Bright Blue (organisation)

Last updated

Bright Blue
Formation2014;9 years ago (2014)
Type Liberal Conservative, One Nation Conservative, Think tank
Location
Chair
 Sarah Sands
Director
 Ryan Shorthouse
Website www.brightblue.org.uk

Bright Blue is an independent think tank and pressure group advocating for liberal conservative and one nation conservative [1] ideas and policies, based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2014 by British entrepreneur Ryan Shorthouse, [2] Bright Blue aims to "defend and champion liberal, open, democratic and meritocratic values, institutions and policies." [3] Bright Blue is a membership-based think tank, with membership open to anyone who identifies as a liberal conservative.

Contents

The Daily Telegraph has described the organisation as "the modernising wing of the Tory party" [4] and the ConservativeHome website has described it as "a deep intellectual gene pool for the Conservative Party's future". [5] In 2018, the Evening Standard [6] noted that Bright Blue "has managed to set the party’s agenda on a number of issues". In 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, it was shortlisted for both UK Social Policy Think Tank of The Year and UK Environment & Energy Think Tank of The Year in the annual Prospect awards. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Research

Bright Blue covers five main research themes in its work, including energy and environment policy; human rights and discrimination; integrated Britain; social reform; and ageing society. [11]

Its first publication was the book Tory Modernisation 2.0 [12] [13] [14] published in 2013. Tory Modernisation 2.0 is described as recommending "policies and a vision that the Conservative Party should adopt to improve society and the economy, to win in 2015, and beyond". The book contains contributions from various conservative intellectuals and members of parliament, [15] including Matthew d'Ancona, Francis Maude and David Willetts.

In April 2014, Bright Blue published its second book, The Modernisers’ Manifesto. [16] [17] The book outlined how the Conservative Party can demonstrate credibility and fresh ideas to convince the electorate that they need a second term in government to make Britain "a fairer nation with a stronger economy and high-quality public services". The book contained contributions from a range of high-profile opinion formers and policy makers such as Liam Fox, Andrew Mitchell, Zac Goldsmith, Laura Sandys, Nick Hurd, George Freeman, Isabel Hardman, Matthew Parris and Ian Birrell.

Influence

Bright Blue has seen a number of policies adopted by the UK Government. In 2019, the think-tank successfully campaigned for the introduction of a low-carbon obligation on gas suppliers. [18] [19] The government has also recently embraced other Bright Blue policy suggestions including making the breach of a Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO) a criminal offence; extending Tier 5 Youth Mobility visas to more countries; [20] increasing the period of time international students can stay in the UK on a Tier 4 visa after their course has completed; [21] the ONS asking a voluntary question about gender identity in the Census from 2021; [22] the appointment reforming rural payments after Britain leaves the EU Common Agricultural Policy, [23] the cutting of Stamp Duty for nearly all first-time buyers, [24] announcing a new flexible lifelong loan entitlement to four years of post-18 education, [25] ending the support for fossil fuel sector overseas, [26] the banning of bottom trawling in marine protected areas, [27] including international aviation and shipping in new carbon budgets, [28] extending the Youth Mobility Visa scheme to India, [29] ensuring all new UK bilateral aid is spent in a way that does no harm to nature, [30] accelerating the phase-out of coal, [31] discretionary suspensions of the Minimum Income Floor for Universal Credit claimants, [32] ensuring the central government vehicle fleet will be zero emission as soon as possible, [33] making the right to request flexible working a right from day one, [34] extending student loan repayment period to 40 years, [35] maintaining the telemedicine abortion service, [36] removing the ability of local authorities to charge for the disposal of DIY waste from households at waste disposal sites, [37] appointing Ofgem as the new regulator for heat networks, [38] and increasing in the salary threshold for the repayment of student loan. [39]

Organisation

The board of directors is made up of Sarah Sands (chair), Ryan Shorthouse (Director), Alexandra Jezeph, Diane Banks, Phil Clarke and Richard Mabey. It currently has nine Associate Fellows: Helen Jackson, Kieron O'Hara, Nick Tyrone, Ben Gadsby, Andrew O'Brien, Michael Stephens, Kieran Cooke and Michael Johnson. It has a list of nearly 200 Parliamentary supporters, [40] and an independent Advisory Council [41] from different political and professional backgrounds - including multiple Conservative parliamentarians such as such as Michael Gove, Matt Hancock, Nicky Morgan, Damian Green, and Penny Mordaunt.

In November 2022, Ryan Shorthouse announced that he would stand down as Director of Bright Blue and step up to Chair the organisation, criticizing the Conservative government for having "failed millennials" and citing disagreements over housebuilding policies and soaring childcare costs. [42] Bright Blue is appointing a new CEO in 2023. [43]

Funding

Bright Blue is a not-for-profit company that is funded by a range of organisations. It acknowledges its sponsoring partners in all reports and advertising materials. [44] The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Lloyds Bank Foundation, and Oak Foundation are some such organisations. In November 2022, the funding transparency website Who Funds You? gave Bright Blue a C grade (rating goes from A to E). [45]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party and also known colloquially as the Tories, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Labour Party. It is the current governing party, having won the 2019 general election, and has been the primary governing party in the United Kingdom since 2010. The party has been described as both right-wing and centre-right. It encompasses various ideological factions including one-nation conservatives, Thatcherites, and traditionalist conservatives. The party currently has 354 members of Parliament, 260 members of the House of Lords, nine members of the London Assembly, 31 members of the Scottish Parliament, 16 members of the Welsh Parliament, four directly elected mayors, 30 police and crime commissioners, and around 5,647 local councillors.

A Red Tory is an adherent of a centre-right or paternalistic-conservative political philosophy derived from the Tory tradition; it is most predominant in Canada, but also has a presence in the United Kingdom. This philosophy tends to favour communitarian social policies, while maintaining a degree of fiscal discipline and a respect of social and political order. It is contrasted with "Blue Tory" or "High Tory". Some Red Tories view themselves as small-c conservatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institute of Economic Affairs</span> Neoliberal think-tank

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is a right-wing, free market think tank registered as a UK charity. Associated with the New Right, the IEA describes itself as an "educational research institute" and says that it seeks to "further the dissemination of free-market thinking" by "analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems". The IEA was established to promote free-market solutions to economic challenges by targeting influential academics and journalists, as well as students, in order to propagate these ideas widely. Adopting as its credo FA Hayek's view that "yesterday's dissent becomes today's consensus," the IEA says that it prioritises producing work with a focus on economic insights over partisan politics.

The Social Market Foundation (SMF) is an independent British political public policy think-tank based in Westminster, London. It is one of the 'Top 12 Think Tanks in Britain' and was named 'UK Think Tank of the Year' by Prospect in 2012. Its purpose is to "advance the education of the public in the economic, social and political sciences" and to "champion ideas that marry a pro-market orientation with concern for social justice". Policy ideas are based on the concept of the social market economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Boles</span> British politician (born 1965)

Nicholas Edward Coleridge Boles is a British politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Grantham and Stamford from 2010 to 2019. He was a member of the Conservative Party until 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Penrose</span> British Conservative politician

John David Penrose is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Weston-super-Mare since 2005. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the United Kingdom Anti-Corruption Champion at the Home Office from 2017 until 2022. He resigned on 6 June 2022 as the United Kingdom Anti-Corruption Champion due to the Boris Johnson Partygate scandal. Penrose is married to Baroness Harding, Chair of NHS Improvement and the former head of NHS Test and Trace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syed Kamall</span> British politician (born 1967)

Syed Salah Kamall, Baron Kamall is a British politician and academic, who from September to October 2022 served in HM Government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. He was previously Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Innovation at the Department of Health and Social Care (2021–22).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre for Social Justice</span>

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) is an independent centre-right think tank based in the United Kingdom, co-founded in 2004 by Iain Duncan Smith, Tim Montgomerie, Mark Florman and Philippa Stroud.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open Europe</span> Think-tank promoting a campaign for EU change

Open Europe was a British centre-right eurosceptic policy think tank with offices in London and Brussels, merging with the Policy Exchange think tank in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Browne (politician)</span> British journalist, businessman and politician (born 1967)

Anthony Howe Browne is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Cambridgeshire since the 2019 general election. He is a member of the Conservative Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Finkelstein</span> British journalist and politician

Daniel William Finkelstein, Baron Finkelstein, is a British journalist and politician. He is a former executive editor of The Times and remains a weekly political columnist. He is a former chairman of Policy Exchange who was succeeded by David Frum in 2014. He is chair of the think tank Onward. He was made a member of the House of Lords in August 2013, sitting as a Conservative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Freeman (politician)</span> British Conservative politician

George William Freeman is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation since October 2022. Elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Norfolk since 2010, he previously served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Research and Innovation from September 2021 until his resignation in July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil O'Brien</span> British Conservative politician

Neil John O'Brien is a British politician who was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health in September 2022. He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Harborough in 2017. A member of the Conservative Party, he was previously a special adviser to Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne from 2012 to 2016 and Theresa May during her tenure as Prime Minister.

Ryan Shorthouse is a British writer, thinker and entrepreneur. He is the founder and Executive Chair of Bright Blue, an independent think tank for promoting Liberal Conservatism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">55 Tufton Street</span> London building housing lobby groups related to pro-Brexit and climate change denial

55 Tufton Street is a four-storey Georgian-era townhouse on historic Tufton Street, in Westminster, London, owned by businessman Richard Smith. Since the 2010s the building has hosted a network of libertarian lobby groups and think tanks related to pro-Brexit, climate science denial and other fossil-fuel lobby groups. Some of the organisations it houses have close connections with those at 57 Tufton Street next door, including the Centre for Policy Studies and CapX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Trott (politician)</span> British Conservative politician

Laura Trott is a British Conservative Party politician, who was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sevenoaks at the 2019 general election. She has been serving as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions since October 2022. Trott is the first woman to represent the constituency. Before her parliamentary career, she worked as a partner at Portland Communications, and as a special adviser.

Onward is a British centre-right think tank producing research on economic and social issues. It was founded in 2018 by Will Tanner, Martyn Rose, and Neil O'Brien. The think tank's advisory board is chaired by Daniel Finkelstein. The founders state that Onward would operate in the mainstream of conservative politics, and is a reaction to the "lack of energy on the centre right". It is explicitly aligned to the Conservative Party and is not a charity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Offord</span> Scottish financier and Conservative party politician

Malcolm Ian Offord, Baron Offord of Garvel is a Scottish financier and Conservative Party politician in the House of Lords. He currently serves as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exports.

Conor Ryan is an Irish-born UK-based independent writer and consultant, a former senior civil servant, and adviser who has been until June 2023 the Director of External Relations at the Office for Students, a non-departmental public body of the British Department for Education. He served as a special adviser and the senior education adviser to British Secretary of State for Education and Employment David Blunkett from 1997 to 2001 and then to British Prime Minister Tony Blair from 2005 to 2007.

References

  1. ↑ "Meet The New Conservative Think-Tanks Hoping To Reboot The Tories". HuffPost UK. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  2. ↑ "The new Tory reformers looking to conquer the centre ground". Evening Standard. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  3. ↑ "About". Bright Blue. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  4. ↑ Dominiczak, Peter (10 January 2013). "Conservatives should be the party of the low paid, minister says". The Telegraph . Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  5. ↑ Hoskin, Peter (9 January 2013). "What the Tory modernisers did next". Conservative Home . Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  6. ↑ Balls, Katy (28 November 2018). "The new Tory reformers looking to conquer the centre ground". Evening Standard . Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  7. ↑ "Think Tank Awards 2016". Prospect.
  8. ↑ Team, Prospect. "Think Tank Awards 2017: Who won?".
  9. ↑ Team, Prospect. "Think Tank Awards 2018: the full shortlist".
  10. ↑ Dean, Alex. "Think Tank Awards 2019—the full results" . Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  11. ↑ "Research".
  12. ↑ "Tory Modernisation 2.0" (PDF).
  13. ↑ Shorthouse, Ryan (6 October 2012). "Conservative modernisation: it's time for version 2.0". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  14. ↑ "Reviewed: Tory Modernisation 2.0 ed. Ryan Shorthouse & Guy Stagg". newstatesman.com. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  15. ↑ "Parliamentary Supporters". Bright Blue.
  16. ↑ "The Modernisers Manifesto" (PDF).
  17. ↑ "Tory think-tank pushes for easing of cannabis laws to be cornerstone". The Independent. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  18. ↑ "Think tank calls for low carbon gas obligation". theenergyst.com. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  19. ↑ "Fiddling the margins or a powerful signal? The green economy reacts to the Spring Statement". edie.net. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  20. ↑ Hedges, Birketts LLP-Clare; Leggett, Janice. "Employment and Immigration Law Update - Changes to Immigration Rules | Lexology". lexology.com. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  21. ↑ editor, Richard Adams Education (10 September 2019). "UK work visas for foreign graduates to be extended to two years". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 24 October 2019.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  22. ↑ "2021 Census topic research update: December 2018 - Office for National Statistics". ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  23. ↑ "What's behind Theresa May's new love of the environment? This might be the answer". The Independent. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  24. ↑ "The new Tory reformers looking to conquer the centre ground". Evening Standard. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  25. ↑ "PM's skills speech: 29 September 2020". gov.uk. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  26. ↑ "PM announces the UK will end support for fossil fuel sector overseas". gov.uk. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  27. ↑ "Marine Management Organisation launches consultation on four of England's Marine Protected Areas". gov.uk. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  28. ↑ "UK enshrines new target in law to slash emissions by 78% by 2035". gov.uk. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  29. ↑ "UK-India agree partnership to boost work visas for Indian nationals". gov.uk. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  30. ↑ "The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review" (PDF). gov.uk. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  31. ↑ "End to coal power brought forward to October 2024". gov.uk. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  32. ↑ "The Universal Credit (Coronavirus) (Restoration of the Minimum Income Floor) Regulations 2021". gov.uk. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  33. ↑ "Transport decarbonisation plan". gov.uk. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  34. ↑ "Making flexible working the default". gov.uk. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  35. ↑ "Higher education policy statement & reform consultation" (PDF). gov.uk. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  36. ↑ "LORDS AMENDMENTS TO THE HEALTH AND CARE BILL" (PDF). parliament.uk. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  37. ↑ "Government announces new crackdown on fly-tipping". gov.uk. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  38. ↑ "The Queen's Speech" (PDF). gov.uk. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  39. ↑ Stewart, Heather (10 September 2017). "Thinktank warns Tories not to cut interest rates on student loans" (PDF). The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  40. ↑ "Parliamentary Supporters".
  41. ↑ "Advisory council".
  42. ↑ "Ryan Shorthouse: I'm losing faith that our current politics can deliver for my generation. Here's a Conservative agenda for change". Conservative Home. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  43. ↑ Lampier, Sam (22 November 2022). "Bright Blue: Ryan Shorthouse to step down as CEO of Bright Blue". Bright Blue. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  44. ↑ "Bright Blue | Who Funds You?". whofundsyou.org. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  45. ↑ "Who Funds You? Bright Blue".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.