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Recent Comment
Is the north really dependent on public sector jobs? Actually, it’s not so simple
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien uses ONS data to show that the public/private sector job divide isn’t simply split by North and South but is actually spread more evenly than people assume. He argues that the biggest challenge for the government is to reduce the overall levels of local unemployment, especially outside the South East.
Fifteen years on incapacity benefit, then told you are fit to work. It’s a very big moment
With new figures revealing that huge numbers of people previously claiming Incapacity Benefit are now being deemed capable of some form of work Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien points out that this new influx of newly capable workers will be a big shock to jobcentres and the welfare system.
Benefits: the disabled and deserving?
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien makes the case for a carefully thought out reform of disability benefits. Neil stresses the importance of getting the tone of the reforms right in order to prevent those claiming DLA being seen as “spongers”.
Liam Byrne is right about Labour’s pains
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien shows that polling results from Policy Exchange report Northern Lights back the beliefs of Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions Liam Byrne that voters are angry about welfare dependency and that political parties need to take a stronger line on welfarism.
Reform to police pay long-overdue
Crime & Justice Research Fellow Edward Boyd calls for reform of police officer remuneration, arguing that police pensions are unfair and need modernising and that in order to attract the best applicants the starting salary for police officers should be increased.
Rich children and poor children are living in different worlds. What can we do about it?
Policy Exchange Director Neil O’Brien sets out some thoughts on how the government could narrow the gap between rich and poor children through pre-school education.
Elected Mayors – where did it all go wrong?
With the elected Mayors referenda looking set to deliver a ‘No’ result, Policy Exchange Deputy Director David Skelton criticises the failure of the government to put together an effective campaign in favour of elected Mayors. He also points out that Mayors were seen as ‘more politics’ at a time when the public is very anti-politics and that the powers and boundaries for the new Mayors were poorly chosen.
Why the Conservatives need to resolve our housing problem
Policy Exchange’s Director of Communications Nick Faith cites findings from report Northern Lights which show that those who do not own their own home are far less likely to vote Conservative than those who do. He argues that coupled with the current housing crisis and fewer and fewer people able to afford to get on the property ladder, this could cause electoral problems for the Tories.
Elected mayors could make the North less reliant on Whitehall and Westminster for jobs and growth
David Skelton, Policy Exchange’s Deputy Director, argues that the North is poorly understood by the centralised government, bureaucracy and media in London, suggesting that elected mayors would allow the North to provide a strong voice for the North and end the reliance on Whitehall and Westminster for providing jobs.
A fair wage for prisoners
Crime & Justice Research Fellow Edward Boyd sets out how the introduction of a ‘Prisoner Minimum Wage’ – as recommended in Policy Exchange report Inside Job – would prevent working prisoners from jeopardise the job prospects of the law-abiding.
