Technical Breakthrough
David Goodhart, Professor Edward Peck, Rich Pickford and Will RossiterEdward Peck argues that most of the renewed investment in technical skills should be delivered by universities and especially new universities like his own, Nottingham Trent. He makes an imaginative pitch for a repurposing of parts of higher education and for something like the reinvention of “applied universities”, the old polytechnics in new form.
The Future of the North Sea
William Nicolle, Benedict McAleenan and Ed BirkettThe North Sea is strategically central to meeting the UK’s target of Net Zero emissions by 2050. By fully developing offshore wind, the North Sea could provide one-third of the UK’s energy needs, and this proportion will grow if low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) are also fully developed.
Monetary response to the coronavirus crisis
Warwick LightfootThis 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 that central banks confront in a low interest rate environment where monetary policy has no more space left and is not effective.
Five things we’ve learnt from the Energy White Paper
This week’s is a substantial document that moves the UK a step closer towards a Net Zero energy system. However, it’s clear that the White Paper is largely about ambition, which leaves a lot for the Government to do in 2021.
The UK’s bid to join CPTPP is generating momentum
Away from the fraught endgame of the Brexit negotiations, there has been positive news in UK trade in the last few weeks. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss added to the growing portfolio of UK trade agreements by securing a deal with Mexico on 15 December, following similar deals with Singapore and Vietnam last week.
RCEP: what the new trade bloc means for the Indo-Pacific and the UK
Policy Exchange’s Indo-Pacific Commission published its interim report on 22 November, arguing that the Indo-Pacific is the most important region for expanding UK trade after Brexit. This comes shortly after the recent agreement between fifteen countries in the region to form the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) – the world’s largest trade bloc when measured by population and GDP. So what is RCEP, and what does the new bloc mean for the Indo-Pacific region and the UK’s strategic approach to it?
Policy Exchange cited nine times in Queen’s Speech debate
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 sets out the vision for his Premiership
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.
Policy Exchange launches Space Policy Unit
The UK should consider setting up a new Space Council “along the same lines as the USA”, according to Chris Skidmore, Science Minister, in order to help create a “joined up government policy towards space”.
Upcoming Events
- Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
10:00 - 11:00
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.
- Tuesday, 2 April, 2019
13:30 - 14:30
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.
- Monday, 11 March, 2019
18:00 - 19:30
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.