Centre for Policy Studies

The Centre for Policy Studies is Britain’s leading centre-right think tank with a mission to develop a new generation of conservative thinking. Under the directorship of Robert Colvile and chairmanship of Lord Spencer, the latest parliamentary survey by ComRes found that the CPS is considered by Conservative MPs to be the country’s most influential think tank.

The CPS produces its own policy papers – in particular on its core areas of tax and cost of living, tech and innovation, education, housing, and energy and the environment. It also works with prominent thinkers, including many Conservative MPs, to bring their ideas to a wider audience as well as hosting events, debates and conferences.

The CPS also owns and operates CapX, a comment site publishing pieces on policies and ideas that will enhance freedom, choice and prosperity for everyone in Britain.

Founded in 1974 by Sir Keith Joseph and Margaret Thatcher, the CPS was responsible for developing the bulk of the policy agenda that became known as Thatcherism. The CPS, Thatcher said, “was where our conservative revolution began”.

Over the past 50 years, the CPS has produced countless policies which have made Britain a better place. The taming of runaway inflation, the curbing of the power of the trade unions, the privatisation revolution, the shrinking of the state and Britain’s embrace of entrepreneurship all began at the CPS.

In more recent years, the CPS created the Lifetime ISA, championed wider share ownership, argued that you should be able to take your pension with you when you moved jobs, championed synthetic phonics in schools, which – since its introduction – raised children’s literacy standards, and the policy of raising the personal allowance for income tax first appeared in a CPS pamphlet.


Latest reports

Punching down

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies shows that it will cost businesses £2,367 more to employ a full-time worker on the minimum wage than it did in 2024. This year will be the most expensive on record for businesses who employ workers on the minimum wage, according to new analysis....

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Common ground Conservatism

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies finds that there is still a viable electoral coalition available to the Conservatives. How can the Conservative Party recover from electoral catastrophe? A new report from the Centre for Policy Studies, built around an extensive programme of quantitative and qualitative research led by James...

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The great grid gamble

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies states that politicians need to be guided by the best available evidence when considering the future of Britain's energy system. Ed Miliband hailed a recent report from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) as vindicating his plan to decarbonise the grid by 2030. But...

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Budget briefing: The age of the super-state

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies discusses the age of the super-state. New analysis from the Centre for Policy Studies shows that, as a result of changes announced in this week’s Budget, state spending is set to increase to an astonishing £1.5 trillion by 2029/30. The briefing paper argues that...

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The Politics of AI

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies examines the political bias within popular AI-powered Large Language Models (LLMs). ‘The Politics of AI’ is a new report from New Zealand-based academic David Rozado which examines the political bias within popular AI-powered Large Language Models (LLMs). The report found left-leaning political bias displayed...

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Capital losses: Why increasing CGT will deter investment, slow growth and reduce revenue

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies highlights the damage that will be done to the economy if the Chancellor uses next week’s Budget to hike capital gains tax (CGT). Despite raising relatively little revenue for the Treasury (1.5% of all revenue), CGT is an incredibly distortive and complex tax, paid...

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The UK’s international tax competitiveness 2024 update

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies calls for the Chancellor to focus on fundamental tax reform to stoke economic growth. The UK ranks a dismal 30th out of 38 OECD countries in the 2024 edition of the International Tax Competitiveness Index, published today by the US-based Tax Foundation. This extremely...

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Accelerating Infrastructure

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies looks at how to get Britain building more, faster. One of Britain’s most pressing problems, as the new government has acknowledged, is how difficult it is to build the infrastructure we need. Infrastructure in Britain is much harder to build than it was historically...

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A cheaper route to Net Zero

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies offers twenty low-cost ideas to cut energy bills and boost investment. Despite international gas prices coming back down in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, British households are still struggling with high energy bills because of outdated regulations pushing up costs. ‘A Cheaper...

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Why the EU is not the answer to Britain’s growth challenge

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies calls for any decisions about the UK’s future relationship with the EU to be based on current realities. The Labour government may be seeking a ‘reset’ of relations in the UK-EU relationship but Keir Starmer should resist calls to rejoin the EU, Single Market,...

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Facing Fakes

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies looks at how politics and politicians can respond to the deepfake age. Three weeks out from polling day, a new report warns of the dangers of ‘realistic fake footage that is cheap to create and spread across the internet’ impacting the UK general election....

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Regulating for growth

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies argues that the UK needs to reassess its culture of regulation. ‘Regulating for Growth’ by CPS Head of Tech and Innovation Matthew Feeney argues that an overzealous and antiquated attitude to regulating emerging technologies is impeding the UK’s ‘tech superpower’ ambitions. This culture of...

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Taking back control

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies argues that the rate of legal migration in recent years has not delivered the expected positive economic outcomes. In 2022, the rate of legal immigration was 25 times the level of illegal migration – an inflow of 1.2 million people. While broad consensus exists...

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The future of regulation

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies offers a number of proposals to shrink the regulatory burden. Written by Tom Clougherty and Robert Colvile, this report is the first to offer a line-by-line analysis of the official impact assessments accompanying over 3,000 pieces of legislation. Arguing that the UK’s regulatory system...

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Shaping the debate: The Centre for Policy Studies in 50 papers

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Centre for Policy Studies. This booklet, compiled by CPS Research Director Karl Williams, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Centre for Policy Studies. Comprising a selection of 50 papers covering a wide range of policy areas including monetary...

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Upcoming events

10 February 2025

Location: Old Queen Street Cafe, 6 Old Queen St, London SW1H 9HP

Think tank: Centre for Policy Studies

Assessing the Schools Bill: pass or fail?

This event hosted by UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies will discuss the implications of the Schools Bill for children, parents and teachers. Labour's Schools Bill claims to be designed to raise educational standards and improve the safeguarding of children — but will it instead reverse the progress made under previous governments? Since...

26 February 2025

Location: Centre for Policy Studies, 57 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3QL

Think tank: Centre for Policy Studies

Revolutionising Britain: The legacy of Sir Keith Joseph

This event hosted by UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies will explore the legacy of Sir Keith Joseph. The Centre for Policy Studies is delighted to welcome Chairman of the Conservative History Group Lord Stephen Parkinson and historian Vernon Bogdanor for a discussion exploring the legacy of Sir Keith Joseph. Once seemingly destined...