Full Breakdown
Tory Conference Unveils Wide-Scale Deregulation Plan
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Announcement at the Conservative Conference
The plan proposes abolishing Natural England and the Environment Agency, removing the Future Homes Standard and other house-building regulations slated for next year, and replacing Section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy with a single developer levy. The party also pledges to scrap the extended producer responsibility charge on packaging, a move it says would lift a £1.5 billion burden from businesses.
Background & Context
The party positions the deregulation drive as a response to perceived stagnation in living standards and a need to accelerate housing supply and infrastructure projects such as a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport.
Data & Statistics
- Party researchers cite a 2023 Birmingham City Council study estimating that mandatory low-carbon heating measures could add £30,789 to the cost of building a detached home, while saving £2,715 per year on energy bills—payback in roughly 11 years.
- The Conservatives claim the deregulation could cut new-build housing costs by about £50,000 per unit.
- Removing the packaging “polluter-pays” fee is projected to eliminate a £1.5 billion cost to producers.
Official Statements & Responses
- Andrew Griffith said the tax code is a “cat’s cradle of complexity” and that simplifying it would free time for businesses and families.
- Kemi Badenoch asserted that the party will “hit the ground running” after the next election, emphasizing a shift from “socialist fever-dream” policies.
- Katie Lam, the shadow housing secretary, warned that current regulations allow “anti-growth ideologues” to hold the country hostage and that a single levy would speed approvals.
- Andrew Griffith also pledged support for accelerating the Heathrow third runway, arguing the country cannot wait until the 2040s for the project.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Tories had 14 years in government to grow our economy and help people get on the housing ladder, but they completely failed at every turn.” — Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrats’ Treasury spokeswoman
- “No-one can take anything the Conservatives say on the economy seriously given their litany of fantasy-land financial pledges.” — Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrats’ Treasury spokeswoman
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The party’s cost-reduction figures rely on internal research and a single council study; independent economic analyses of the broader impact on housing affordability, environmental outcomes, and public finances have not been presented.
What’s Next
A budget presentation by Chancellor John Healey is scheduled for October 28, which will set the government’s fiscal response to the Tory deregulation agenda.