Publications
All Policy Exchange publications are free to download in .pdf format. You can also purchase hard copies of the majority of our reports – check each individual report page for details.
Government & Politics Publications
Paying for the Party: Myths and realities in British political finance
Dr Michael Pinto-Duschinsky and Roger GoughRead Publication Foreword by David Butler The case for urgent reform of Britain’s political finance laws, and for increased state funding of political parties, is generally based on the premise that the expenditures of British political parties have rocketed. The...
Back From Life Support: Remaking Representative and Responsible Government in Britain
Policy ExchangeCumulative social and political changes have undermined the concept of active citizenship on which the concepts of representative and responsible government have been based. Back From Life Support, written by Frank Field MP, suggests ways of bringing those key concepts back.
No More Tiers: Reforming Shire Government
Glyn GaskarthThis report outlines a better model of local government: an innovative model of ‘federal’ county government, which streamlines bureaucracy and presents a unified public face, while power originates at a very local level and is delegated up where necessary.
Science vs Superstition: the case for a new scientific enlightenment
Dr Oliver Marc HartwichScience vs Superstition – the case for a new scientific enlightenment challenges the common belief that scientific progress in today’s world inevitably entails an element of danger or moral uncertainty.
Compassionate Conservatism: what it is, why we need it
Janan Ganesh and Jesse Norman MPWhat is compassionate conservatism, and how can it meet the social and political challenges faced by today’s Britain? These are the questions that Jesse Norman and Janan Ganesh answer in their acclaimed new book.
Paying For Local Investment: New Finance Mechanisms for Local Government
Policy ExchangeRead Publication By Richard Murphy This report is a supplement to a previous joint report by nefand Policy Exchange on the reform of the revenue finance system of local government in England, Nothing to lose but your chains: Reforming the English local government...
Big Bang Localism: A Rescue Plan For British Democracy
Policy ExchangeBig Bang Localism: a Rescue Plan for British Democracy, proposes a radical decentralisation of government. The report calls for a re-empowerment of the counties and cities to which people feel loyalty, with many services delegated further to municipalities and parishes.
Nothing to Lose But Your Chains: Reforming the English Local Government Finance System
Policy ExchangeNothing to lose but your chains is the third volume of a major study into the reform of local government finance in England. It sets out the authors’ proposals for a comprehensive, yet practical, reform of the local revenue finance system.
I’m a Local Councillor, Get Me Out of Here: England’s System of Local Government Finance
Policy ExchangeRead Publication By Tony Travers, Lorena Esposito In the second volume of their study, Professor Travers and Lorena Esposito review the current system of local government finance, setting out its shortcomings, and conclude that even the most basic requirements of a...
The Decline and Fall of Local Democracy: A History of Local Government Finance
Policy ExchangeIn the first part of a major study into local government financial reform, Policy Exchange examines the history of local government funding in England and Wales, from feudalism through the Victorian period to present day. The authors show how the contemporary system of highly centralised control is a product of the government’s desire to maintain uniformity and fiscal discipline.
