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London, UK
Joined May 2009
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Fifty years ago, Britain was in crisis. The music was good, but the economy was a mess. We were forced to go to the International Monetary Fund for a deeply-damaging bailout.
The UK needed a new direction - that's why Margaret Thatcher and Keith Joseph founded the Centre for Policy Studies. A full half century on, our new Director, the economist and journalist @LiamHalligan, is arguing for another policy revolution now: lower taxes, cheaper energy, affordable welfare, an economy that rewards work and enterprise.
Britain’s problems are urgent – we're on the brink of another bailout. But we changed course fifty years ago - and with the right ideas, we can do so again.
The Centre for Policy Studies - where the fightback begins.
Up to 57% of the cost of a new-build London home is driven by government taxes, regulations and requirements ⬇️
New CPS research by Edward Donovan and Ben Hopkinson reveals how these costs are making homes more expensive and harder to build.
Read our latest report, Easing the Burdens: cps.org.uk/research/easing-t…
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Did you know government-imposed costs are responsible for more than half the price of a new build London flat?
Really important new report from @Ben_A_Hopkinson and Edward Donov👇
Government imposed policy costs make up 57% of the clearing price of a new flat in London and 42% of a new home in the Home Counties.
Despite a big housing shortage and positive planning reforms, new home starts in England are declining from 182,000 in 2022 to under 125,000 last year.
While the macroeconomic context has worsened with build cost inflation and high interest rates, the Government is imposing more burdens on new homes, not fewer.
Taxes, levies, planning, and mandates add over £440,000 to the cost of delivering a home in London and nearly £225,000 nearby, with several of these imposed recently like the Second Staircase, Future Homes Standard, Building Safety Levy, Biodiversity Net Gain and Residential Property Developer Tax.
Individually these may be justified, but together they are making new homes unviable.
As a result, large developers are buying less land and small builders are going out of business; nearly 4,000 construction firms went bust just last year.
If we want to build more homes, we should be easing the burdens on them, not adding more.
Making housebuilding viable again is the most important issue in housing policy and my co-author, Edward Donovan, has completed excellent modelling showing how big the challenge is.
Read the full report: cps.org.uk/wp-content/upload…
And simulate what changing the policies does with Edward's modelling here: easing-the-burdens.cps.org.u…
Why were there no changes to welfare in the Budget?
@RossjournoClark joins @CapX's The Capitalist podcast to discuss the government's approach to welfare reform.
'No one should begrudge low paid workers a modest pay rise, but they are not the only ones affected. Every increase in a worker’s salary is an increase in the cost of employing that person.'
Missed our latest bit of analysis yesterday? Check out Daniel Herring's article in @ConHome
conservativehome.com/2026/11…
Why has hiring become so expensive? Businesses are being crippled by rising costs.
New CPS analysis shows the annual cost of employing a full-time minimum-wage worker will rise by £4,462 between 2024 and 2027. For 18–20-year-olds, the increase is £4,859.
Higher taxes and wage costs leave businesses with less room to hire and grow.
Read the new research by Daniel Herring, CPS Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy: cps.org.uk/research/the-cost…
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Why has hiring become so expensive? Businesses are being crippled by rising costs.
New CPS analysis shows the annual cost of employing a full-time minimum-wage worker will rise by £4,462 between 2024 and 2027. For 18–20-year-olds, the increase is £4,859.
Higher taxes and wage costs leave businesses with less room to hire and grow.
Read the new research by Daniel Herring, CPS Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy: cps.org.uk/research/the-cost…
“The debt interest bill for this year has gone up from £109bn to £124bn.”
CPS Director Liam Halligan lays bare the shocking cost of Britain’s debt
“Business has had to pay the price for an ever-expanding state.”
CPS Head of Small Business and Entrepreneurship @rcolvile explains the crisis facing small businesses in Britain.
Labour’s trick to keep spending? Fiscal rules based on a rolling forecast, with targets that are highly unlikely to be met.
Daniel Herring, Head of Economic and Fiscal Policy at the CPS, reacts to the Budget on @CapX's The Capitalist podcast.
What can Britain learn from Poland about backing small businesses? 🇵🇱🇬🇧
CPS Head of Small Business and Entrepreneurship @rcolvile explains why Poland’s positive attitude towards small businesses offers a lesson for the UK.
We've been named as a finalist for @SmartThinktanks Best Convener Award 2026!
It's wonderful to be recognised for our convening power with last year's Margaret Thatcher Conference, which brought together CEOs, founders, funders and thinkers to discuss how businesses new and old will power Britain's prosperity.
'A dangerous continuation of Labour's tax-and-spend fantasy'
The CPS team respond to John Healey's first Budget 👇
'By eroding the fiscal 'headroom' buffer down to £15 billion amidst global energy shocks, this Budget risks a bond market meltdown' - Director @LiamHalligan
Labour says it wants growth and jobs.
So why make it so much harder for family-owned firms that employ so many workers across Britain to survive?
CPS director @LiamHalligan on the tax changes facing family firms.
Hiding debt doesn’t make it disappear.
CPS Fellow @TimDier explains why Labour’s approach to measuring debt risks encouraging more borrowing and spending - leaving taxpayers to pick up the bill.
Read the full briefing here: cps.org.uk/research/pufins-t…
Robert breaks down his new paper 'The Future of the Green Belt' - complete with drone footage of some of the less green bits... 👇
100 years ago, England embarked on one of the most successful urban expansion projects in history: the creation of Metroland, beautiful suburbs and towns, strung along the railway lines out of London. Today, @SCP_Hughes, @createstreets and I set out how we can do it again. (1/?)
A bigger state or a smaller state focused on growth?
CPS Director @LiamHalligan explains the battle of ideas between Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch - and what their competing visions mean for Britain’s future.
Britain ranks 30th out of 38 OECD countries for tax competitiveness.
In a new report, Daniel Herring at the Centre for Policy Studies warns that a wealth tax and higher capital gains tax would make Britain even less competitive - making the UK the least tax-efficient place in the OECD to own property.
cps.org.uk/research/a-wealth…
What do small businesses need to see from the next Budget?
@rcolvile and @OpiniumResearch have the answers 👇
John Healey reportedly wants to help small businesses at the Budget. New polling by @OpiniumResearch for @CPSThinkTank shows they definitely need it!
Opinium polled 500 SMEs bosses across the UK. Overwhelmingly, they felt govt wasn't on their side. But help do they need? (1/?)
“The trains didn’t improve. The money was spent on some repaint jobs so Labour ministers could have their photos taken.”
Andrew Griffith, Shadow Chancellor, speaks to CPS Director @liamhalligan at Conservative Party Conference about Labour’s renationalisations and misguided expansion of the state.
The IMF says that Britain “stands out” as the only major advanced economy set to reduce government borrowing over the coming years.But, based on previous behaviour, the fiscal constraints written into Labour’s spending plans are highly unlikely to materialise.
"One thing we know about this Labour Party is that it hates cutting spending," says Daniel Herring, Head of Economic and Fiscal Policy at The Centre of Policy Studies.
Previous attempts to remove the winter fuel allowance or trim welfare spending were reversed after a backbench rebellion.
And that was straight after, rather than in the run-up to, a general election. So you have to have somewhat heroic levels of trust to believe that Labour ministers will stick to these spending plans.
“The fact is,” says Herring, “no chancellor for a long time, of whatever party, has stuck to their fiscal rules …. That’s why we are in danger – a major shock will blow up these plans and expose the UK to the wrath of international lenders, who will demand radical cuts to public spending, which will hurt the people Labour are trying to help”
Read the full @CapX piece here: capx.co/the-imf-has-fallen-f…
