UK Strategy in Asia: some starting principles
Following the Prime Minister’s visit to Japan last week, Policy Exchange’s Britain in the World Project publish a report by unit head John Bew and David Martin Jones, Visiting Fellow at Policy Exchange. They advise that Asia is of growing strategic importance to the UK’s long-term prosperity but this is likely to mean more involvement in the region’s security problems. The first principle of UK involvement in Asia must be to bolster existing alliances and to preserve the existing international order, but it must be understood that this is likely to cause tension when it comes to relations with China.
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.
Foreign Policy and National Security in the New Parliament
In a new report published last week, Policy Exchange stresses the vital role of Parliament in shaping debates about Britain’s place in the world, and urges the building of greater cross-party consensus on foreign policy. It stresses the role of the Defence and Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the context of a hung Parliament. The report was published alongside a new database of MPs’ voting records on key issues of national security since 2010, as well as their constituency positions on Brexit — the most detailed resource of its kind ever created. In a Foreword to the report, Tom Tugendhat MP, the new Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee said, ‘Policy Exchange is at the forefront of new thinking about national security and the UK’s place in the world’. The report was covered in The Daily Mail.
Why isn’t the FinTech market a fin4all?
Policy Exchange’s latest recruit, Jos Henson-Gric, who previously worked in FinTech in the UK and Europe, looks at the Chancellor’s speech on FinTech and the Government’s new strategy and asks if it’s missing a trick when it comes to banking for those on low incomes.
The collective action to Russia was in part a result of the UK’s firm unilateral response
Policy Exchange’s Professor John Bew, whose essay on the Skripal affair was discussed on the Today programme, argues that the UK’s initial response to Russian aggression paved the way to wider, collective action.
Commentary on Sir Noel Malcolm’s “Human Rights and Political Wrongs”
Following the publication of Sir Noel Malcolm’s Human Rights and Political Wrongs, Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project has published five responses to his book by eminent legal and philosophical scholars. The short commentaries by Baroness O’Neill, Lord Phillips, John Finnis, John Tasioulas and Guglielmo Verdirame interrogate and complement Sir Noel’s work.
The Times publishes letter on combat immunity by authors of Policy Exchange’s ‘Clearing the Fog of Law’ paper
In a letter published in The Times, the authors of Policy Exchange’s Clearing the Fog of Law paper address the President of the Law Society’s misplaced criticism of government proposals to revive combat immunity. The point of the proposals is to restore the law as it stood before the landmark decision of Smith & Others v Ministry of Defence and thus to beat back the judicialisation of war. The Law Society is wrong to say that this is an attack on compensation or accountability.
Rupert Oldham-Reid joins Policy Exchange as Director of Research and Strategy
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 hosts a speech by the Hon Peter Dutton MP, Australian Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
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.
Upcoming Events
- Tuesday, 26 September, 2017
8:30 - 9:30
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.
Location
Venue: Labour Party Conference
Address:
- Monday, 25 September, 2017
17:30 - 18:30
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
Location
Venue: Labour Party Conference
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- Monday, 25 September, 2017
12:30 - 13:30
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
Location
Venue: Labour Party Conference
Address: