Committee and a former Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills.
Policy Exchange was delighted to host Defence Secretary Rt Hon Gavin Williamson CBE for his first keynote speech, held at Rolls Royce's site near Bristol. The Defence Secretary condemned Russia's "atrocious" actions in Salisbury and committed to a modernising defence programme because “soft power only works because hard power stands behind it”.
Policy Exchange was delighted to host an event with the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Julie Bishop. She testified to the strength of the relationship between Australia and the UK ahead of the forthcoming Commonwealth summit in April.
Policy Exchange’s panel discussion on the limits of judicial independence has been covered in The Times, with reporting of the event concentrating on judges having been given too much power to decide issues such as assisted dying.
A year on from its publication and as Holocaust Memorial Day approaches, Policy Exchange’s report The Cost of Doing Nothing: The Price of Inaction in the Face of Mass Atrocities has featured in a HuffPost blog considering whether, and how, the UK should improve its record of interventions overseas.
Leading South Korean General I-B Chun – former head of Korea’s Special Warfare Command – considered whether there is a military solution to the North Korean threat in an event at Policy Exchange. Chun warned that the North’s nuclear capability is not only directed at the United States; that we should all be worried about their cyber capability, indoctrination of children, that China would prefer a nuclear North Korea to a US-influenced state on its border. But he added: “I truly believe that my system of democracy, freedom, respect for human rights is far more powerful than any North Korean nuclear weapon.”
Environment Secretary Michael Gove has announced that a post-Brexit agricultural policy will reward farmers for public goods rather than acreage – as recommended in Policy Exchange’s Farming Tomorrow. The paper says that flood prevention, tree planting and biodiversity should all be subsidised rather than food production.
Daily Mirror columnist Ros Wynne-Jones, who chaired the Throwing a New Light on Loneliness event held at Policy Exchange, in which Rachel Reeves MP set out the findings of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, has written on the same topic in her column for the newspaper.
The Chief of the UK Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, has echoed Policy Exchange’s warnings about potential threats to the undersea communications cables that are vital to the internet and international commerce in the annual Chief of Defence Staff Lecture at the Royal United Services Institute. Sir Stuart’s comments come less than two weeks after the publication of our report Undersea Cables: Indispensable, insecure, which highlights that 97% of global communications and $10 trillion in daily financial transactions are transmitted by cables – but that those cables are highly vulnerable to attack from hostile states or terrorists.
Policy Exchange’s work on human rights was hailed as “helpful examples of best practice” in a House of Lords debate on human rights post-Brexit.
Policy Exchange launched our new Anglo-American project with a high level conference in Washington to debate US-UK Relations in a Changing World. Both the US National Security Adviser Lt Gen HR McMaster and the National Security Adviser to the British Prime Minister, Mark Sedwill CMG, spoke at the event – the first time the two holders of these positions have appeared together in public. The event attracted widespread media coverage including from Bloomberg, Newsweek, ABC News, Voice of America, Washington Times, The National, Mail Online and the New York Times.
Professor Niall Ferguson, who spoke at the launch of Policy Exchange’s new Anglo-American project, argued that the best historical analogy for the current balance of powers is with the pentarchy of five great powers that dominated European (and hence world) affairs for a century after the Congress of Vienna of 1814-15. A modern pentarchy was created in the form of the permanent members of the UN Security Council. Professor Ferguson argues that “Whether or not these five great powers can make common cause once again is the great geopolitical question of our time.”
In the struggle against Islamist extremism, history matters. It is often under-appreciated how far the groups across the Islamist spectrum, from the Muslim Brotherhood to Daesh, are powered by a simplistic, yet powerful, historical narrative. In the inaugural Elie and Sylvia Kedourie Lecture, “The Importance of History: The Chatham House Version Revisited”, Sir John Jenkins – former UK Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, co-author of the UK Government’s review of British policy towards the Muslim Brotherhood and a Policy Exchange Senior Fellow – critiques the tendency towards shallow, one-dimensional thinking about the Middle East that infects much Western commentary and analysis on the region.
Policy Exchange was delighted to welcome Hon James Mattis, US Secretary of Defense, to our offices. Secretary Mattis discussed the current global situation, a situation which includes the threats posed by North Korea and a Russia seeking to challenge the territorial integrity of its neighbours.
Is there a Zeitgeist shift to the Left? Or is the rise of Corbynism simply a passing reaction to the hubristic Conservative campaign of 2017? Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, George Freeman MP, Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Sir Roger Scruton, and David Goodhart debated these issues on a panel chaired by Dean Godson for Policy Exchange’s best attended event at the Conservative Party Conference. New Statesman Editor Jason Cowley called it “The most stimulating event I attended” at the conference. Click here to watch.
The former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation David Anderson Q.C. endorsed Policy Exchange's recent report on online extremism, 'The New Netwar', whilst speaking alongside the Home Secretary Rt. Hon. Amber Rudd MP. During a Spectator and Sky fringe event on freedom and security in the age of the internet at Conservative Party Conference, Anderson cited our findings on Islamic States's online strategy and suggested that the Home Secretary consider our recommendation that Ofcom take an independent regulatory role towards tech companies and extremist content online.
Addressing Policy Exchange’s party at the Conservative conference, Business Secretary Rt Hon Greg Clark MP paid tribute to our work, saying “Policy Exchange was in the vanguard of urging Government to think about industrial strategy”. A packed audience of supporters, MPs and members heard him call on people to make the case for free market ideas and say that “All across different subject areas Policy Exchange is thinking positively and creatively about the future”.
This key fringe event will take place at the Conservative Party conference on Tuesday 3 October, with speakers including George Freeman MP, Chairman, Prime Minister’s Policy Board; Sir Roger Scruton, writer and philosopher; Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Chair, Treasury Select Committee; Jacob Rees-Mogg MP; and Dean Godson, Director, Policy Exchange (Chair). Click here for more information and to see our full programme of events at the conference.
Rupert is responsible for overseeing Policy Exchange’s research programme and liaising with government and other bodies. Previously based in Downing Street and Westminster as Special Adviser to the Chief Whip, Rt Hon Gavin Williamson CBE MP, Rupert has also worked for the Charity Commission and Centre for Social Justice. His work on social policy in Breakthough Britain II included crime, welfare, addiction, veterans and military families. Rupert has appeared on television and radio to discuss research findings, as well as contributing to national newspapers and journals.
Policy Exchange was delighted to welcome the Hon Peter Dutton MP, Australia's immigration minister, who reflected on the need for a carefully managed migration system in order to maintain public support for continuing new arrivals. A packed audience heard how the Australian government's approach has tackled people trafficking while also ensuring Australia has the skilled migrants it needs and maintaining a generous settlement programme for refugees.
John Blake - Policy Exchange Head of Education and Social Reform - spoke to Sky News about a recent study which found that poorer students will graduate with average debts of £57,000.
Policy Exchange held the inaugural event of its new Housing and Urban Regeneration Unit -- ‘The New Politics of Housing’. The focus was on what needs to change now given the unexpected election result and the tragedy at Grenfell Tower. We were joined by former No 10 Head of Policy John Godfrey, Spectator Editor Fraser Nelson, former DCLG housing leader Terrie Alafat and developer Philip Barnes and the event was chaired by Richard Blakeway, Policy Exchange’s Chief Housing Adviser and former Deputy Mayor of London for housing.
Policy Exchange hosted top experts from industry and Parliament for a debate on the future of Britain’s electricity system and the potential role of small modular nuclear reactors in meeting our energy needs. Rachel Reeves MP (Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee) introduced our distinguished panel of speakers including Rt Hon Lord Howell of Guildford (former Secretary of State for Energy), Harry Holt (President of Rolls-Royce Nuclear) and Dr Jenifer Baxter (Head of Energy and Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers). Lord Howell's comments on the opportunities Brexit presents for nuclear research were covered by the Telegraph.
In a profile of Tom Tugendhat MP, the new Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, for ConservativeHome, columnist Andrew Gimson pays tribute to his work for Policy Exchange on ‘lawfare’ -- describing The Fog of Law and its successor Clearing the Fog of Law as “the UK equivalent of the Manhattan Institute’s “Broken Windows” moment". It drastically changed the terms of the debate and led to decisive action to deal with the problem.
Hannah Stuart — Policy Exchange's Co-Head of Security and Extremism — responds to new figures which suggest counter-terror agencies have registered a 600% surge in tip-offs after the recent attacks in Manchester and London.
Hannah Stuart — Policy Exchange's Co-Head of Security and Extremism — discusses the ways in which young people can be drawn away from radicalisation and extremism, on BBC Radio 5 live's Solutions Journalism.
The Defence Secretary, the Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon MP addressed a record crowd at Policy Exchange’s summer reception -- kindly sponsored by CQS. Sir Michael’s remarks about the need for military values to be considered more by politicians made it the most widely reported Policy Exchange Summer Party ever, including by Sky News, the BBC and the Huffington Post. He also paid tribute to Policy Exchange for our work “on lawfare and to enrich the debate on national security” -- in reports such as The Fog of Law and Clearing the Fog of Law.
Policy Exchange hosted Professor Richard Tuck, one of the world’s leading historians of ideas, to set out the case for Brexit as the best opportunity for the Left to bring about pure socialism. Labour MP Caroline Flint delivered the vote of thanks, in which she cautioned her colleagues that “We cannot spend the next 18 months voting down every one of the Tories’ EU Bills. If we do so, we will look like liars” in remarks covered by the Express, the Sun and Total Politics.
Following his blog on the subject earlier this year, Richard Howard - Policy Exchange's Head of Environment & Energy - talked to BBC Wales about the Government's delay in responding to Hendry report on the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.
Before a packed house, the Home Secretary presented the Australian Prime Minister with Policy Exchange’s Disraeli Prize for 2017. Malcolm Turnbull addressed issues ranging from immigration and asylum through to Asia-Pacific security and the North Korean nuclear question. Click below to watch the video and read the full transcript.
Policy Exchange’s Co-Head of Security and Extremism, Hannah Stuart, appeared on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme to discuss the rising number of British jihadists.
In a major new report by Policy Exchange, the case is set out that the Government must take more action now to tackle the twin problems of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from road transport. There has been a lot of media coverage of the report, see here for a selection.
Policy Exchange is delighted to announce that Graham Gudgin has joined as our new Chief Economic Advisor. He is currently Honorary Research Associate at the Centre for Business Research (CBR) in the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. He is also visiting Professor at the University of Ulster and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre, and was senior Economic Advisor at Oxford Economics from 2007 to 2015.
Policy Exchange’s Head of Housing and Urban Regeneration, Susan Emmett, appeared on BBC The Week in Westminster to discuss social housing.
Policy Exchange is delighted to congratulate Professor John Bew, Head of our Britain in the World project, as his outstanding biography of Clement Attlee won the 2017 Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography.
Policy Exchange is delighted to announce that our next Chairman of Trustees will be Alexander Downer, High Commissioner of Australia – who was previously the country’s longest serving Foreign Minister between 1995 and 2007. He will take over later this year when he retires as High Commissioner. Downer will succeed David Frum, who stands down after completing his term as Chairman; General Sir Peter Wall is acting Chairman until then.
Policy Exchange is delighted to congratulate Professor John Bew, Head of our Britain in the World project, after his outstanding biography of Clement Attlee last night won the prestigious Orwell Prize.
Policy Exchange’s Co-Head of Security and Extremism, Hannah Stuart, appeared on Sky News to discuss countering radicalisation and online extremism following the London Bridge terrorist attack.
Policy Exchange’s Co-Head of Security and Extremism, Hannah Stuart, appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 4's the Today programme as well as CNN today, following the London Bridge terrorist attack
Hannah Stuart, co-head of Policy Exchange’s Security and Extremism Unit, appeared on the BBC’s current affairs documentary programme Panorama about last week’s terrorist attack in Manchester. Hannah discussed the sophistication of the explosive device used and the likelihood that bomber Salman al-Abeidi was not acting alone.
Hannah Stuart, Policy Exchange's Co-Head of Security and Extremism, appeared on ITV's This Morning to discuss countering radicalisation and online extremism
Policy Exchange's Director Dean Godson appeared on the BBC's Daily Politics program on 25th May. He discussed the extremism prevention policies put forward by recently released party manifestos
Policy Exchange is delighted to announce that Dr Tony Sewell will be joining its Immigration, Integration and Demography Unit as a Senior Fellow. He will be working with David Goodhart and Richard Norrie
Policy Exchange’s paper ‘The UK and the Western alliance: NATO in the new era of realpolitik’ has been included in a reading list by the European Parliament Research Service
Policy Exchange is delighted to welcome Susan Emmett as the new Head of our Housing and Urban Regeneration Unit. She will be working closely with Richard Blakeway, who is the Unit’s Chief Adviser
Hannah Stuart, Policy Exchange Co-Head of Security and Extremism, discusses police counter-terroirism operations on BBC Radio 5 Live
A shortlist of five finalists for the 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize, the second largest economics prize in the world after Nobel, has been unveiled today, 27th April 2017
The shortlist for the 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize will be announced on Thursday 27 April. The prize closed on 2 March 2017, with over 120 entries from 7 countries competing for the £250,000 award to tackle issues facing Britain’s road network
Professor John Bew, Head of Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World Project, gave oral evidence to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee for their inquiry ‘The indispensable ally? US, NATO and UK defence relations’ on Tuesday 28th March 2017. Read the full transcript here and watch the hearing in full here. Before the hearing, the report ‘The UK and the Western alliance: NATO in the new era of realpolitik’ […]
Policy Exchange is delighted to announce that the appointment of Richard Blakeway as Chief Adviser to its new Housing and Urban Regeneration Unit. Richard was Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property at the Greater London Authority for eight years, overseeing the Mayor of London's housing strategy, funding and land regeneration
Download Publication This briefing, prepared for the Lords Committee stage of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill, sets out the background to the Bill and what it will achieve, as well as highlighting key evidence from Policy Exchange that reinforces why the Bill is needed. The Bill was introduced to help secure academic freedom and free speech on university campuses. In addition to high profile cases of visiting […]
Download Publication Online Reader Addressing the nationwide energy crisis will be the new Prime Minister’s first and foremost priority. With the new October energy price cap rising to £3,549, and the cap projected to rise to over £5,000 next year, the government is facing growing demands for another round of universal benefits and a freeze on bills. However, in the headwinds of intense inflationary pressures, these measures would further erode […]
Download Publication This report outlines a plan of action to address the Channel crisis. Plan A would be an agreement with France to accept the return of migrants and asylum-seekers attempting to crossing the Channel in small boats. If such an agreement cannot be reached, Plan B would be to remove persons attempting to enter the UK on small boats to a location outside the UK – whether the Channel […]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Download Publication Environmental Affairs is Policy Exchange’s quarterly journal, which explores the implications of the growing role of environmental policy. In this edition, Unleashing Climate Capital, our contributors consider policies promoting green investments, including the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) investment agenda. Related Publications
A Policy Exchange Report Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Download Publication Online Reader Transgenderism is the focus of vigorous public debate at present. Questions as to the relative significance of gender identity and physical sex and what it means to be trans are at the heart of arguments about whether transwomen should compete as women in sports, […]
Download Publication Online Reader Environmental Affairs is Policy Exchange’s quarterly journal, which explores the implications of the growing role of environmental policy. As environmental questions are increasingly felt in other areas, from economics, to security, to foreign affairs, we look at what these overlaps will mean. Our contributors are world leaders, distinguished thinkers and experts in their fields, drawn from the UK and around the world. In our first edition, we […]
Download Publication Online Reader Policy Exchange has convened a distinguished international Indo-Pacific Commission of current and former political leaders, military leaders, and thought leaders to help frame the scope of what a new UK strategy in the Indo-Pacific should be. Chaired by Rt Hon Stephen J Harper, the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada, Policy Exchange’s Indo-Pacific Commission represents the UK, Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, India, […]
Download Publication Online Reader Policy Exchange is today delighted to announce a Reform of Government Commission, Chaired by Dame Patricia Hodgson, which will examine how the Civil Service can be improved and modernised. The Reform of Government Commission will go back to first principles and ask: what sort of Civil Service do we want? What should its ethos be? How should accountability be maximised through clearer lines of responsibility? How […]
This compendium, part of Policy Exchange’s History Matters Project, represents a first attempt at drawing together a range of recent developments, which all turn on the place of history in the public square – including the removal of certain statues on public display, the renaming of buildings and places, and changes to the way history is taught in university curriculums. In cataloguing these examples, we do not offer any judgment on the actions of the individual or institution in question, today or in the past. Our aim is simply to provide a clear documentary record of what is happening – which can help inform public debate on these issues. At present, the evidence confirms that history is the most active front in a new culture war, and that action is being taken widely and quickly in a way that does not reflect public opinion or growing concern over our treatment of the past.
Parliament must intervene to correct the Supreme Court’s misunderstanding of the process behind the detention of Gerry Adams in the 1970s, says Lord Howell, Minister of State for Northern Ireland at the time, in a research note for Policy Exchange. The paper follows on from Mishandling the Law by Prof Richard Ekins and Sir Stephen Laws.
In this paper, which is the revised text of his recent lecture for Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project, John Larkin QC reflects on the state of the United Kingdom’s constitution. The paper discusses an aspect of an important provision of the European Convention on Human Rights — the procedural obligations under the Article 2 provision on the right to life, and its implications for how policy on the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles is to be made.
Boris Johnson should “seize the moment” and make “quick wins” in a number of key policy areas during his first 100 days to “reform public services and reshape the inner workings of government”, says John Howard, the former Australian Prime Minister in the Foreword to a new Policy Exchange report. The paper offers a blueprint for the new Government to implement some of its key manifesto pledges and other ideas during its first 100 days in office.
This is Policy Exchange’s very first report, the report which originally suggested the creation of the Police and Crime Commissioner post. Recent governments – both Conservative and Labour – have extended central control over Britain’s police. Key decisions about targets, budgets, appointments and strategy are now made in Whitehall. The ties that bind local police forces to the communities they serve have been eroded. Through interviews with police officers and […]
SEND HIM VICTORIOUS OUR NEW SOVEREIGN:A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE Rt Hon Lord Soames Tomorrow’s Coronation will set the seal on a new Carolean age in our nation’s history. By common consent, King Charles III is the best prepared Sovereign we have ever had. So, what are the essential attributes of our new King? One key attribute – so often overlooked – of our new King is his exceptional stamina. The King remains […]
Owning nuclear weapons changes everything. Officers from militaries that are solely conventionally armed ask what it feels like in tones of awe. But, for the vast majority of British officers it is an almost impossible question to answer. Uniquely amongst our peers and allies we push our nuclear forces out into a specialist niche, cloak them with secrecy, and pretend they are nothing to do with ‘us’. This position is […]
A theatre in receipt of Arts Council and UK Government Covid funding has been accused of a “grotesque lapse of judgement” for holding an event on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 that calls the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan a “crime of aggression”. The event features speakers from CAGE, an Islamist group described by Boris Johnson as “apologists for terror”. Run over three days from September 9-11 at the Camden People’s […]
On September 24, the French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, announced that “The fight against Islamist ideology has passed a decisive point”. His announcement came as France’s highest court, the Council of State, ruled in favour of his decision in October last year to close down BarakaCity, a charitable organisation, and the Collective against Islamophobia in France (CCIF), an organisation that monitors Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate crimes. Both organisations were accused of propagating […]
The Iranian news agency Mehr News has released a short video showing a flag of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) being displayed during a London anti-Israel demonstration on 22 May. The IRGC was designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US State Department in 2019. In December 2020, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee called on the British Government to also proscribe the IRGC. In addition, a black and white flag of the Hashd Al-Sha’abi (also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, PMF) is visible in the video. The […]
The campaign group CAGE and the Islamist website Islam21C have both promoted endorsements from Tauqir Sharif (Tox) as part of their Ramadan fundraising campaigns. Sharif is a UK-born activist based in Syria who has been unable to return to Britain since 2017 when his British citizenship was removed on the grounds that he is linked to a group aligned with Al-Qaeda. Sharif has reportedly admitted to fighting in Syria, but denied […]
The head of the UK-based campaign group Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA), Ismail Patel, has appeared among the speakers at a recent online conference that included a number of extreme figures. Taking place on 9 May 2021, the conference titled The scholars’ speech to those steadfast in Al-Aqsa, was broadcast over Facebook and YouTube by the Palestine Scholars Association in the Diaspora. Coverage of the event by Donia Al Watanreported that Muthanna […]
The UK Islamist news website 5Pillars has published an opinion piece by Abdul Wahid—chairman of the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain—arguing that Muslim majority countries, and to a lesser degree some Muslims in the UK, are betraying the Palestinian and Kashmiri causes. Titled, Only a united Ummah can liberate Palestine and Kashmir, Wahid advocates the use of military force and the establishment of the Khilafah, or Caliphate, as the only means for achieving […]
Arranged by the Centre for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at the Istanbul Zaim University, the third International Conference on Islamophobia saw the participation of a number of individuals from the UK. Notably, this year the event had a particular focus on counter-terrorism policies. Held between 26 and 30 March, the conference was subtitled “Examining the Global War on Terror: Challenges, Policies, and Consequences” and included a great deal of discussion about […]
The German daily Die Welt has published an in-depth report alleging that Islamist associated individuals have been appointed to a new Berlin State Commission on Anti-Muslim Racism. Formed in February of this year, the six-person commission has been tasked with making “recommendations for a further development of prevention work on anti-Muslim racism”. However, Die Welt alleges that two of the members have Islamist connections, with the chairman—Mohamad Hajjaj—said to have been active in associations regarded as […]
In a few weeks’ time, the Scottish electorate will vote a new parliament into Holyrood with all the pundits predicting a majority for the incumbent Scottish National Party led by Nicola Sturgeon. She will campaign on the basis that a majority gives the SNP a mandate for a second Independence Referendum to be held early in the new parliament. This is despite constitutional matters being reserved to the UK Government […]
The French government’s Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Crime and Radicalisation has released a statement through a series of posts on Twitter expressing opposition to the term “Islamophobia”. While the statement stresses that there are many acts of discrimination against Muslims, and that the French state seeks to fight these, it argues that the term “Islamophobia” is inappropriate on the grounds that it conflates bigotry with legitimate criticism of […]
The United Kingdom needs a Grand Strategy of audacious investment, engaged partnership and renewed confidence. So argued Policy Exchange in its breakthrough paper, Modernising the United Kingdom, in late 2019. That paper was concerned with “unleashing the power of the Union”. Andrew Dunlop’s review of Union capability, prepared in the summer and autumn of 2019 but published only this month, is concerned with much the same thing. Lord Dunlop’s core […]
Purpose of Life: 25 March 2021 [1] Light Foundation PRESS RELEASE, Batley Grammar School Protests: 25 March 2021 Imam Qari Asim MBE, trustee of Light Foundation said: [2] “Protests outside of Batley Grammar school have caused alarm in communities. I sympathise with the parents and pupils because sadly, this is not the first time we have seen offensive images of Prophet Muhammad being used. Muslims love the Prophet more than themselves and […]
Claims have emerged that images of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons were recently shown during a class at Batley Grammar School, Yorkshire. It is reported that a member of staff has been suspended in relation to the incident. A message shared over social media has encouraged protests at the school in response to the allegations. Note: the original version of this message included the teachers name—this has been removed in the version reproduced […]
A newly released video clip available on the YouTube channel of the India-born popular Islamist preacher Zakir Naik, sees Naik indicate that ‘righteous’ non-Muslims, such as Mother Teresa, would go to hell. Zakir Naik was banned from entry to the UK in June 2010. Theresa May, then Home Secretary, said that visiting the UK was “a privilege, not a right”, adding that “Numerous comments made by Dr Naik are evidence to me of his […]
A coalition of NGOs and campaign groups has submitted a complaint to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, regarding the treatment of Muslims in France. In the 22-page long letter sent on 8 March, it is claimed that, “the French government has exploited the killing of Samuel Paty for its own racist, discriminative and Islamophobic agenda.” Accordingly, the submission calls on the European Commission to intervene on the alleged grounds that France is now in […]
Risalat Al-Ikhwan, the London based Muslim Brotherhood weekly bulletin has promoted a hashtag campaign in solidarity with Raed Salah, head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel. This is a group considered ideologically close to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood’s online Wikipedia (IkhwanWiki) includes Salah under the category of the MB’s leading figures in Palestine. The Arabic “I stand in solidarity with Raed Salah” hashtag was being shared online by supporters in February of this […]
On 24 January, the London based Al-Quds Al-Arabi published a report about a communiqué issued by the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS). In this communiqué, the IUMS’s Secretary-General Ali Al-Qara Daghi called on the French government to stop interfering in Islamic affairs and to treat Islam like any other religion. The IUMS reportedly criticised the French president, and accused him of devoting most of his time to undermining Islam and restricting Muslims. The […]
On 14 January 2021, Dominic Grieve published the report of his Independent Commission into Governance and Vetting within Islamic Relief. This body had been set up four months earlier after Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) had been exposed to “reputational damage” because of “the unacceptable comments and views of a small number of trustees and a member of its senior staff”. As described previously on this blog, the controversies surrounding Islamic relief […]
The Danish public broadcaster, TV2 reports an interview given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Integration, Mattias Tesfaye (Social Democrats) to Jyllands-Posten, in which he claimed that “a large part of Islam today is represented by Islamists”. Tesfaye pledged that he would try to curb Islamism in Denmark with a number of laws – perhaps an indication of his desire to emulate recent moves in Austria and France. In the interview, Tesfaye also […]
Yahya Cholil Staquf, the General Secretary of the Nahdlatul Ulama in Indonesia, has published an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, calling on Muslims to challenge extremism within their midst. “How to Make the Islamic World Less Radical” argues that: “Nearly a generation after 9/11, the world has made little progress in freeing itself from the threat of radical Islam.” Yahya argued that, “the doctrine, goals and strategy of these extremists can […]
In September 2020, it was announced that the UK-based Ibrahim Mounir had been appointed as the acting General Guide of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (EMB) – the most senior figure in the organisation. In the month following the announcement, the Qatari Arabi21 Arabic language portal reported that Mounir had addressed a letter to President Emmanuel Macron, in which he denounced the latter’s suggestion that Islam is in crisis. Mounir further claimed that […]
In November, the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars, the Kingdom’s highest religious body, published a significant communiqué condemning the Muslim Brotherhood. The Council described the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group that does not represent the true values of Islam;[1] it further labelled it a deviant group which undermines coexistence within nations, and stirs up sedition [fitnah], violence and terrorism. The Saudi Council also claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood had a […]
On the 30 October, the Muslim Brotherhood’s London-based weekly bulletin Risalat Al-Ikhwan published a statement titled: ‘On French and European offences against Islam, its Prophet and Book’. Among other matters, the Muslim Brotherhood’s statement praises the uprising [intifada] of the peoples of the Muslim world and the defence of their sanctities “by every peaceful civilised means”. An intifada is best understood as a sustained ‘uprising’. It may or may not be intermittent, and is often […]
On Sunday, 27 September 2020, a car rally took place through central London, “in solidarity with and in appreciation of the Hashd Al-Sha’bi” (also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, PMF). The Hashd Al-Sha’bi, which was formed in 2014 when the conflict with ISIS began, is an Iraqi umbrella organisation comprised of 40 (mostly Shi’a) militia groups. The three main factions within Hashd Al-Sha’bi owe their allegiances to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and […]
2021 is hugely important for the UK’s energy and environment policy, with the Government preparing to host the COP26 climate conference in in Glasgow in November 2021 and committing to ‘Build Back Better’ from the Coronavirus pandemic. Policy Exchange is tracking over 50 milestones for UK energy and environment policies, which we have collated in the timeline below. We plan to update and maintain this timeline with the latest Government […]
“We believe that in 10 years’ time offshore wind will be powering every home in the country.” This was the Prime Minister’s positive vision for a low-carbon UK that he set out in his Conference speech last week. Rather predictably, this has led to questions about what happens when the wind stops blowing. Not all of this criticism will be in good faith, but there is also a serious point. […]
The Supreme Court’s prorogation judgement is the latest episode in a larger parliamentary and judicial effort to dampen the strength of the executive in constitution. This is not to deny the constitutional significance (or novelty) of the judgement, but it does raise questions about how much discretion should be left to the executive in any new equilibrium.
The UK Supreme Court’s decision last week that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament was unlawful is an unprecedented judicial interference in matters concerning prerogative and will undoubtedly be subject to debate for some time. While any analysis of the legitimacy of the prorogation may hinge on the contingencies of the Brexit affair, the Court’s decision may well reverberate beyond the United Kingdom’s borders. One hazardous implication of the […]
In Cherry/Miller, the Supreme Court chose to change the law by creating a new legal limitation on the prerogative to prorogue Parliament. Whether one thinks the Court was within its rights to change the law, the judgment was, from a practical point of view, clearly lawmaking with retrospective effect, even if the fiction that the common law has always existed allowed it to be presented as a declaration of the […]
The prorogation of Parliament or the advice on which such prorogation was based has not, historically, been thought to have been justiciable. The Supreme Court has decided that it is justiciable but determines that question not separately or as a preliminary issue but in combination with a determination on two other issues, namely “where a legal limit lies in relation to the power to prorogue Parliament, and whether the […]
Prior to the Supreme Court’s judgment, there was much speculation as to exactly how the Supreme Court would divide – 8:3, 7:4 or even 6:5 – and considerable speculation as to who would be on which side in the light of the questions posed and previous decisions made by the justices. All very US Supreme Court–like. It was therefore the first striking announcement that Lady Hale made on 24 September […]
The Supreme Court’s decision in Miller/Cherry that suspending Parliament was unlawful is an extraordinary contribution to a long term trend in Western countries: the judicialisation of politics, that is, the transfer of political, social and economic issues form elected governments to unelected judges. The decision to prorogue or suspend the UK Parliament, for a matter of weeks only in this case, was made for the same reason that all government […]
The core of the task facing the Supreme Court in Cherry/Miller was to interpret and apply constitutional and legal principles. One of the striking things about the judgment is the forthrightness with which the justices set out their collective view about how the constitution should be interpreted. The Supreme Court’s judgment stated in clear terms that the separation of powers is fundamental to how the UK constitution operates (a point […]
The figures just published do not signify an actual increase in incidents of hate In Bush v Gore (2004) the US Supreme Court stopped Florida’s recount of votes in the presidential election, sealing George Bush’s slim lead. After time for reflection, influential US scholars argued that the case should have been treated as a political question, since the Constitution empowers Congress (not courts) to determine eligibility of presidential electors. This is […]
Some cases end up deciding much more in retrospect than they did at the time they were decided. The case of Anisminic 2 AC 147 (HL) comes to mind as one of the clearest examples of such a case in public law, with later courts taking the judgment to be grounds to abandon the distinction between jurisdictional error and non-jurisdictional error. Half a century on from Anisminic, the Supreme Court’s […]
The Government’s decision to use the prorogation power for questionable political purposes was a provocation to the courts. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court’s understandable discomfort with the Government’s move led it to search for, and ultimately create, a legal remedy for a political problem. In doing so it has imposed an entirely novel and potentially open-ended legal limitation upon one of the clearest and most unequivocal powers of the Crown. This […]
The prorogation case is undoubtedly the most challenging that the Supreme Court has had to deal with so far in its relatively short history, involving a high-stakes dispute in extremely politicised territory in which there was a real risk to the court’s authority. It is hard not to admire the skill with which the court navigated these difficult waters, through a unanimous and crystal-clear judgment which cleverly presented its conclusion […]
Did the Supreme Court get Millerright? The case was certainly one in which the judges developed, as opposed to merely applied, the law. Even the very best lawyer could not have known for sure whether the judges would conclude that the abuse of the prerogative – and it was a very clear abuse – was so egregious the Prime Minister’s attempt to prorogue Parliament would be found to be unlawful. […]
North and south of the Border, the courts at first instance dismissed the Miller/Cherry claims in short order as non-justiciable. Miller proceeded directly to the Supreme Court by virtue of the “leapfrog” procedure. Cherry, however, was appealed to the Inner House of the Court of Session, which unanimously held, in somewhat startling language about the circumstances and motives for the advice given to the Queen, that the advice to prorogue, […]
InMiller (No 2),the Supreme Court held that article 9 is intended to protect freedom of speech and debate in the Houses and their committees and the right of the Houses to manage their own affairs without external interference. While prorogation may take place within the House of Lords, the Court noted that it is not a decision of the House or something upon which Members can speak or vote. It considered […]
Modernising the United Kingdom – Unleashing the power of the Union, a new report by Policy Exchange, argues that the Government should launch an audacious infrastructure programme and a further devolution of powers to modernise the United Kingdom and boost the economy. The paper also includes a set of space policy recommendations.
The showreel for the 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize
Watch the moment Gergely Raccuja is revealed as the 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize winner
The recent graduate from UCL has won the 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize, a £250,000 Prize that posed the question ‘How can we pay for better, safer, more reliable roads in a way that is fair to road users and good for the economy and the environment?’ His entry, “Paying for road use could be Miles Better”, argued that to restore trust between politicians and motorists, fuel duty and VED should be scrapped and replaced with a simple and fair distance-based charge that also captures road and environmental impacts.
A new poll commissioned by the 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize has revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the state of Britain’s road network. The poll of over 2,000 adults has been released as five finalists compete for the £250,000 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize which will be awarded this week for the best idea for paying for better roads.
Hate congestion, noise and pollution on our roads? Then it’s time to pay as you drive, says Wolfson Prize Director Julian Glover in this short film he made for BBC Newsnight's Viewsnight section
Hear from Sir John Kigman and the shortlisted finalists in our series of videos
Editor’s Note: Last month Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project published a report by Professors Richard Ekins and Christopher Forsyth on Judging the Public Interest: the Rule of Law vs the Rule of Courts. The Project invited comments on the paper from Professor Adam Tomkins (University of Glasgow), Dr Se-Shauna Wheatle and Professor Roger Masterman (both from the University of Durham), Dr Jan van Zyl Smith (Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law) and Martin […]
Editor’s Note: Last month Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project published a report by Professors Richard Ekins and Christopher Forsyth on Judging the Public Interest: the Rule of Law vs the Rule of Courts. The Project invited comments on the paper from Professor Adam Tomkins (University of Glasgow), Dr Se-Shauna Wheatle and Professor Roger Masterman (both from the University of Durham) and Dr Jan van Zyl Smith (Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law). Their […]
Editor’s Note: Last week Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project published a report by Professors Richard Ekins and Christopher Forsyth on Judging the Public Interest: the Rule of Law vs the Rule of Courts. The Project has invited commentators with a range of views to reply to the report. Some might be expected to be more sympathetic to the report and others much less so. The first reply was by Professor Adam Tomkins from the University of […]
Editor’s Note: Last week Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project published a report by Professors Richard Ekins and Christopher Forsyth on Judging the Public Interest: the Rule of Law vs the Rule of Courts. The Project has invited commentators with a range of views to reply to the report. Some might be expected to be more sympathetic to the report and others much less so. The first reply was by Professor Adam Tomkins from the University of […]
Editor’s Note: Last month Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project hosted a lecture by Professor John Finnis on Judicial Power: Past, Present and Future. The Project has invited leading commentators from Australia, Canada and the UK to reply to the lecture. In keeping with this website’s goal of encouraging debate about the proper bounds of judicial power, we have invited replies from commentators with a range of views. Some might be expected […]
Editor’s Note: Earlier this month Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project hosted a lecture by Professor John Finnis on Judicial Power: Past, Present and Future. The Project has invited leading commentators from Australia, Canada and the UK to reply to the lecture. In keeping with this website’s goal of encouraging debate about the proper bounds of judicial power, we have invited replies from commentators with a range of views. Some might be […]
Editor’s Note: Earlier this month Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project hosted a lecture by Professor John Finnis on Judicial Power: Past, Present and Future. The Project has invited leading commentators from Australia, Canada and the UK to reply to the lecture. In keeping with this website’s goal of encouraging debate about the proper bounds of judicial power, we have invited replies from commentators with a range of views. Some might be […]
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}} Time: {{00.00}} Venue: Online and in person In Person Registration Webinar Registration About this Event Towards A Full Tertiary Funding System Chaired by Sir Philip Augar Chair of the Post-18 Education and Funding Review Panel with Paul Blomfield MP Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Students David Hughes Chief Executive, Association of Colleges Dr Shaid Mahmood Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion), Durham University Professor Sandra McNally […]
Event Details: Date: Tuesday 24th October Time: 12:00 Venue: Online and in person About this Event Fairer High Streets: Social Mobility in the Retail sector With Dame Sharon White DBE, Chair of the John Lewis Partnership
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}} Time: {{00.00}} Venue: Online and In Person About this Event Thinking Past the Ukraine War: Western Options in Post-Putin Russia in partnership with the American Foreign Policy Council Sir Laurie Bristow Former British Ambassador to Russia Hon Paula Dobriansky Former US Under Secretary of State John Lough Former Information Representative for NATO in Moscow Hon William Schneider Jr. Former US Under Secretary of State Lord Sedwill Former UK National […]
Event Details: Date: Thursday 5th OctoberTime: 12:00 Venue: Online and In Person About this Event Book launch for Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine With General David Petraeus Co-authorand former Coalition Commander in Iraq and Lord Roberts of Belgravia Co-author and historian in conversation with Admiral Sir Tony Radakin Chief of the Defence Staff Vote of Thanks by Rt Hon Lord Robertson of Port Ellen KT Former Secretary General of NATO
About this event On September 7, 2023, Policy Exchange and the Hoover Institution hosted the first Transatlantic Conference on Global Foreign Policy and Security. This distinguished forum of past and present senior government figures, prominent business leaders, scholars, and leading journalists engaged in vigorous discussions on the most critical geopolitical issues of our time. Lord Godson, Director of Policy Exchange, welcomed the 66th United States Secretary of State and Director of the Hoover Institution, Condoleezza Rice and Niall Ferguson, the Milbank Family […]
Event Details: Date: Tuesday 25th AprilTime: 12:00 Venue: Online or In Person About this Event Sovereign Borders in an Age of Mass Migration with Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MPMinister of State for Immigration chaired by Lord Godson Director, Policy Exchange
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}} Time: {{00.00}} Venue: In Person and Online About this Event The Budget: Examining the Aftermath with Bim Afolami Chair of the Regulatory Reform Group Member of Parliament for Hitchin and Harpenden Rt Hon Ruth Kelly Former Secretary of State for Transport Richard Hughes Chair of the Office of Budget Responsibility Connor MacDonald Head of Economics, Policy Exchange Chaired by Juliet Samuel Times Columnist, Senior Research Fellow, Policy Exchange
Event Details: Date: 12 AprilTime: 12:30 – 13.45 Venue: In Person and Online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5XmEf7L_yw About this Event Breaking the Impasse:The Great Debate on University Funding with Rt Hon Lord Johnson of MaryleboneFormer Minister for Universities and Science Rt Hon Justine GreeningFormer Secretary of State for Education Professor Sir Steve Smith UK International Education Champion Professor Karen O’BrienVice-Chancellor and Warden, Durham University Iain MansfieldDirector of Research and Head of Education and Science, Policy Exchange Chaired […]
Event Details: Date: Monday 27 FebruaryTime: 12:00 – 13:00 Venue: Online and In Person https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-erDeXqanE About this Event The Prevent Review: Where next? with Rt Hon Priti Patel MP Former Home Secretary Lord Carlile of Berriew CBE KC Former Independent Reviewer of Prevent Sir John Jenkins KCMG LVO Co-author of the Muslim Brotherhood Review, Senior Fellow, Policy Exchange Dame Sara Khan Former Lead Commissioner, Commission for Countering Extremism Khalid Mahmood MP Chair of APPG on […]
Event Details: Date: 10th November 2022 Time: 12.00 Venue: Online and In Person In Person Registration Webinar Registration About this Event US Senator Joni Ernst Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities In conversation with Lord Godson Director, Policy Exchange
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}}Time: {{00.00}} Venue: Online and In Person https://youtu.be/fivAtBLmyWY About this Event Chaired by David GoodhartHead of Demography, Immigration & Integration, Policy Exchange with Madeleine SumptionDirector of the Migration Observatory,University of Oxford Nick Timothy Senior Fellow, Policy Exchange Luis von AhnCo-founder and CEO, Duolingo Glyn Williams CBFormer Director General, Migration and Borders Group, UK Home Office Stephen Kinnock MPShadow Minister for Immigration Richard EkinsHead of Judicial Power Project, Policy Exchange
Designing the Hospital of the Future was a half-day conference which explored the themes of this year’s Wolfson Economics Prize with panel discussions from members of the government’s hospital building programme, front-line clinicians, patient advocates and experts in the built environment. Tuesday 23rd March, 15:00 – 18:00 15.00 – 15.15 The Great Rebalancing: The Wolfson Economics Prize 2021, recently launched in partnership with Policy Exchange, seeks to stimulate an international debate about planning […]
Event Details: Date: Thursday, 24 March, 2022 Time: 13:00 – 14:00 Venue: Online and in person About this Event The Worm in the Apple: A History of the Conservative Party and Europe from Churchill to Cameron by Lord Tugendhat with Lord Tugendhat Former European Commissioner Rt Hon Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston Former Labour MP, Co-Chair of Vote Leave Rt Hon Lord Frost Former Minister of State at the Cabinet Office Rt Hon Lord Clarke of Nottingham […]
Event Details: Date: Monday, 4 AprilTime: 12:00 – 12:45 Venue: Online and in person https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKbQSqfD00s&feature=emb_title About this Event A skills-based economy is the foundation for so much – from making our country an economic force to be reckoned with on the global stage, to levelling up regions within the country and making sure people are earning high wages that afford them a better quality of life. Minister for Skills Alex Burghart MP […]
Event Details: Date: Tuesday, 12 AprilTime: 13:45 – 14:45 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/u7iJunVKVu0 About this Event General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith KCB CBE Chief of the General Staff in conversation with General James C. McConville, USA Chief of Staff of the US Army Chaired by Dean Godson Director, Policy Exchange Related Events
Event Details: Date: Thursday, 1 September Time: 15:00 – 16:00 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/lVbyhsG6e1Q About this Event A speech from Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care NHS – Preparing for winter and beyond Related Events
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}}Time: {{00.00}} Venue: Online https://youtu.be/p77ThgdyMU8 About this Event Children’s Commissioner for EnglandDame Rachel de Souza DBE launches preliminary findings of The Family Review chaired by Rt Hon Ruth KellySenior Fellow at Policy Exchange Related Events
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}}Time: {{00.00}} Venue: Online https://youtu.be/1f7Ghhrgt5g About this Event The Economy: What Do We Want From The Next Prime Minister?Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi MPChancellor of the Exchequer In conversation with Andy HaldaneChief Executive, The Royal Society of Arts chaired by Rt Hon Ruth KellySenior Fellow at Policy Exchange Related Events
Event Details: Date: Wednesday, 10 August, 2022 Time: 12:30 – 13:30 Venue: Online and in person About this Event keynote speech Equalities and Rights: Conflict and the Need for Clarity by Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP Attorney General — Transcript Good afternoon, I feel very honoured to have been invited here today by Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project. The Judicial Power Project focuses on the proper scope of judicial power within […]
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}} Time: {{00.00}} Venue: Onlinehttps://youtu.be/px7VzNate_A About this Event Policy Exchange’s panel discussion on ‘What do we want from the next Prime Minister?’ provides a unique insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the next Prime Minister and the skills and approach to government they will need to succeed. The discussion was widely covered in the media. Our panel included: Baroness Cavendish of Little Venice, Financial Times columnist and […]
Policy Exchange convened a distinguished panel to discuss the future of general practice. The release of the latest GP Patient Survey data shows a dramatic decline in public satisfaction with general practice over the past twelve months.
Event Details: Date: Monday, 11 July, 2022Time: 18:00 – 19:15 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/-k6IOypFqio About this Event Data saves lives. Yet at least one in ten trusts in the NHS in England operate on ‘paper-based’ systems. This is likely to be inhibiting staff – who can only do their best when they have the right information to provide the best possible care. In this panel event, we will consider the […]
Event Details: Date: Wednesday, 6 July, 2022Time: 13:00 – 14:00 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/jyD2O5o56x0 About this Event Christopher Luxon MP, New Zealand’s Leader of the Opposition, gave a speech this week at Policy Exchange. He set out a compelling vision for the renewal of public services and economic reform through high standards and best practice, learning from the best in the world. At a time when governments are toying with […]
Event Details: Date: Wednesday, 6 July, 2022Time: 17:30 – 18:45 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/jNJVeD04B9Y About this Event Reporting from the frontline of the struggle to ‘level up’, Jamie Driscoll, Mayor of the North Tyne Combined Authority, spoke at Policy Exchange on why the current funding arrangements between HM Treasury and local authorities need to be transformed if success is to be scaled up. Local leadership, knowledge and presence are essential […]
Event Details: Date: Monday, 4 July, 2022 Time: 9:00 – 10:00 Venue: Online and in person About this Event Michael R Pompeo, unplugged, takes a fascinating tour across the geopolitics of today’s world — from Russia/Ukraine to China and Taiwan and beyond. Mike Pompeo calls for serious thought from serious leaders who are prepared to call out Chinese threats and communicate those threats to the people. His talk and the following Q&A […]
Event Details: Date: Thursday, 30 June, 2022Time: 18:00 – 19:00 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/nk-ASNzXsO4 About this Event Public confidence in the Met is at its lowest since records began, levels of crime detection are at rock bottom and there has been a significant increase in confrontational protests on the streets of London. With the Home Secretary in the process of appointing a new Commissioner, Policy Exchange is hosting a panel discussion exploring what is […]
Event Details: Date: Wednesday, 29 June, 2022Time: 12:45 – 13:30 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/8AafPwEJK3o About this Event Praising the work of Policy Exchange’s Health and Social Care Unit for “leading the debate in Westminster on health and care”, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP unveiled the Government’s Plan for Digital Health and Social Care at a speech at Policy Exchange on Wednesday. He […]
Event Details: Date: Wednesday, 22 June, 2022Time: 12:00 – 13:00 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/oimBdaYfcWU About this Event Hon Nikki Haley, former US Ambassador to the UN and a leading Republican politician, gave a speech at Policy Exchange on the need for Western deterrence in the face of threats from Russia, China and Iran. She warned that the West must take the hostility and strategic ambition of these powers seriously: they […]
Setting out her thinking, Katharine Birbalsingh said that the traditional view of social mobility concentrates on the few who go, Dick Whittington like, from the bottom of the ladder to the top; far more important is a focus on wider numbers of people taking smaller steps up the ladder, as well as levelling up across the regions. She set out a fresh approach to raising social mobility focused on education, employment and enterprise and aims to widen our understanding of the factors in these areas that hinder or enhance opportunity.
Event Details: Date: Monday, 6 June, 2022Time: 16:15 – 17:05 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/kDRI1ty48hE About this Event Grotius Prize presented to Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia, with recorded remarks by Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP and a Vote of Thanks from Rt Hon Liz Truss MP On the occasion of receiving Policy Exchange’s 2022 Hugo Grotius Prize, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas gave an important speech on the need […]
Event Details: Date: Thursday, 12 May, 2022Time: 13:15 – 14:15 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/jw3XPNxd5Yo About this Event Policy Exchange invites you to a panel discussion Is it too late for ‘natalism’ in Europe? celebrating the launch of Tomorrow’s People: The Future of Humanity in Ten Numbers by Dr Paul Morland with Phillip BlondDirector, ResPublica Dr Paul MorlandSenior Member of St Antony’s College, University of OxfordAuthor of ‘Tomorrow’s People: The Future of Humanity […]
Event Details: Date: Wednesday, 27 April, 2022 Time: 12:30 – 13:30 About this Event Rt Hon Lord Frost of Allenton CMG Senior Fellow, Policy Exchange Former Chief Negotiator for Exiting the European Union Vote of Thanks by Rt Hon Arlene Foster Former First Minister of Northern Ireland Chaired by Lord Godson Director, Policy Exchange For the first time Lord Frost will give a personal account of the politics and pressures of the […]
Event Details: Date: Tuesday, 26 April, 2022Time: 11:30 – 12:15 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/gn1OApClCn0 About this Event In Defence of Free Speech with Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MPMinister of State for Higher and Further Education Chaired by Lord GodsonDirector, Policy Exchange Related Events
Event Details: Date: Tuesday, 19 April, 2022Time: 18:00 – 19:15 Venue: Online and in person https://youtu.be/tiUFC7g7grg About this Event Changing Borders – A Kingdom Unlocked by Tony Smith CBE with Tony Smith CBEFormer Director General, UK Border Force Robert C. BonnerFormer Commissioner, US Customs and Border Protection Nusrat Ghani MPMember of Parliament for Wealdenand Senior Fellow, Policy Exchange David GoodhartHead of Immigration, Integration and Demography,Policy Exchange Glyn Williams CBFormer Director General, Migration and Borders Group,UK Home […]
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}}Time: {{00.00}} Venue: Online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKbQSqfD00s&feature=emb_title About this Event Fiona HillFormer Deputy Assistant to the President chaired by Sebastian PayneWhitehall Editor for the Financial Times
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}}Time: {{00.00}} Venue: Online https://youtu.be/8lfnujv2rOk About this Event First India-UK Strategic Futures Forum (IUSFF) Hon Dr. S. JaishankarMinister of External Affairs of India Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MPForeign Secretary chaired byLord GodsonDirector, Policy Exchange
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}} Time: {{00.00}} Venue: Online and in person About this Event Baroness Morgan of Cotes Former Secretary of State for Education Lord Macpherson of Earl’s Court Former Permanent Secretary to the Treasury Martin McTague National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses Chaired by Rt Hon Ruth Kelly Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange, Former Secretary of State Related Events
Event Details: Date: Tuesday, 29 MarchTime: 17:30 – 18:30 Venue: Online https://youtu.be/vy9YG4HZEsk About this Event Roger BarkerDirector of Policy and Corporate Governanceat the Institute of Directors Professor Colin Mayer CBEEmeritus Professor, Said Business School,University of Oxford Sir Trevor PhillipsChair, Green Park Group Chaired by Sir Geoffrey OwenHead of Industrial Policy at Policy Exchange, and author of the recent Policy Exchange paper “The case for shareholder-based capitalism” Related Events
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}} Time: {{00.00}} Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}} Time: {{00.00}} About this Event Policy Exchange invites you to a keynote speech Professor Sir Dieter Helm, CBEProfessor of Economic Policy, University of OxfordFellow in Economics, New College, Oxford Chaired by Benedict McAleenanSenior Fellow for Energy and the Environment,Policy Exchange
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}}Time: {{00.00}} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOhsvC3Vnxc&feature=emb_logo About this Event Matthew Pottinger is Assistant to the President and US Deputy National Security Advisor. Mr. Pottinger served as the Senior Director for Asia since the start of the Trump Administration in January 2017. In that role, Mr. Pottinger advised the President on Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, and coordinated U.S. policy for the region. Before joining the National Security Council staff, Mr. Pottinger ran Asia […]
Event Details: Date: {{day-week-day-month}} Time: {{00.00}} Venue: Online About this Event Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Chaired by Ed Birkett Senior Research Fellow, Energy and Environment
12.45 – 13.00 Why History Matters Opening Remarks: Dean Godson – Director, Policy Exchange Speaker: Trevor Phillips OBE – Chair, Policy Exchange’s History Matters Project 12.45 – 13.00 Why History Matters
with Jens Spahn, German Federal Minister for Health in conversation with Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, former Secretary of State for Health and former Foreign Secretary, chaired by Dean Godson, Director of Policy Exchange
with Rt Hon Liz Truss MP, Secretary of State for International Trade, Hon Tony Abbott AC, 28th Prime Minister of Australia, Rt Hon Stephen J. Harper, 22nd Prime Minister of Canada, Rt Hon Lord Mandelson, former First Secretary of State and former European Commissioner for Trade, Hon Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore. Chaired by Juliet Samuel, Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange and Telegraph Columnist
On the sixth annual International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, Policy Exchange invites you to a panel discussion on "Past, Present and Future of Rape as a Weapon of War" with Rt Hon Lord Hague of Richmond former Foreign Secretary, Christina Lamb OBE Chief Foreign Correspondent, The Sunday Times, author of Our Bodies, Their Battlefield, Sir Antony Beevor Military Historian, Julie Marionneau Research Fellow, Policy Exchange Judicial Power Project, former Legal Adviser in the French Air Force, chaired by Chris Brannigan Senior Fellow, Policy Exchange, former Special Adviser to the Prime Minister
Policy Exchange hosted Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, and former Governor of the Bank of England, in conversation with Hon Malcolm Turnbull, former Prime Minister of Australia, in a webinar chaired by Juliet Samuel, Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange and Telegraph columnist. Among other questions, they discussed how to achieve net zero and what the coronavirus crisis can teach us about dealing with climate change.
Judges should be independent. In a constitution that is committed to the rule of law, as the UK’s constitution has been for centuries, no one seriously disputes this proposition. Yet the notion of judicial independence itself is often apt to be misunderstood, including by the judges and politicians who bear the primary responsibility for promoting and protecting it. This lecture will provide a restatement of the idea of judicial independence and in the […]
In this lecture, John Larkin QC will reflect on the state of the United Kingdom’s constitution by discussing an aspect of an important provision of the European Convention on Human Rights -- the procedural obligations under the Article 2 provision on the right to life, and its implications for how policy on the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles is to be made.
Policy Exchange invites you to a panel discussion with: Rt Hon Lord Tyrie, Dr Andrea Coscelli CBE, Professor William E. Kovacic, James Plunkett, chaired by Juliet Samuel
One of the great pleasures of being Secretary of State at DCMS is having an insight into the remarkable and unprecedented change that is taking place within our media sector. And there’s one recent example that spells this out plainly. When Netflix launched in 1997, Blockbuster was the heavyweight of video rentals, with almost 3,000 stores around the globe.
Policy Exchange welcome the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP for the first major ministerial speech following the General Election. His address coincides with the launch of Policy Exchange’s new Health and Social Care Research unit, led by Senior Fellow Richard Sloggett, former Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
When I walk into my office at the Ministry of Housing each morning, there is a wall of portraits of some of the great reforming ministers who’ve held my office in the post-war era. From Harold McMillan, Sir Keith Joseph to Michael Heseltine. I think that some of them have set out to build more homes, some to reform our undoubtedly complex and convoluted housing and planning system and some have used this office to breath new life into communities. Whether that’s London’s Docklands or inner city Liverpool.
The Supreme Court’s judgment in Cherry/Miller, quashing the Prime Minister’s advice to Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament and therefore the prorogation that followed, is momentous. It raises important questions about the nature of the constitution and the role of the courts therein. This event brings together leading jurists to debate the judgment’s merits and implications.
Based on unrestricted access to all Lady Thatcher’s papers, unpublished interviews with her and all her major colleagues, this third volume covers the final years of her premiership, from the 1987 General Election through to the “coup” against her within the Conservative Party that led to her resignation in 1990. It then takes the story to her death in 2013.
"The argument over leaving the European Union is Britain’s least civil and most seismic disagreement, at least since the Irish question, a century or so back, that shaved off part of the country and irrevocably split the Liberal Party. Yes, it is that serious."
With David Skelton and James Cleverly MP. Little Platoons calls for a revival of One Nation to recognise the needs of people in such towns. It argues that a brave Tory Party can shatter decades-old boundaries and redraw the political map by marrying social reform with private enterprise, enhancing community values and allowing long-ignored voters to genuinely take back control.
A keynote speech by Chris Skidmore MP, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation. Followed by a panel on 'Space Policy: What do we want from the next Prime Minister' with, Lucy Edge, COO and Executive Director, Satellite Applications Catapult, David Morris MP, Chair, Parliamentary Space Committee, Graham Peters, Chair, UKSpace, Rt. Hon. Lord Willetts, Former Minister for Universities and Science, and Dr Graham Turnock, Chief Executive, UK Space Agency
Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP sets out his 10-point Brexit Delivery Plan
For more than 20 years, the funding of long-term social care has been recognised as a central challenge by successive governments. Arguments around it played a contentious part in the Conservative Party’s election campaign in 2017 – with the proposed solution earning the sobriquet “the Dementia Tax”. The difficulty that the present Government has had in mapping a practical way forward is reflected in the failure to publish the promised green paper. But Policy Exchange’s paper, 21st Century Social Care, provides an answer, arguing that the state should fund long-term social care and complete the welfare state, which polling shows has massive support.
with Rt Hon Lord Adonis, Ray Bassett, Lord Bew of Donegore, Sir Graham Brady MP,and Rt Hon Arlene Foster MLA
The rise of China - and its relationship with the United States - is the most important geopolitical issue in world affairs today and is likely to become ever more significant in future decades. The United Kingdom has been slow to awaken to the implications of this profound change in the global balance of power. Recent debates over joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank or the use of Huawei technology are glimpses of the types of dilemma that will become increasingly common in the near-term future. Meanwhile, the UK promises an increased presence in the Indo-Pacific, taking it an area where great power tensions are rising. Is it time to revisit the UK’s approach to the rise of China? What does the next Prime Minister need to know about the changing world order and how should he respond?
Policy Exchange put this issue on the national agenda and now, in this high-profile event, brings together leading voices from the military and legal contexts for a discussion looking at its causes and its consequences for UK forces and operations.
with Katharine Birbalsingh, Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, Lucy Heller, Sir Anthony Seldon, Luke Tryl
With Gillian Keegan MP, Sir Oliver Letwin MP
with Rt Hon Lord Darling of Roulanish, Lord Macpherson of Earl’s Court GCB, Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Rt Hon Liz Truss MP.
2017 saw the Conservatives seek a landslide coalition of their southern heartlands & Brexit-supporting Labour areas in the North, Midlands & Wales. The result: the loss of seats like Canterbury & Stockton together with David Cameron’s majority. Is this strategy doomed or can an effective campaign deliver?
Josh Frydenberg was elected to the Australian Parliament in 2010 as the Member for Kooyong. He is the seventh person since Federation to hold this seat. In August 2018, he was appointed Treasurer of Australia and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, having previously served as Minister for the Environment and Energy, Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia, Assistant Treasurer – and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister since the 2013 election.
Keynote address on Foreign Policy for the 2020s by Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP.
The Home Secretary, Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, was the guest of honour at this year's Policy Exchange Summer Reception.
Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP gave a speech at Policy Exchange sharing ideas on how to cultivate stronger communities and help people onto the housing ladder, including the possibility of drawing from pension pots for a deposit.
“For too long, further education has been allowed to stagnate,” said the Prime Minister in a keynote speech at Policy Exchange marking the launch of the Augar Report, a review of Post-18 Education and Funding which she described as a “major landmark” for education policy. She appeared with Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP, the Education Secretary, and Philip Augar, who thanked the Government for ““asking the right question” on tertiary education and commissioning his report.
Has the right balance has been struck between the right to protest and the rights of London’s businesses, residents and commuters?
A panel discussion to consider whether the Government should support a modern generation of New Towns.
The launch of our new Space Policy Unit and a discussion on the role of space power in the 21st century with Heather Wilson, US Secretary of the Air Force
The problem of jihadi brides and ISIL fighters has made discussions about reform of the law of treason a matter of high public importance. Policy Exchange is proud to have led the public conversation about this issue, beginning with publication in July 2018 of a major cross-party report on modernisation of the law.
How can more people be provided a beautiful place to call home? Pioneered by the work of John Ruskin, British Socialists have long had a vision for answering this question. In this panel debate we asked what that vision is today – and how beauty can be for the many, not the few.
Demographic projections are becoming increasingly central to both national and global politics, driving everything from social care policy to populism.
Rt Hon Liam Fox MP, Secretary of State for International Trade, visited Policy Exchange to deliver a keynote speech on free trade and the UK’s place in the world after its departure from the EU. Setting out his vision for a “time beyond Brexit”, he argued: “Economic nationalism may look like an attractive shelter from the winds of change that have come with the era of globalisation – and even more from the technological revolution in which we find ourselves – but it is a mirage.”
The launch of The US Department of Defense Law of War Manual: Commentary and Critique by Professor Michael Newton.
Drinks reception with Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP.
In their decision last year on UNISON’s challenge to the Lord Chancellor, the Supreme Court ruled that the Government had acted unlawfully in setting employment tribunal fees. The judgment was widely hailed as a victory for the rule of law in the face of an attack on access to justice. In a new paper for Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project, Sir Stephen Laws (former First Parliamentary Counsel) challenges this narrative. Sir Stephen argues that the judgment adopts a problematic conception of the rule of law – which wrongly encourages courts to wade into policy matters that are properly for Government and Parliament to decide. Lord Faulks QC, former Minister of State for Justice; and Professor Anne Davies, Professor of Law and Public Policy, University of Oxford, joined Sir Stephen to discuss the Supreme Court’s judgment and his critique.
The expansion of judicial power has gone hand-in-hand with a greater emphasis on judicial independence. But there is a risk that the notion of judicial independence will become inflated, squeezing out for example legitimate political criticism of judicial decisions. This seminar explored the definition and proper limits of judicial independence.
The Honourable Dyson Heydon AC QC, former Justice of the High Court of Australia and one of the common-law world’s foremost figures, considered the rise of judicial review around the world in an event at Policy Exchange. Heydon warned that the phenomenon of rising judicial power across much of the common law world represented a “silent revolution” that had occurred largely without parliamentary sanction.
A discussion of the role and importance of working teachers in the era of knowledge-based education. We will be joined by our Guest of Honour, Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, Minister for School Standards—who will deliver a Keynote Address on the value and importance of textbooks in ensuring all young people receive the high-quality education they deserve.
2017 is the 30th anniversary of Martin Bernal’s incendiary book Black Athena, which sent shockwaves through the worlds of classical and Afrocentric scholarship on its publication in 1987. In it, Bernal argued that classical Greek wisdom and culture (and thus the very basis of Western civilisation) in fact came from Africa, specifically ancient Egypt and Phoenicia, challenging many assumptions about the provenance of knowledge, and with it, historic intellectual justifications for white superiority. Policy Exchange will be seizing the opportunity afforded by this anniversary to re-examine the importance of Black Athena and investigate its intellectual, social and racial legacy.
Registration – 6.00pm Event Start – 6.30pm Event Finish – 7.45pm Delivered by Sir John Jenkins ‘The Chatham House Version Revisited’ Vote of Thanks from Tom Tugendhat, Chairman of the Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs In the struggle against Islamist extremism, history matters. It is often under-appreciated how far groups from across the Islamist spectrum, from the Muslim Brotherhood to Da’esh, are powered by a simplistic yet powerful historical […]
Speakers: Rebecca Lowe, Policy Exchange Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed Nick von Westenholz, The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Nicholas Craig-Harvey, Farmer and businessman, author “Farming Tomorrow” Louise Davies, The Vegan Society This event is took place at the Conservative party conference.
Policy Exchange was delighted to welcome the Hon Peter Dutton MP, Australia's immigration minister, who reflected on the need for a carefully managed migration system in order to maintain public support for continuing new arrivals. A packed audience heard how the Australian government's approach has tackled people trafficking while also ensuring Australia has the skilled migrants it needs and maintaining a generous settlement programme for refugees.
Addressing Policy Exchange’s party at the Conservative conference, Business Secretary Rt Hon Greg Clark MP paid tribute to our work, saying “Policy Exchange was in the vanguard of urging Government to think about industrial strategy”. A packed audience of supporters, MPs and members heard him call on people to make the case for free market ideas and say that “All across different subject areas Policy Exchange is thinking positively and creatively about the future”.
Policy Exchange hosted top experts from industry and Parliament for a debate on the future of Britain’s electricity system and the potential role of small modular nuclear reactors in meeting our energy needs. Rachel Reeves MP (Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee) introduced our distinguished panel of speakers including Rt Hon Lord Howell of Guildford (former Secretary of State for Energy), Harry Holt (President of Rolls-Royce Nuclear) and Dr Jenifer Baxter (Head of Energy and Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers). Lord Howell's comments on the opportunities Brexit presents for nuclear research were covered by the Telegraph.
Speakers: Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor Chris Hearld, Chairman, KPMG Northern Region Naomi Clayton, Policy and Research Manager, Centre for Cities Jonathan Dupont, Economic & Social Policy Research Fellow, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Policy Exchange was delighted to host the launch of Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP's new book 'Taught Not Caught: Educating for 21st Century Character'. As Education Secretary from 2014-16, Nicky Morgan announced a GBP3.5m programme promoting classes and extra-curricular activities that build “grit” and “resilience” in a generation of schoolchildren. In her new book, she reveals why she believes that building characterful children has a positive impact on academic attainment and argues that public awareness of character education needs to be raised, so it is clear to those in the education system that this is a priority and they will support it.
Chaired by: Toby Young, Director, New Schools Network Speech by: Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for School Standards Respondent: Rod Bristow, President of Pearson in the UK Introduction Policy Exchange has been one of Westminster’s most influential think tanks for the past 15 years, and the origin of much important legislation since 2010. In no policy area is that more true than in Education, where the work of Sam Freedman, Jonathan […]
Chair: Dean Godson, Policy Exchange, Speakers: Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Allie Renison, Institute of Directors, Richard Hird, De La Rue
Speakers: Alok Sharma MP, Housing Minister Adam Challis, Head of Residential Research, JLL Susan Emmett, Head of the Housing Unit, Policy Exchange Eleanor Mills, Editorial Director, The Sunday Times Ric Blakeway, Chief Adviser to the Housing Unit, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers Rt Hon Liz Truss MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Xavier Rolet, CEO, London Stock Exchange Group Francis Martin, President, British Chambers of Commerce Chris Hulatt, Adviser, Octopus Investments Melissa Morris, Founder and CEO, Lantum Warwick Lightfoot, Research Director, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: Claire Perry MP, Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy James Heappey MP Jillian Ambrose, Energy Reporter, Daily Telegraph Sara Vaughan, Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director, E.ON Victoria MacGregor, Director of Energy, Citizens Advice Joshua Burke, Energy and Environment Research Fellow, Policy Exchange This event is taking place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: John Glen MP, Libraries Minister Vidyha Alakeson, Chief Executive, Power To Change Cllr Colin Noble, Leader, Suffolk County Council Warwick Lightfoot, Research Director, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: Richard Harrington MP, Minister for Energy and Industry Lawrence Slade, Chief Executive, EnergyUK Clare Harbord, Director of Corporate Affairs, Drax Group Nicola Shaw CBE, Executive Director, National Grid Joshua Burke, Energy and Environment Research Fellow, Policy Exchange This event is took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: Cllr Carl Les, North Yorkshire County Council David Horne, Managing Director, Virgin Trains East Coast Naomi Clayton, Policy and Research Manager, Centre for Cities Jonathan Dupont, Economic & Social Policy Research Fellow, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: Claire Perry MP, Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry James Wharton, Former Minister for the Northern Powerhouse Andy Koss, Chief Executive, Drax Power Tom Greatrex, Nuclear Industry Association Matthew Knight, Director of Energy Strategy and Government Affairs, Siemens Warwick Lightfoot, Research Director, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive, Nuclear Industry Association David Orr, Senior Vice President – Nuclear, Rolls-Royce Dr Sarah Main, Executive Director, Campaign for Science and Engineering Matthew Rooney, Energy and Environment Research Fellow, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: Ashwin Kumar, Chief Economist, Joseph Rowntree Foundation Vicky Pryce, Board Member, Centre for Economics and Business Research Christian Spence, Head of Research & Policy, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Jonathan Dupont, Economic & Social Policy Research Fellow, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, Minister of State for Security Mak Chishty, Former Commander, Metropolitan Police Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, Former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation Julian Enoizi, CEO, Pool Re Sara Khan, Co-founder, Inspire; and Author of “The Battle for British Islam” Dean Godson, Director, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: Jesse Norman MP, Minister for Roads and Local Transport Hugo Spowers, Chief engineer and founder, RiverSimple Mike Copson, Hydrogen Business Development Manager – Shell New Energies, Shell Lianna Etkind, Public Transport Campaigner, Campaign for Better Transport Matt Rooney, Energy and Environment Research Fellow, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: Rt Hon Lord Maude of Horsham, Former Minister of State for Trade and Investment Dr Christopher McCormick, Executive Vice President, Academic Affairs, EF Education First Sarah Cooper, Chief Executive, English UK Rt Hon. Lord David Willetts, Executive Chair, Resolution Foundation John Blake, Head of Education and Social Reform, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: Chi Onwurah MP, Shadow Minister for Industrial Strategy, Science and Innovation, Martin McTague, National Policy Director, Federation of Small Businesses, Marcus Stuttard, Director of SME Growth Finance, London Stock Exchange Group, Giles Palmer, CEO and Founder, Brandwatch, Warwick Lightfoot, Research Director, Policy Exchange. This event took place at the Labour party conference.
Speakers: Paul Sweeney MP, Shadow Minister for Scotland, Professor Lindsay Stirton, Professor of Public Law, University of Sussex, Rebecca Lowe, Fellow, State & Society, Policy Exchange. This event took place at the Labour party conference.
Speakers: Andy McDonald MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Lilian Greenwood MP, Chair, Transport Select Committee, Prof Marcus Newborough, Development Director, ITM Power, Marcus Stewart, Head of Energy Insights, UK Energy Strategy, National Grid, Mike Copson, Hydrogen Business Development Manager, Shell New Energies, Matt Rooney, Energy and Environment Research Fellow, Policy Exchange
Speakers: Clive Efford MP, Anthony Beilin, Head of Innovation and Startup Engagement, Aviva, Birgitte Andersen, CEO, Big Innovation Centre, Alistair Cohen, CEO, OnCare, Warwick Lightfoot, Research Director, Policy Exchange
Speakers: Lucy Powell MP, Former Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Dr Christopher McCormick, Executive Vice President, Academic Affairs, EF Education First, Sarah Cooper, Chief Executive, English UK, Iain Dale, broadcaster, publisher and commentator, John Blake, Head of Education and Social Reform, Policy Exchange
Education improvement is a key objective of policy makers and educationalists around the world. To address this need Tim Oates CBE, Cambridge Assessment’s Director of Assessment Research and Development, has led research into and now written A Cambridge Approach to Improving Education - using international insights to manage complexity where he sets out his findings and guiding principles for policy makers. He addressed Policy Exchange, the UK’s most influential think tank on education in the past 15 years, to outline his findings and further the debate on how best to improve education here, and around the world. His talk was followed by a response from UCL's Dr John Jerrim.
Speakers: Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Minister for Digital Andrew Brem, Chief Digital Officer, Aviva Romilly Dennys, Executive Director, Coadec Alistair Cohen, CEO, OnCare Warwick Lightfoot, Research Director, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Speakers: Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for School Standards Mark Dawe, Chief Executive, Association of Employment and Learning Providers Dr Ben Laker, Oceanova Andy Buck, Leadership Matters Dr Jo Saxton, CEO and founder, Turner Schools John Blake, Head of Education, Policy Exchange This event took place at the Conservative party conference.
Is there a Zeitgeist shift to the Left? Or is the rise of Corbynism simply a passing reaction to the hubristic Conservative campaign of 2017? Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, George Freeman MP, Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Sir Roger Scruton, and David Goodhart debated these issues on a panel chaired by Dean Godson for Policy Exchange’s best attended event at the Conservative Party Conference. New Statesman Editor Jason Cowley called it “The most stimulating event I attended” at the conference. Click here to watch.
A discussion with John Godfrey (Former Director of Policy at No 10), Fraser Nelson (Editor of the Spectator), Terrie Alafat (The Chartered Institute of Housing), Phillip Barnes (Barratt Developments Plc), and Susan Emmett (Head of Policy Exchange's Housing Unit).
Chaired by John Bew, Head of Policy Exchange's Britain the World Project and author of the prize-winning biography of Attlee, Citizen Clem, this event will take place at the Labour Party conference on Tuesday 26th September. Other panellists will include Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Shadow Home Office Minister and author of Attlee: A Life in Politics, and Nye: The Political Life of Aneurin Bevan; Lord Glasman, Political theorist, academic and founder of Blue Labour; and Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town, Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords.
Policy Exchange hosted Professor Richard Tuck, one of the world’s leading historians of ideas, to set out the case for Brexit as the best opportunity for the Left to bring about pure socialism. Labour MP Caroline Flint delivered the vote of thanks, in which she cautioned her colleagues that “We cannot spend the next 18 months voting down every one of the Tories’ EU Bills. If we do so, we will look like liars” in remarks covered by the Express, the Sun and Total Politics.
Policy Exchange was delighted to award the 2017 Disraeli prize, presented by Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP, Home Secretary to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
Policy Exchange was delighted to host a talk by former New Scotland Yard Chief Officer Mak Chishty on the need for a new national strategy to combat violent extremism.
Policy Exchange was delighted to host a seminar with Dr Geoff Raby, HE Alexander Downer AC, Dr Graham Gudgin, Rt Hon Peter Lilley, and Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP on trade policy post-Brexit
Policy Exchange was delighted to host a talk by Peter Cove on his strategy for ending poverty in the USA
You are invited to a reception on Thursday 13th July, where the winner of the 2017 Wolfson Economic Prize will be announced. The prize winner will be announced at 7.00pm. Canapés and champagne will be served. Please note spaces are limited. Apply for a place below and you will receive an email if we can offer you a place.
Policy Exchange is delighted to host the launch of Professor Gilles Kepel's new book Terror in France: The Rise of Jihad in the West
Policy Exchange were delighted to host the launch of Professor Gilles Kepel's new book Terror in France: The Rise of Jihad in the West
