Tory Shadow Cabinet Set To Lead Policy Commissions
The Conservative Party is set to launch a raft of policy commissions over the coming weeks (Alamy)
3 min read
Exclusive: The Conservative Party is set to launch policy commissions across the shadow cabinet in Kemi Badenoch’s first step in creating policy.
PoliticsHome understands that Alex Burghart, the shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and a close ally of Kemi Badenoch, delivered a presentation to the shadow cabinet last week about the plans.
Shadow cabinet members will be expected to take the lead on developing new Conservative ideas for their departments.
The Conservative Party is expected to engage with experts and centre-right think tanks, like Policy Exchange and the Centre for Policy Studies, to develop a coherent political strategy. Members of the shadow cabinet are enthusiastic about creating a clear vision to take on Labour and Reform in four years’ time.
The Conservative Party’s new policy commission is reminiscent of David Cameron’s attempt to re-position the party in 2006 after it had lost three successive elections. Recommendations at the time included calling for the abolition of inheritance tax, the abolition of stamp duty, a 2p cut in the basic rate of income tax and a cut of corporation tax from 30 per cent to 25 per cent.
There had been concerns among senior Tories that the policy commission would primarily be expert-led, similar to when Cameron blocked front benchers from involvement.
It is why senior Conservative figures were keen for shadow cabinet ministers to take the lead on policy commissions, making it more likely their solutions will be accepted and implemented if in government.
In an interview with ConservativeHome, Badenoch said: "I would like to have lots of policy commissions similar to what David Cameron did in 2005 because it means that you can flush out quite a lot of things that aren't coherent."
Kemi Badenoch has previously said she did not want to write a raft of policies and stick to them with a general election expected in a minimum of four years’ time. During the leadership campaign, she called for the party to go back to “first principles” after it had “talked right but governed left” while in office.
Rachel Maclean, director of strategy for LOTO, and a former Tory MP and Badenoch ally, said in September there "should be a proper collective process" when it comes to drawing up party policy.
A number of shadow ministers believe there will be no new policies until shortly before the next general election which could take place in 2029, as there is little appetite to centre the party around policies which may not last.
Tension has built up among some back benchers in the party over the lack of serious policy announcements and a number of Conservative MPs raised their concerns at the last 1922 meeting of Tory back benchers in Parliament.
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