Press releases

Press Releases
March 25, 2024

Bright Blue: Help build wealth for those without it, don’t cut taxes on those with lots of it

Bright Blue, the independent think tank, and abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, a trust working to improve living standards and personal finances for people on low to middle incomes, have today…
Press Releases
March 9, 2024

Bright Blue: UK public want greater and greener development

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published Greater and greener development (attached), which is new polling analysis of UK public attitudes towards the importance of…
Press Releases
March 6, 2024

Bright Blue: Too little, too late from the Tories

For further comment or to arrange an interview please get in touch with Emily Taylor: emily@brightblue.org.uk or 07841 419316 Responding to the Budget 2024, Ryan Shorthouse, Executive Chair of Bright Blue,…
HomePress Releases
January 18, 2024

Bright Blue: Democratisation of business needed to help UK properly become a ‘property-owning democracy’

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published a new report, Mind your business? Expanding democratic business in the UK, which examines the nature of, history…
HomePress Releases
December 21, 2023

Bright Blue: Clean Air Zones need improving not abolishing

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published a new report: Up in the air? Delivering clean air in a socially just way. The report analyses…
HomePress Releases
December 18, 2023

Bright Blue to lead revival of centre-right through launch of new community

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today announced the launch of its new Community, bringing together a number of MPs and Peers, as well as Bright…
HomePress Releases
December 11, 2023

Bright Blue: Abolish the ‘triple veto’ planning policy on onshore wind

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published a new report, Resilient neighbourhoods, powered by low-carbon energy, offering new policy recommendations to reform planning to facilitate…
Press Releases
December 1, 2023

Government adopts Bright Blue policy to update afforestation targets

Bright Blue responds to the Government’s announcement that the England Community Forest network has a target to plant 2,000ha this planting season, a 100% increase on last year’s figures.   Sarah…
Press Releases
November 22, 2023

Bright Blue: Some good steps, but Tories need great strides to turn things around

For further comment or to arrange an interview please get in touch with Emily Taylor: emily@brightblue.org.uk or 07841 419316. Responding to the Autumn Statement 2023, Ryan Shorthouse, Executive Chair of Bright Blue,…
Press Releases
November 20, 2023

Government adopts Bright Blue policy to increase the maximum Contract for Difference (CfD) strike price for offshore wind power

Bright Blue responds to the Government’s announcement to increase the maximum Contract for Difference (CfD) maximum strike price for offshore wind projects by 66% to further cement the UK as…
Press Releases
November 15, 2023

Bright Blue: Response to the Supreme Court ruling on the Rwanda asylum agreement

Ryan Shorthouse, Executive Chair of Bright Blue, comments:  “The Rwanda asylum agreement has been an expensive failure. It has been deemed by the Supreme Court to be unlawful and, as…
Press Releases
November 7, 2023

Bright Blue: Time is running out for the tired Tories

Commenting on the 2023 King’s Speech, Ryan Shorthouse, Executive Chair of Bright Blue, said:   “The King’s Speech is not sufficiently coherent or ambitious to transform the fortunes of both the…
Press Releases
October 2, 2023

Bright Blue: Tories in peril because the young denied ‘the British dream’

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published new polling analysis with YouGov of UK public attitudes towards the plight of and policies for younger adults. …
HomePress Releases
September 7, 2023

Bright Blue: Government’s main asylum policies are “just not cricket”

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today released a new report, Alternative policies for the UK’s asylum system, calling for new asylum policies that seek to…
HomePress Releases
August 7, 2023

John Glen MP: Businesses should stay out of politics

Speaking to Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, the Chief Secretary to HM Treasury, the Rt Hon John Glen MP, has said businesses need to focus on…
Press Releases
July 26, 2023

Government adopts Bright Blue policy to expand Neighborhood Development Orders

Bright Blue responds to the Government’s announcement to expand National Development Orders through the use of PDRs and Street Votes. Bartek Staniszewski, Researcher, commented: “After Labour’s bold new announcements on…
HomePress Releases
April 6, 2023

Government adopts Bright Blue policy to introduce a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

Bright Blue responds to the Government’s announcement that they are launching a consultation on a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Bartek Staniszewski, Researcher, commented: “As we target net zero, it…
HomePress Releases
April 4, 2023

Government adopts Bright Blue policy to ban plastic in wet wipes

Bright Blue responds to the Government’s decision to ban plastic wet wipes.  Will Prescott, Researcher, commented:  “Wet wipes are currently one of the biggest contributors to river pollution. They do…
HomePress Releases
April 3, 2023

Centre-right needs radical new vision to fix the housing crisis

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, and Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, have today published an essay collection, Home advantage: a new centre-right vision for housing,…
HomePress Releases
March 27, 2023

Government adopts Bright Blue policy to increase fines for littering

Bright Blue responds to the Government’s decision to increase the maximum fine from £150 to £500 for littering, and £400 to £1,000 for fly-tipping.  Commenting, Eve Redmond, Research Assistant:  “Both…
HomePress Releases
March 15, 2023

Bright Blue: There is some brightness in this Budget

For further comment or to arrange an interview please get in touch with Max Anderson: max@brightblue.org.uk or 07850 684474. Commenting on the Spring Budget 2023, Ryan Shorthouse, Chief Executive of…
HomePress Releases
February 20, 2023

Bright Blue: Greater and greener homes should be an urgent government priority

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published a new report, Greater and greener homes: more homes, ready for net zero, offering new policy recommendations to…
HomePress Releases
January 16, 2023

Bright Blue: Welfare system not providing enough adequate, accessible and fair support

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today released a new report, entitled Building up: the future of social security, which examines the adequacy, accessibility and fairness…
HomePress Releases
November 22, 2022

Bright Blue: Ryan Shorthouse to step down as CEO of Bright Blue and step up to become Executive Chair

Today, Bright Blue, the think tank for liberal conservatism, is announcing that Ryan Shorthouse is stepping down as Chief Executive of Bright Blue after eight and half years leading the…
HomePress Releases
November 17, 2022

Bright Blue: Britain seems to be going backwards

For further comment or to arrange an interview please get in touch with Max Anderson: max@brightblue.org.uk or 07850 684474. Commenting on the Autumn Statement 2022, Ryan Shorthouse, Chief Executive of…
HomePress Releases
November 14, 2022

Bright Blue: After Covid, the self-employed deserve a stronger safety net

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today released a new report, entitled Work in progress? Supporting the self-employed after the pandemic, which unearths the experiences of…
HomePress Releases
November 6, 2022

Bright Blue: Private companies should enforce law on littering if local councils failing

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published a new research report, Picking up the pieces: tackling littering and fly-tipping in England, analysing the recent rise…
2022 EventsPress Releases
October 13, 2022

Party Conferences 2022

Bright Blue is delighted to announce our fringe event programme at the 2022 Conservative Party Conference. We are running 33 events with over 100 speakers. You can join us in…
HomePress Releases
October 4, 2022

Bright Blue response to PM’s speech: PM desperately needs to stop amateurism and amoralism

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, responds to the PM's Conservative Party Conference 2022 speech.  Commenting, Ryan Shorthouse, Chief Executive of Bright Blue, said: “The tenacity of…
HomePress Releases
September 23, 2022

Bright Blue’s response to The Growth Plan: Sanguine Chancellor goes for broke

For further comment or to arrange an interview please get in touch with Max Anderson: max@brightblue.org.uk or 07850 684474. Commenting on The Growth Plan 2022, Ryan Shorthouse, Chief Executive of…
HomePress Releases
August 30, 2022

Bright Blue: New action plan to ‘unblock’ political culture clash on race in UK

New agenda for action on race inequality in employment, education, health, civil service and online New proposals for action on racial inequality across Britain’s institutions – from employment, schools and…
HomePress Releases
August 17, 2022

Ed Davey MP: Conservatives now party of red-tape holding back business

Speaking to Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey MP, has criticised Johnson’s “red-tape” Government as he vows never…
HomePress Releases
July 29, 2022

Bright Blue evidence on UK Export Finance is published by the Environmental Audit Committee

Evidence from Greening UK Export Finance, submitted by Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has been published by the Environmental Audit Committee as part of their investigation…
HomePress Releases
July 11, 2022

Bright Blue: New PM needs to boost ‘clean steel’ to keep Red Wall

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published a new report entitled A carbonless crucible? Forging a UK steel industry, which examines how the UK's steel…
HomePress Releases
May 10, 2022

Bright Blue’s response to the 2022 Queen’s Speech

Commenting on the 2022 Queen’s Speech, Ryan Shorthouse, Chief Executive of Bright Blue, said: “Boris has one last chance to be bold. The extensive legislative agenda for the coming parliamentary…
HomePress Releases
May 10, 2022

Government adopts Bright Blue policy to appoint Ofgem as the new regulator for heat networks

Bright Blue responds to the UK Government’s decision to appoint Ofgem as the new regulator for heat networks. Commenting, Joshua Marks, Senior Energy and Environment Research: "Unregulated heat networks have…
HomePress Releases
April 26, 2022

Bright Blue: The UK needs a more ambitious tax reforming agenda

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published A vision for tax reform in the 2020s, setting out bold principles and policy ideas for an ambitious…
HomePress Releases
April 11, 2022

Government adopts Bright Blue policy to remove the ability of local authorities to charge for the disposal of DIY waste from households at waste disposal sites

Bright Blue responds to the UK Government’s decision to remove the ability of local authorities to charge households for the disposal of DIY waste at waste disposal sites. Commenting, Rebecca Foster, Energy…
HomePress Releases
April 8, 2022

Bright Blue: Public backs benefits to tackle the cost of living crisis

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published new polling analysis, entitled Stepping up: public attitudes to addressing the cost of living crisis, which reveals what…
HomePress Releases
April 1, 2022

Bright Blue: Stop UK taxpayer support for natural gas projects overseas

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published a new report entitled Greening UK Export Finance, which sets out how the UK’s export credit agency (ECA),…
HomePress Releases
March 30, 2022

Government adopts Bright Blue policy of maintaining the telemedicine abortion service

Bright Blue responds to the Parliament’s decision to maintain the telemedicine abortion service Commenting, Phoebe Arslanagic-Wakefield, Senior Researcher at Bright Blue, said: "Today’s result is a key victory in securing this…
HomePress Releases
March 23, 2022

Bright Blue’s response to the Spring Statement 2022: This is the confused Chancellor

For further comment or to arrange an interview please get in touch with Joseph Silke: joseph@brightblue.org.uk or 07948 420 584.  Commenting on the Spring Statement, Ryan Shorthouse, Chief Executive of…
HomePress Releases
March 23, 2022

Bright Blue: Make ‘full expensing’ of capital investment permanent when the Corporation Tax ‘super-deduction’ expires  

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published a new report commissioned by its high-profile cross-party, cross-sector Tax Commission, entitled Energising enterprise: reforming business taxes. As…
HomePress Releases
March 18, 2022

Bright Blue evidence on the benefits system in Wales is published by the Welsh Affairs Committee

Evidence given by Bright Blue's Senior Researcher, Anvar Sarygulov, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has been published by the Welsh Affairs Committee as part of their investigation into the…
HomePress Releases
February 25, 2022

Bright Blue: Response to Government’s new reforms to higher education

Responding to today’s publication of the Government’s response to the Augar Review and new reforms to higher education, Ryan Shorthouse, Chief Executive at Bright Blue, commented: "The Government is right to…