The law of rule: fixing how Britain regulates
Think tank: Re:State
Author(s): Cory Berman; Joe Hill
March 18, 2026
This report from UK think tank Re:State recommends that regulation is used more sparingly and only where it is appropriate.
Britain’s regulatory system grows by default. Rules are easy to create, rarely reviewed, and almost never removed. The problem is compounded by weak scrutiny of new regulation, which too often fails to ensure that the rules added to the statute book are of sufficient quality.
The answer is not another ‘bonfire of red tape’. Instead, the UK needs a stronger and more focused centre for regulatory reform, alongside a more powerful Better Regulation watchdog with a broader remit and stronger powers.
The law of rule sets out a package of reforms to achieve the much vaunted goal of “better regulation” by strengthening the processes which new regulations must pass through to ensure that the statue book is regularly reviewed, is assessed holistically, and is only added to after robust independent assessment of new regulations.
Our recommendations aim to ensure that regulation is used more sparingly and only where it is appropriate; that lawmakers have access to robust analysis when deciding whether to introduce new rules; and that regulation is regularly reviewed and removed where appropriate
