Project lead for Policy Exchange’s Future of the Right Programme
Lord (Ross) Kempsell has been appointed as the new project lead for Policy Exchange’s Future of the Right programme.
A key figure on the Right, Lord Kempsell served as a Senior Special Adviser to the Prime Minister in the No10 Policy Unit. Specialising in public sector reform, he delivered cross-government projects to improve the use of evidence and data in policymaking. He created the Evaluation Task Force, a unit in His Majesty’s Treasury and Cabinet Office to improve the use of objective measures of impact in the design of government policy. He contributed to a number of Policy Exchange reports and cross-party programmes on the topic of Whitehall reform and has regularly appeared on PX panels. He also worked as Political Director of the Conservative Party and Director of the Conservative Research Department under two Prime Ministers. Based in CCHQ, he led the Party’s media and research teams, advising Cabinet ministers, and directing campaigning in elections across the country. He was elevated to the House of Lords in July 2023.
Lord Kempsell commented:
“I am delighted to be rejoining Policy Exchange as as Senior Fellow to work on a broad range of vital issues, not least the future of the right. A new generation is now shaping the future of right-leaning thought in the UK. The rise of Reform, the state of the Conservative Party and a changing of the guard across politics shows the extent of disruption and change underway. I am looking forward to pulling together the best minds to examine the opportunities and risks for the right as a whole, regardless of partisan allegiance. I am also particularly looking forward to examining the new territory of policy formation – online and on social media – which is breaking old models.”
Senior Fellow
Policy Exchange is delighted to welcome Dr Rakib Ehsan as a Senior Fellow. Rakib is a British researcher, writer, and media commentator of Bangladeshi Muslim origin, specialising in matters of community cohesion and public security. A prominent national authority on matters of immigration, integration, and identity, his work has received support across the political spectrum. Rakib has already authored a number of Policy Exchange papers, including ‘A Portrait of Modern Britain: Ethnicity and Religion’ (2024) and ‘Small-Boats Emergency: Fixing the UK’s Broken Asylum System’ (2023).
Dr Rakib Ehsan commented:
“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Policy Exchange as a senior fellow. Having admired the country’s premier think-tank for a long time, I am looking forward to building on its rich tradition of producing insightful and high-impact research in the fields of immigration, social cohesion, and demographic change.”
Head of Health and Social Care
Gareth Lyon is also joining Policy Exchange as our new Head of Health and Social Care. Gareth has 20 years of experience in health care policy work. He has a record of achieving positive outcomes while engaging on Government policy working for some of the biggest healthcare companies as well as trade associations in social care, health, housing, education, engineering and digital advertising. He worked at Bupa for a number of years working on a number of important policy initiatives on workplace health and healthcare system design including building a global network of companies, academics and health experts collaborating to improve health outcomes and drive innovation. He also led Bupa’s engagement with the Competition and Markets Authority during their investigation into the UK private healthcare market.
Gareth led policy and government relations for ARCO (Associated Retirement Community Operators) making the case for a new model of housing and care for older people in the UK, publishing a number of reports making the economic, housing and health case for this new approach. At the Proprietary Association of Great Britain, he helped to shape the Government’s self care agenda and secured significant improvements in policy and regulation for over the counter medicines. At Novartis Gareth worked to expand access for UK patients to innovative medicines and treatments and worked on policy initiatives to tackle counterfeit medicines and animal rights extremism.
Gareth Lyon commented:
“I am delighted to be joining Britain’s leading and most successful think tank as Head of Health and Social Care at such an important time. We are seeing unprecedented challenges to the future of the UK health and social care systems and equally unprecedented public interest in finding effective, innovative and fair solutions. I’m looking forward to helping Policy Exchange to continue to play a leading role in this debate and to ultimately securing better healthcare outcomes.”