Our Insight

Testing times for housing: will the new Housing Delivery Test make a difference?

13 August 2018

Increasing the supply of housing has been a stated aim of every government of recent times.  When David Cameron was Prime Minister he set out an ambition to build a million homes by 2020.   Theresa May’s stated target is to deliver 300,000 homes a year in this Parliament.   There has been some divergence in policy between the two Conservative Prime Ministers – a shift away from a home-owning democracy and promoting Help-to-Buy towards a renewed focus on increasing the provision of affordability and a tougher position on the Buy-to-Let market. But the key theme is much the same – to build more homes. Read more

Will there be a General Election this year?

10 August 2018

We are often asked by clients what the prospects are of a General Election taking place this year. Politics is becoming increasingly unpredictable these days and anything could happen, but we think it is about 70/30 that there will not be an election. Read more

Local elections and what to watch out for

18 April 2018

On May 3rd, 4350 local council seats are up for election in 151 council areas, including all 32 London Boroughs. These elections will determine who runs local council services and will also be seen as a significant test of support for the main political parties and their Leaders.  Read more

Education and human capital

7 March 2018

Connect are currently working with Schole, a UK based company that is doing great things to bring investment to education in East Africa. Our role is to help tell their story, and it is a fascinating one, not least because they are making a difference without a penny of aid from the UK government. Read more

Nationalisation – a lot of water under the bridge before it happens?

2 March 2018

Nationalisation – a lot of water under the bridge before it happens?

A recent report by the Social Market Foundation, the non-partisan centrist think tank,  estimated that the up-front cost of nationalising the water industry would be £90bn. The SMF also estimated that the government would need over £100bn over the next 25 years to meet the long-term investment needed within the sector. Read more

The politics of foreign property ownership

15 February 2018

The issue of housing is already showing itself to be key in the run up to local elections this year. Faced with the prospect of Labour gains, the recent government announcement of a new public register of ultimate owners of UK properties is both an attempt to push through legislation ahead of the EU withdrawal, and to show that government is thinking about issues other than Brexit. Read more

Connect launches series of 5 regional events for Transport Knowledge Hub

13 February 2018

Connect is delivering five regional policy events for the Transport Knowledge Hub – a new tool for local authorities, LEPs and transport decision-makers considering making investments in transport projects.

Read more

Crashing out of Europe?

12 February 2018

The prospect of the UK crashing out of Europe grows every day

Our politicians seem more focussed on what they don’t want during transition and after Brexit, rather than a clear plan for what the UK does want. The recently resigned Brexit Minister Lord Bridges told the House of Lords of his frustration. “What do we value? Sovereignty and control or market access and trade? There are still no clear answers to these basic questions”. Angela Merkel meanwhile says “we are open to any kind of partnership but it is in the UKs hands to tell us how close a partnership it wants”. Read more

You can enjoy the EU (Withdrawal Bill) all the way to the summer…

8 February 2018

The EU (Withdrawal) Bill has come a long way, and there is a long way to go. But the debates that are coming up will shape the politics of Brexit; in some cases, they may shape our future relationship with the EU. Read more

2018 set to be best year ever for the Women and Work APPG #Vote100

6 February 2018

Connect is proud to support #Vote100 today, celebrating 100 years since Parliament passed the Representation of the People Act giving the first women the right to vote. Since 2016 our work with the Women and Work All-Party Parliamentary Group has examined how employers and policy makers can help to deliver gender balance in the workplace. The APPG’s first report, Women Returners, helped to shape Government policy with the introduction of £5 million funding for returnships. The Group’s second report, Making the Industrial Strategy work for women, was published last month. We are pleased to have launched the APPG’s 2018 programme of work, How to Recruit Women for the 21^st Century, which will examine the recruitment process from start to finish and develop recommendations to improve female representation across the employment and labour market.