Free Enterprise Group

Last updated

The Free Enterprise Group is a grouping of Thatcherite British Conservative Party Members of Parliament founded in mid-2011 by Liz Truss. [1] [2] The book Britannia Unchained was written by members of the group. [3] The group has been associated with the Institute of Economic Affairs. [4]

MPs listed as supporters of this group have included: [2] [5]

As of 2022, its website address redirects to the website of the Free Market Forum, another IEA-affiliated group that has describes itself as a successor of the Free Enterprise Group. [4]

Related Research Articles

<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 responses 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fraser Institute</span> Canadian public policy think tank

The Fraser Institute is a libertarian-conservative Canadian public policy think tank and registered charity. It is headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. It has links to think tanks worldwide through the Economic Freedom Network and is a member of the free-market Atlas Network. Fraser describes itself as independent and non-partisan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foundation for Economic Education</span> Libertarian education organization

The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) is an American conservative, libertarian economic think tank. Founded in 1946 in New York City, FEE is now headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It is a member of the State Policy Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlas Network</span> Free market American think tank support group

Atlas Network, formerly known as Atlas Economic Research Foundation, is a non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States that provides training, networking, and grants for libertarian, free-market, and conservative groups around the world.

<i>The Orange Book</i> Book by Paul Marshall and others

The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism is a book written by a group of prominent British Liberal Democrat politicians and edited by David Laws and Paul Marshall in 2004. Three contributors later became leaders of the Liberal Democrats: Nick Clegg, Vince Cable and Ed Davey. Other contributors include Chris Huhne, Susan Kramer, Mark Oaten and Steve Webb. The book's central philosophy, and some of its ideas, are supported by Liberal Reform, an internal group of the Liberal Democrats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thérèse Coffey</span> British politician (born 1971)

Thérèse Anne Coffey is a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from September to October 2022 under Liz Truss. She also served in the cabinet from 2019 to 2023 as Environment Secretary between October 2022 and November 2023; Health Secretary between September and October 2022; and Work and Pensions Secretary between September 2019 and September 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suffolk Coastal since 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Skidmore</span> British politician and historian (born 1981)

Christopher James Skidmore is a British former Conservative Party politician and author of popular history who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingswood in South Gloucestershire from 2010 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liz Truss</span> Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2022

Mary Elizabeth Truss is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth day in office, she stepped down amid a government crisis, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in British history. The member of Parliament (MP) for South West Norfolk since 2010, Truss previously held various Cabinet positions under three prime ministers—David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson—lastly as foreign secretary from 2021 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwasi Kwarteng</span> British politician (born 1975)

Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng is a British politician who served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 6 September to 14 October 2022 under Liz Truss and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 2021 to 2022 under Boris Johnson. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Spelthorne since 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Littlewood</span> Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs

Mark James Littlewood is a director of Popular Development Partners Limited. He was formerly the director general of the libertarian free market Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), and before that the chief press spokesman for the Liberal Democrats and the Pro-Euro Conservative Party and was an advisor to the Conservative Party under Prime Minister David Cameron. Having previously been in favour of deeper European integration, Littlewood later adopted a eurosceptic position and advocated voting Leave in the 2016 referendum on Membership of the European Union.

Cesar Conde is an American media executive currently serving as chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, overseeing NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC. Prior to this, Conde was chairman of NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. Before that, he was president of Univision's networks division.

<i>Britannia Unchained</i> 2012 book by five British Conservative MPs

Britannia Unchained: Global Lessons for Growth and Prosperity is a political book written by several British Conservative Party MPs and released on 13 September 2012. Its authors present a treatise, arguing that Britain should adopt a different and radical approach to business and economics or risk "an inevitable slide into mediocrity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Cole (journalist)</span> British journalist

Harry Cole is a British journalist who has been the political editor of The Sun since 2020, having previously been the deputy political editor of The Mail On Sunday. He studied Anthropology and Economic History at the University of Edinburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allister Heath</span> British business journalist, author and commentator

Allister Georges Freund Heath, is a French-born British business journalist, author and commentator. He was appointed as editor of The Sunday Telegraph in April 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement</span>

The United Kingdom–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is a free trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Japan. The agreement was agreed in principle by both parties in September 2020 and signed in Tokyo in October 2020, following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union in January 2020. It entered into force at the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premiership of Liz Truss</span> Period of the Government of the United Kingdom in 2022

Liz Truss's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom began on 6 September 2022 when she accepted an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to form a government, succeeding Boris Johnson, and ended 50 days later on 25 October upon her resignation. As prime minister, Truss served simultaneously as First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">September 2022 United Kingdom mini-budget</span>

On 23 September 2022, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng, delivered a Ministerial Statement entitled "The Growth Plan" to the House of Commons. Widely referred to in the media as a mini-budget, it contained a set of economic policies and tax cuts such as bringing forward the planned cut in the basic rate of income tax from 20% to 19%; abolishing the highest (45%) rate of income tax in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; reversing a plan announced in March 2021 to increase corporation tax from 19% to 25% from April 2023; reversing the April 2022 increase in National Insurance; and cancelling the proposed Health and Social Care Levy. Following widespread negative response to the mini-budget, the planned abolition of the 45% tax rate was reversed 10 days later, while plans to cancel the increase in corporation tax were reversed 21 days later.

The Free Market Forum is a Conservative think tank associated with the Institute of Economic Affairs, launched in September 2022.

Ruth Oates Porter is a British former political adviser who served as Downing Street Deputy Chief of Staff under Prime Minister Liz Truss from September to October 2022. She is due to be made a life peer and previously had been a special adviser at various government departments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popular Conservatism</span> Right-wing faction within the British Conservative Party

Popular Conservatism, also known as the Popular Conservatives or PopCon, is a right-wing faction within the British Conservative Party. The director of the group is Mark Littlewood, who is an ally of the former prime minister Liz Truss.

References

  1. "Liz Truss: An heir to Thatcher intent on shaking up Britain". AP NEWS. 2022-09-05. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  2. 1 2 "Free Enterprise Group & Institute of Economic Affairs Growth Forum proposals launched". Institute of Economic Affairs. 27 February 2012. Archived from the original on 2019-08-14.
  3. "Britannia Unchained: the rise of the new Tory right". the Guardian. 2012-08-22. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  4. 1 2 "Free Enterprise Group - TobaccoTactics". tobaccotactics.org. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  5. "Welcome | Free Enterprise Group". freeenterprise.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2013-12-09.

See also