Warwick Lightfoot
Senior Fellow (2016-2022)
Warwick Lightfoot was a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange, previously he was Head of Economics and Social Policy at Policy Exchange. He is an economist, with specialist interests in monetary economics, labour markets, and public finance. He has served as Special Adviser to three Chancellors of the Exchequer, and a Secretary of State for Employment. Warwick was a treasury economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland, and has also been Economics Editor of The European. His many articles on economics and public policy have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, The Times, The Sunday Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Telegraph, and in specialist journals ranging from the Times Literary Supplement and The Spectator, to the Investors Chronicle and Financial World. His books include Sorry We Have No Money — Britain’s Economic Problem.
Related News
Warwick Lightfoot gives evidence on Intergenerational Fairness
Warwick Lightfoot, Policy Exchange's Head of Economics, gave evidence to the House of Lords Committee on Intergenerational Fairness, answering questions on the balance of taxation between generations among other issues.
Japan’s PM Shinzō Abe confirms Policy Exchange research
Japan would welcome Britain to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal “with open arms”, Prime Minister Shinzō Abe told the Financial Times. His remarks confirm Policy Exchange’s recent findings in Trading Tigers, which argued that “UK membership would be attractive to Japan in view of the substantial Japanese investment flows to the UK and the addition of a sizeable market.”
Warwick Lightfoot argues for agriculture policy reform on Farming Today
Policy Exchange’s Director of Economics & Social Policy Warwick Lightfoot – former Special Adviser to three Chancellors – appeared on the BBC to argue the case for reform of agriculture policy as Britain leaves the EU. Warwick pressed that farm policy is not currently aimed at supporting consumers and this should be reviewed as the UK moves away from the Common Agricultural Policy.
Warwick Lightfoot discusses Brexit report on BBC news
Policy Exchange’s Director of Economics and Social Policy Warwick Lightfoot appeared on BBC News to discuss the leaked government analysis of the impact of Brexit over the next 15 years.
Warwick Lightfoot gives evidence on trade
Policy Exchange’s Director of Economics Warwick Lightfoot gave evidence to the House of Commons International Trade Committee on US-UK trade after Brexit. Warwick argued that consumers should be at the heart of trade policy, and that freer trade means more choice and lower prices for them.
Modern farming policy will reward enhancing the environment, rather than subsidising inactivity
Policy Exchange's Warwick Lightfoot argues in City AM that farming subsidies should be redirected to farmers who enhance the environment and invest in research and development.
Policy Exchange's Warwick Lightfoot talks to BBC Radio Wiltshire about Police Commissioners
Warwick Lightfoot - Policy Exchange Director of Research & Head of Economics and Social Policy - spoke to BBC Radio Wiltshire about Police and Crime Commissioners. Although first elected in 2012, the idea to create the posts was in fact proposed by Policy Exchange in our very first report, 'Going local: Who should run Britain’s police?', published nine years earlier in 2003.
Policy Exchange's Warwick Lightfoot discusses "cost of living squeeze" on BBC 5 Live
Warwick Lightfoot - Policy Exchange Director of Research & Head of Economics and Social Policy - appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast to discuss findings from new research which suggests household bills are rising more slowly than the rate of inflation.
Policy Exchange's Warwick Lightfoot writes about Brexit's effect on food prices, in the Daily Telegraph
Warwick Lightfoot — Director of Research and Head of Economics and Social Policy — reflects on a recent House of Lords' report on the potential impact of Brexit on agriculture. He comments that 'nowhere did [the report] recognise that protectionism drives food prices in the EU above world prices', before concluding that 'after Brexit, consumer welfare will be increased by access to the world’s most competitive suppliers and I believe we will see lower food prices'
Warwick Lightfoot discusses the Budget on BBC News
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange’s Director of Research, and Head of Economic and Social Policy — appareared on BBC News to discuss what we might expect from today's Budget
Policy Exchange’s Warwick Lightfoot discusses Steven Mnuchin's appointment as US Treasury Secretary on the BBC World Service
Last week, Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange’s Director of Research, and Head of Economics and Social Policy — appeared on the BBC World Service to discuss Steven Mnuchin’s appointment as US Treasury Secretary.Related Publications
A Central Question
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Download Publication Online Reader Central banks face a range of questions, some of which relate to their actions during the Covid crisis and the dislocation of economies as a result of the pandemic, some reflect the continuing challenges of unexpectedly low inflation, interest rates and growth over the last decade and some arise directly […]
What is to be done with the British economy?
Download Publication Online Reader The UK needs a modern economic policy that is tailored to the opportunities and constraints of the contemporary international economy. In response to the economic shock of the Covid public health crisis and a decade of slow growth and economic stagnation it needs a confident and audacious policy of macro-economic management and supply-side reform. There should be a realistic appraisal of the principal tools of macro-economic management, […]
Fiscal principles for the future
Download Publication Online Reader This paper calls for a pro-growth economic strategy as the best way to address Britain’s fiscal position. Fiscal principles for the future is co-authored by Gerard Lyons, Graham Gudgin, Warwick Lightfoot and Jan Zeber. Dr Gerard Lyons, Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange, said: “It is right to use fiscal policy as a shock absorber, to avoid premature tightening and to direct spending towards capital investment and […]
Monetary response to the coronavirus crisis
Download Publication Online Reader This paper focuses on how central banks have responded since March to the Covid crisis, explores the discrete episodes such as the liquidity crisis in the Spring and the evidence of companies borrowing to accumulate cash and the equity price boom that has followed the huge injections of liquidity into the international financial system. It offers an impression of where policy makers are and the limits […]
A labour market that works
Download Publication Online Reader The Government should give anyone without a job who wants to start a new business £100 a week for a year, says a new report from Policy Exchange – published a day after unemployment surged to the highest level in over three years. A labour market that works argues for a new 2020 Enterprise Allowance, based on a successful scheme launched in the 1980s. It is […]
Why the Government should spend more on capital
This paper argues that the Government should spend more on capital investment. The case was already strong before the Covid-19 crisis and has been strengthened since, as its financing has become more affordable. The paper highlights the importance of taking advantage of the present macro-economic environment afforded by low borrowing costs to provide stable – and sizeable – funding for new infrastructure through an increase in capital spending by the public sector. Additional capital spending, in excess of the fiscal rules, would be sustainable and affordable
A pro-growth economic strategy
The UK is enduring a health and economic crisis. Despite near-term uncertainties, we believe that a new macro-economic framework can help the UK achieve stronger future growth. A new macro-economic policy framework is needed, as outlined here, based on the three arrows: of credible fiscal activism; monetary and financial stability based on a new remit for the Bank of England; and a supply-side agenda. Low borrowing costs create a likely lengthy window of opportunity to emerge from this crisis without being panicked into policy measures such as austerity, but it is possible that inflation and yields could rise, so it is not a risk-free option. Success depends upon a clear and credible policy approach.
Speed, Scale and Simplicity
The government has outlined an audacious package of measures aimed at dealing with the economic consequences of COVID-19, but in a fast- moving environment, it should be no surprise that policy has to continue to evolve. There have already been four fiscal packages in recent weeks, beginning with the Budget, then one focused on the corporate sector, the next on employees and last week’s targeting the self-employed. This has been supported by monetary policy. Despite this, further action is needed supported by another fiscal boost and further monetary action. It is not only the scale of the stimulus that needs to increase, but the execution of the policies. Also, the policy reaction on job protection has been impressively large, but the lack of any precedent means we cannot be certain how the measures will work.
Limiting the Economic Impact of the Covid-19 Virus
On Thursday, the Chancellor unveiled his fourth round of policy measures to boost the economy during the Coronavirus crisis. He announced what he called a coherent, coordinated and comprehensive scheme for the self-employed. This positive approach from the Chancellor, and the speed of the Government’s response, is worthy of congratulations. Yet inevitably, in this fast-moving crisis, there remain some areas to iron out, largely linked to the policies’ likely execution and administration. The biggest challenge is the delay, as the measures unveiled will take a couple of months to implement, and the strain that this may place on those self-employed who do not have access to income during this time.
Whitehall Reimagined
The Government should use the opportunity of the stability created by the election result to reform the civil service to make it more democratically accountable and better able to deliver on the mandate of the government of the day. Better decision making, streamlined processes and improved accountability will lead to improved policy making and legislation, more effective delivery and improved public services, benefiting every part of the UK.
McDonnellomics
McDonnellomics: How Labour’s economic agenda would transform the UK is the most thorough examination so far of the Shadow Chancellor’s policy approach and inspiration, rooted in a 1970s Bennite socialist political tradition. Based on a wide-ranging analysis of Labour’s published plans, academic papers and interviews, it finds that McDonnellomics would represent the biggest shift in UK economic policy since the advent of Thatcherism. Even after a short period under a Labour government with John McDonnell as Chancellor, the paper concludes, the British economy would be less resistant to shocks, with a more concentrated and volatile tax base, less flexible labour market and lower investor confidence.
Modernising the United Kingdom
Unleashing the power of the Union – ideas for new leadership
Modernising the United Kingdom
Unleashing the power of the Union – ideas for new leadership
Social Care
What do we want from the next Prime Minister on Social Care?
21st Century Social Care
This research paper explores the nature and extent of the serious and urgent problems affecting the provision of social care in the UK.
Trading Tigers
Brexit offers the opportunity to join free trade deals with fast growing economies like members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – but only if the UK is free to make commitments on both goods and services, argues a new essay by Policy Exchange’s Head of Trade Policy Geoff Raby and Head of Economics Warwick Lightfoot.
Brexit and the British Growth Model
In this new Policy Exchange paper Brexit and the British Growth Model, Dr Christopher Bickerton of Cambridge University argues that post-Brexit we need a new approach to and understanding of economic growth which moves away from a reliance on consumption. He advocates a new social settlement to mediate the relations between individuals, the state and markets.
The Future of Carbon Pricing: Implementing an independent carbon tax with dividends in the UK
A economy-wide carbon tax paid by both domestic and international producers would prevent carbon leakage, level the playing field for Britain’s heavy industry, fund a dividend to be paid to taxpayers and tackle climate change, argues the new report from Policy Exchange’s influential Energy unit, The Future of Carbon Pricing: Implementing an independent carbon tax with dividends in the UK. A better approach would reduce the cost of decarbonisation, prevent the offshoring of emissions and make carbon pricing popular.
Global Champion: The case for unilateral free trade
In a major new study, Policy Exchange argues that as the UK leaves the EU, it should unilaterally abolish all tariffs. This would reduce UK consumers' shopping bills, increase productivity and promote global prosperity. We can also disarm the threat of a ‘No Deal’ Brexit. In the Foreword, Australian High Commissioner to London Alexander Downer said: “Trade is not a zero-sum equation. In the decades ahead all major economies should remove their tariffs and open their markets to competition. As the UK once again takes its place at the WTO it should take the opportunity lead by example and remove its tariffs.”
Farming Tomorrow
This major new Policy Exchange report sets out the once in a generation opportunity that Brexit offers our nation to reform its agricultural and environmental policy. Since 1973, UK farm and food policies have conformed to the rules and objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) — the EU’s principal policy programme. Doing so has, at great expense, reduced Britain’s agricultural productivity by lessening competition and supporting inefficient farmers. It has also increased costs for consumers. This report outlines opportunities to improve policy by focusing on four main interest groups: consumers, producers, the wider rural economy, and the environment. This report offers timely and comprehensive analysis and answers to some of the most pressing policy questions of our day.Related Blogs
Policy Exchange proposes solution to social care crisis
Social care is once more at the top of the political agenda. Paying big bills to fund your relatives’ social care is becoming what Americans call a ‘third rail’ issue in British politics. Policy Exchange has done a lot of work on funding social care and our conclusion is clear. 21st Century Social Care, the report I co-authored, set out a clear answer to how it should be paid for, offering what […]
A new economist offers the Bank of England an opportunity for fresh ideas
The Bank of England has appointed a new chief economist to succeed Andy Haldane. Huw Pill’s experience should offer the UK central bank a novel intellectual perspective drawn from having worked at both the ECB for many years and as Goldman Sachs chief European economist. All central banks in advanced economies find themselves not just facing an awkward bend in the road of monetary management but confronting a confusing crossroads […]
Negative interest rates offer only a sugar high. They won’t revive monetary policy
Both Wall Street and the City of London are speculating whether the next innovation in monetary policy will be the use of negative interest rates as a deliberate tool. The new Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has changed the Bank’s position from that of the previous Governor, Mark Carney, who made clear that negative interest rates were not a proposition he was seriously considering. The central bank’s Chief Economist, Andrew Haldane, and one member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), Silvana Tenreyro, have canvassed the idea.
Time to rethink macroeconomic policy
A new Chancellor of the Exchequer and a new Governor of the Bank of England offer the opportunity of taking a fresh look at not just monetary policy, but macro-economic policy as a whole and the role of fiscal policy within it. A decade after the Great Recession, there are profound questions that policy makers should be exploring.
Putting consumer welfare at the heart of competition policy and market regulation
The UK competition authorities, having for years been behind the curve in taking competition and consumer welfare issues with the seriousness that they deserve, are now upping their game significantly. The CMA is demonstrating much greater vim and rigour in applying its competition powers. It is making greater use of its existing powers, by for example exploring a wider range of markets, from residential care homes to holiday bookings […]
Effective competition policies – a key to prosperity
Historically, the UK has not had as effective competition policies as other countries – but that can change.
20 years of the euro
Twenty years after the creation of the euro, a powerful cocktail of forces have made the southern economies of Europe permanently uncompetitive compared to the northern economies and the wider international economy. Yet the currency may limp on for years yet
The ‘end of austerity’ and what should come next
Policy Exchange's Warwick Lightfoot – a former Special Adviser to three Chancellors – says the Prime Minister’s announcement that ‘austerity’ is ending is good politics. But increased public spending doesn't always mean better public sector productivity, he warns.
Financial Stability Post Brexit
Policy Exchange's Warwick Lightfoot – former Special Adviser to three Chancellors – looks at the possible impact of Brexit on financial stability and the willingness of the world to act in the event of another financial crisis.
Europe’s Trade Problem: Closed markets that stay closed result in a defective approach to science and the management of risk evaluation
Policy Exchange’s Head of Economics critiques the European Union's “ascientific” approach to trade regulation.
The Brexit White Paper – room for improvement
Policy Exchange's Head of Economics Warwick Lightfoot – former Special Adviser to three Chancellors – assesses the Government's Brexit White Paper and finds room for improvement.
Monetary policy after the Great Recession – time for the eurozone to grasp the nettle?
Policy Exchange’s Head of Economics – Warwick Lightfoot – argues that the deepening tensions in the eurozone make it all the more important that an exit strategy is developed for countries that no longer fit the model.
The limits of central banks’ independence – public support?
Reflecting on the discussion of Paul Tucker's new book on unelected power, Policy Exchange's Head of Economics, Warwick Lightfoot - former Special Adviser to three Chancellors - argues that central banks have used their independence to maintain price stability by allowing asset prices to inflate separately. As was observed at the event, perceived gains to those with such assets may limit popular support for such measures when the next crisis hits.
Fixing roofs in the sunshine – why central banks must reconsider loose monetary policy
Central banks should use the relatively benign economic conditions to reorientate money policy argues Warwick Lightfoot – himself former special adviser to three chancellors. As the world economy has recovered, central banks need to re-examine their lax approach to tools such as interest rates so that they can respond to any future crisis. Not doing so will leave their arsenals worryingly empty.
The Spring forecast - better news but still too pessimistic
Policy Exchange's head of economics Warwick Lightfoot - former Special Adviser to three Chancellors - argues the Spring Statement was slightly more positive than the forecast published at the time of the November Budget last year, but remains too pessimistic about the future course of the economy.
The Spring Statement: a brighter economic picture that should in future be more clearly presented
Ahead of the Chancellor's Spring Statement, Warwick Lightfoot looks ahead to improving economic conditions but makes a plea for clearer documents with which the public can engage.
UK economy doing well – but there's little spare capacity
Policy Exchange's Head of Economics and former Special Adviser to three chancellors - Warwick Lightfoot - assesses new economic data and finds the UK economy in good health. But with a warning, too.
An outlook for the UK economy - brighter than some would think
At the beginning of 2018, Policy Exchange economists Warwick Lightfoot and Mike Taylor offer some thoughts on the UK's economic performance for the next 12 months.
Britain, her balance of payments, and the benefits of a flexible exchange rate and open economy
Policy Exchange’s Head of Economics – and former Special Adviser to three chancellors - Warwick Lightfoot highlights new analysis from the Bank of England that show the UK’s foreign investments have enabled it to withstand a deterioration in the her balance of payments. Coupled with a reduction in the exchange rate, the continuing strength of the UK’s foreign investments means she will be able to weather future economic storms and capitalise on the opportunities presented by Brexit.
Policy Exchange Budget Response Part II – A further step beyond the Great Recession
In judging this Budget, context is everything. In Part One of our analysis Policy Exchange looked at the forecasts which govern what the Chancellor can do, and what he cannot. We now turn to look at the decisions taken at the Budget.
Universal Credit and the big labour market questions the UK needs to consider
Warwick Lightfoot, Head of the Economics Unit, argues that the controversy over the introduction of Universal Credit is an opportunity to revisit the fundamentals of a modern, market-friendly benefit system. At present benefits extend too far up the income distribution, damaging incentives and productivity as benefit withdrawal pushes effective marginal tax rates to extreme levels. In addition, greater regional variation in benefits, to take account of local labour market conditions, would be a major improvement.
Central bank challenges after the great recession
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Research Director and Head of Economics and Social Policy — reflects on present monetary policy challenges, to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Bank of England becoming independent and the creation of its Monetary Policy Committee. Lightfoot argues that the necessary starting point is to recognise that 'monetary policy was at the heart of the monetary shock in 2007', and that 'the policies that have been successful in stabilising the macro-economy have thrown up complex microeconomic problems that will make future policy difficult'.
Will a fiscal policy fix Europe’s defective monetary policy?
Policy Exchange Director of Research & Head of Economics and Social Policy, Warwick Lightfoot, assesses the prospects for fiscal policy to correct the divergences of incomes within the Eurozone. The scope and scale of policy – even with a Eurozone Ministry of Finance and fiscal transfers will not be sufficient to offset the forces of monetary policy pushing in the opposite direction. Structural reform of labour markets, not fiscal policy, is the best way to improve economic prospects throughout the Eurozone.
US Debt, War Finance and Playing with Fire
Policy Exchange Director of Research & Head of Economics and Social Policy, Warwick Lightfoot, looks at the anxiety surrounding the US Debt Ceiling. He is confident that the American economy has the capacity to service a growing public debt, but questions whether her federal political institutions can be relied on to do so in a predictable way in the manner envisaged by Alexander Hamilton’s the first US Treasury Secretary, who established the credit of the US and laid the foundations for Treaury debt to serve as the world’s risk free benchmark.
America’s continuing economic expansion and tightening labour market
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Director of Research and Head of Economics and Social Policy — reflects on the latest reports from the United States, which show that its economy continues to expand steadily while unemployment continues to fall and the number of jobs increases. He contends that on the estimates given, the American economy 'is at full employment and policy makers should be considering removing sources of stimulus from aggregate monetary demand, rather than looking to increase demand'.
What is the American economy’s trend rate of growth, and how can it realistically be raised?
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Director of Research and Head of Economics and Social Policy — reflects on ongoing debate in the States about the trend rate of growth and the relative performance of the US economy. He argues that while America retains great relative strengths, it is 'not immune from the structural impediments that hinder other advanced economies with developed welfare states'.
Brexit economic opportunity from the perspective of the Minneapolis Fed
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Director of Research and Head of Economics and Social Policy — reflects on recent research from the economics department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Different scenarios are considered regarding potential EU and UK approaches to foreign direct investment, leading Lightfoot to conclude that 'being open to such investment will be the key to improving the UK’s economic well-being'.
Central banks face challenges that go directly to the heart of their original purpose and function
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Director of Research and Head of Economics and Social Policy — reflects on the big questions facing central banks as they get ready to end the unconventional policies they developed in response to the credit crunch and Great Recession.
Is it time to think about spending EU-funded science money better?
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Director of Research and Head of Economic and Social Policy – reflects on the way in which science policy exemplifies both Brexit’s 'practical challenges and its genuine opportunities'. He concludes that Europe is 'lagging in terms of innovation and areas of rapid technological progress', and that proposed commitments to increasing science spending and the number of scientists working in the UK 'should give the British science community the best of both worlds'.
Election 2017 - Benjamin Disraeli: ‘There is no finality in politics’
‘I have done a terrible, terrible thing. I have voted Labour for the first time. My father and grandfather would turn in their graves, but I was worried about my pension. All I have is my house and the state pension that I manage on.’ These were the words of a typical voter - who had initially pledged Conservative - when she was reminded by Tory canvassers to vote last Thursday evening in a marginal constituency in Plymouth; later that night, the seat changed hands, from Conservative to Labour. Many things went wrong for the Prime Minister and the Conservative Party in this General Election — so what, asks Warwick Lightfoot, Director of Research at Policy Exchange, are the lessons that can be taken from this voter’s change of heart?
Why it’s all about the policy
Writing in Financial World magazine, Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange’s Director of Research, and Head of Economic and Social Policy — casts a critical eye over the role of central banks, their accountability and their long-term effectiveness in dealing with financial crises
Nationalisation: Good Bye Lenin, and a Misplaced ‘Nostalgia Chic’ — Be Careful What You Wish for
In response to the Labour Party's proposed agenda of nationalisation, Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Director of Research, and Head of Economic and Social Policy — discusses the challenges Britain faced during the time when its leading utilities were all government opened and run.
The US Budget Fiscal 2018: The President Proposes and Congress Will Dispose
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Director of Research, and Head of Economics and Social Policy — reflects on President Trump's recent full budget message to Congress. Lightfoot contends that, while 'some of the administration's proposals are sensible', the message is 'ambitious', and its projected figures are 'optimistic and controversial'.
Theresa May’s Leadership and the Post-Brexit Conservative Opportunity: creating a popular people’s party
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Director of Research, and Head of Economics and Social Policy — was special adviser to three Chancellors of the Exchequer during the ERM controversy. Here he responds to last week's Conservative Party manifesto, noting that the 'electoral earthquake' of Brexit has offered Theresa May 'the opportunity to reunite the Conservative Party and the wider centre-right spectrum' on the issue of Europe, in a way which is 'little short of astonishing'.
Warwick Lightfoot responds to the Labour Party Manifesto
Labour’s manifesto has an ambitious objective: to ‘rewrite the rules of a rigged system, so that our economy really works for the many, and not only the few’. It is expressly collectivist, claiming ‘Labour understands that the creation of wealth is a collective endeavour between worker, entrepreneurs, investors and government’. Costing Labour’s programme Eye-catching proposals range from abolishing university tuition fees, to increasing public sector pay, to a programme of […]
Why It's Not True That the UK Economy Helps Only the Rich
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Director of Research and Head of Economics and Social Policy — responds to recent findings from the IMF, which suggest that, unlike other large economies, 'labour’s share of income in the United Kingdom has trended up’. He concludes that 'when you combine this data with the wider picture of flat inequality and historically high employment rates, it is very hard to paint the UK economy as one that helps only the rich and hurts the poor'.
‘Trumplandia'?
Donald Trump’s effectiveness as a political candidate in the Republican primaries, and the electoral college success that put him in the White House, has unnerved political commentators and the policy establishments in his own party and beyond. On entering office, President Trump was to many regarded as — at best — a populist ‘know nothing’, who had managed to take the oath of office as the result of an idiosyncratic […]
How to write a manifesto: don’t be too clever
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange’s Research Director and Head of Economics and Social Policy — who worked on a number of manifestos as a departmental adviser in Whitehall, suggests that everyone writing manifestos very quickly at the moment should bear in mind that the content they will produce is more likely to become a source of unexpected liability than an asset yielding political benefits
All to play for
Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange’s Research Director and Head of Economics and Social Policy — says Brexit offers a chance to re-examine the UK’s economic objectives and do things differently. There are many reasons to be cheerful
France and her Economy
In the latest of our series of pieces focusing on the run-up to the French Presidential election, Warwick Lightfoot — Policy Exchange's Research Director and Head of Economics and Social Policy — considers the state of France's economy, in order to shed light on current attitudes and polling.
Scottish Independence: A Political Question
Warwick Lightfoot, Policy Exchange's Research Director and Head of Economics and Social Policy, considers Scotland's economic wellbeing, and concludes that 'its public finances at any point of independence would be exceptionally difficult'.