Features
Escaping the Poverty Trap
There are 5.8 million people on benefits in Britain. This year, the welfare bill will be £81 billion. If the people who have recently started claiming social security and are struggling to find work do not get jobs soon, the personal and social costs of the rise in unemployment will be catastrophic. The report recommends reducing the expected rises in benefits over the next few years, tapering away the Family element of the Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit at 39% once the Child Element has been exhausted and raising the earnings disregard for all means-tested benefits to £92.80.
Downloads • full publication • press release
Press Coverage • The Telegraph • The Express
Terrorism: Pragmatism, Populism, and Libertarianism
Lord Carlile delivers the inaugural John Creaney Memorial Lecture.
"John Creaney, and people like John Creaney, have risked their careers and even their lives in the careful, honourable and objective prosecution and defence of terrorism suspects and in the pursuit of better law. John Creaney stands as a symbol but many are not major figures like John Creaney; they are the civil servants who put policy into effect, the border officers who stand at passport and customs posts, and the police constables who stand in the front line."
Read the transcript here • Watch Video footage here soon
The Cost of Cancer
The UK currently has a cancer death rate 6% higher than the European average. However if the survival rates were improved in England to a level commensurate with the best in Europe, on a cumulative basis by 2020, 71,500 lives could be saved and total costs could be reduced by £10 billion. The report recommends that the Department of Health identifies and adopts the best practice in cancer services from high-performing European countries, focuses resources where largest reductions in mortality can be achieved and focuses on cancer prevention strategies.
Downloads • full publication • press release
Press Coverage • Sky News • The Mail • The Express • The Star • Reuters • The Times
More Fees Please?
The Government must raise the cap on top-up fees to avoid a serious deterioration of quality in our universities. More Fees Please? warns that with the Government’s student loan debt expected to rocket to £55 billion by 2018, the Treasury will not be able to afford a rise in fees without a radical change to the system of student support. The report recommends that students from the wealthiest households are removed from the public student loans scheme, and offered a loan from a regulated private loan scheme at a lower than commercial rate of interest instead.
Downloads • full publication • press release
Press Coverage • Times Higher Education • BBC News • Guardian BBC Radio 5 Live • BBC Today Programme • The Telegraph • The Sunday Express
Latest headlines
Get off our backs and just let us do our jobs
Tuesday 9th March, 2010
Simon Wolfson, who wrote the foreword to upcoming Policy Exchange publication The Renewal of Government criticises intrusive government meddling and excessive spending.
Monday 8th March, 2010
Neil O'Brien writes in the Daily Mail about the financial and political crisis Britain is currently in and draws comparisons with the 1970s.
Think tank: Slackers find a safe haven in the public sector
Sunday 7th March, 2010
Neil O'Brien criticises poor public sector performance in the Times.
Escaping the Poverty Trap
Published Wednesday 3rd March, 2010
Press reports on recommendations made in Policy Exchange's report on welfare Escaping the Poverty Trap
Coverage • The Telegraph • The Express • politics.co.uk • publicfinance.co.uk • ConservativeHome • leftfootforward.org
Why we need to balance the books
Thursday 4th March, 2010
Allister Heath, editor of CITY A.M., references research by Andrew Lilico on successful historical fiscal reform programmes.
Dangerous terrorist suspects are on the streets because of judges' decisions, watchdog says
The Telegraph reports on Lord Carlile's speech on preventing terrorism delivered at Policy Exchange's John Creaney Memorial Lecture
Tories promise universities A-level oversight
Times Higher Education references findings by Policy Exchange that the quality of some A-levels is of concern to universities.
Policy Exchange author Mark Oliver speaks on Newsnight about proposed changes to the scope of the BBC.
Tory project could slash school budgets, says thinktank
The Guardian reports on the Conservative and Liberal Democrat adoptions of the Policy Exchange recommendation that schools be funded by a pupil premium.
Policy Exchange's Lilico Discusses U.K. Bank Bonuses
Andrew Lilico discusses bank bailouts and bonuses on Bloomberg News.
Andrew Lilico: BA's woes reflect wider economic turbulence
Andrew Lilico writes in the Yorkshire Post about how BA's troubles are symptomatic of the UK economy as a whole.
The BBC draft review offers its own manifesto for change
The Guardian references critcism of the BBC throwing money at wooing 16-35 year old viewers levelled by Policy Exchange report Changing the Channel in this report on a BBC internal review.
Prison places shortfall
Press reports on Policy Exchange findings that ending the End of Custody License scheme will leave the UK with too few jail cells.
Coverage • News of the World • Mail
Pound slides as figures underline scale of UK recession
Andrew Lilico is quoted in the Telegraph on how the recently lowered estimate of GDP will affect the public finances for the next few years.
Can you justify your job title?
Natalie Evans is quoted in a BBC News article on how job titles becoming more confusing and convoluted
University managers outpace academics
Anna Fazackerley speaks in the Financial Times on their findings that the number of managers at UK universities has risen more than three times as fast as the number of academics since 2003
Andrew Lilico on BBC Radio 4's The Long View
Andrew is interviewed on BBC Radio 4's The Long View about reducing the UK's deficit
Middle-class students face cuts to loans
Press reports on recommendations from Policy Exchange’s latest report on tuition fees More Fees Please
Coverage • Times Higher Education • BBC News • Guardian BBC Radio 5 Live • BBC Today Programme • The Telegraph • The Sunday Express • Belfast Telegraph • Metro • Politics.co.uk • ConservativeHome
Culture of fear at NHS costs lives
Press reports on documents uncovered by Policy Exchange which show that within the NHS attaining targets has been given higher precendence than saving lives
Coverage • The Sun • The Telegraph • The Mail • Emergency Services News • Metro
The Economist references research by Policy Exchange in its article on increasing transport of the Thames
Cost of cancer to UK to rise to £25 billion over next 10 years
Press reports on recommendations made in Policy Exchange's report on cancer The Cost of Cancer
Coverage • Sky News • The Mail • The Express • The Star • Reuters • The Times • freshbusinessthinking.com • Health Insurance & Protection • ecancermedicalscience.com
Era of cheap money is gone forever
City AM references findings by Policy Exchange in an article on inflation
