Comment
Opinion and Editorial from the Policy Exchange team.
Choose A Category
Arts and Culture
Demography, Immigration and Integration
Crime and Justice
Demography, Immigration and Integration
Economics and Social Policy
Education
Environment and Energy
French Presedential Election
Foreign Policy and Security
Government and Politics
Housing and Urban Regeneration
Industrial Strategy
International Trade
Security and Extremism

Recent Comment

The government should learn from big companies on local pay policy
Matthew Oakley, Head of Economics & Social Policy at Policy Exchange, argues that the government should learn from big companies on local pay policy. Matthew sets out findings from Policy Exchange report Local Pay, Local Growth,which suggests that rebalancing public sector pay and pensions in line with the private sector could save £6.3 billion a year.

A huge job – but also a huge opportunity
Rory Geoghegan, Crime & Justice Research Fellow at Policy Exchange, argues that newly elected Police & Crime Commissioners will face tough challenges when they take on the role, but stressed that talented candidates will have the potential to make a real difference to the lives of the public.

The remarkable rise of mental illness in Britain
Neil O’Brien, Policy Exchange’s Director, discusses the dramatic increase in mental illness in Britain, arguing that it is one of the biggest challenges facing the welfare state, and one which is only now starting to be explored.

How the new Police Commissioners should spend their first 100 days
Nick Faith, Director of Communications at Policy Exchange, sets out the priorities for PCCs in their first 100 days in office. He argues that PCCs need to take the time to get to know their communities, put in place a proactive communications plan and try to set themselves two or three major priorities for their first term.

Loosening purse strings
James Barty, Policy Exchange’s Senior Consultant on Financial Policy, argues that the drive to increase banks’ capital ratios is harming recovery and that the process should be slowed, if not reversed in some cases.

Why for-profit companies should take over weak schools
James O’Shaughnessy, author of recent Policy Exchange report Competition Meets Collaboration on ways to tackle failing schools in the UK, argues that failing schools should join successful Academy chains to drive up standards. If this is ineffective, then he suggests education management organisations, including both profit and not-for-profit, should take on the running of these schools.

Deregulation is not necessarily the solution to the childcare crisis: we must keep in mind what parents want
With the childcare debate seeing several new developments recently, Policy Exchange Education Research Fellow Harriet Waldegrave examines the issues that have arisen around care quality, regulation and funding. Harriet warns against the debate sliding into an ideological argument on deregulation.

Low carbon and lower bills — Can the circle be squared?
Simon Less, Senior Consultant for Regulatory Policy at Policy Exchange, argues that it is hard to predict what the best and cheapest carbon technologies will be to reduce carbon emmissions and lower carbon bills, and stresses that the design of policy needs to reflect this.

A chain reaction that would fix Britain’s failing schools
James O’Shaughnessy, former Head of Policy for No. 10 and author of recent Policy Exchange report Competition Meets Collaboration, argues that following the new Ofsted inspection scheme, an increasing number of schools in Britain will be told they are failing. James suggests new ways to tackle this problem, including creating more academy chains.

Head to Head: Local pay, Local Growth
Ed Holmes, Senior Research Fellow for Economics & Welfare at Policy Exchange, argues that rebalancing public sector pay and pensions so that they are in line with that of equivalent workers in the private sector would save £6.3 billion a year in public spending.