On the opening day of the Conservative Party conference, Kemi Badenoch released a policy document titled "The Right Way", framing her vision as Thatcherism adapted for the modern era. The central argument was that government should enable wealth creation rather than obstruct it through regulation. Building on this theme, Andrew Griffith, the shadow chancellor, is presenting a comprehensive deregulation package that demonstrates how these principles would translate into concrete policy. Unlike the typical conference format where shadow ministers release a single headline proposal, Griffith has published an extensive document running to nearly 5,000 words, effectively functioning as a detailed policy manifesto.
What are the main proposals?
The package contains several significant pledges aimed at reducing the cost and complexity of housebuilding. The Conservatives claim their measures would reduce the price of a new home by up to £50,000. According to reporting on the policy details, this estimate includes both their existing commitment to abolish stamp duty on primary residences and the effect of proposed deregulation measures.
The housing-related proposals include scrapping net zero regulations and planning restrictions such as section 106 agreements and the community infrastructure levy, which developers argue inflate construction costs. According to policy analysis, the Conservatives plan to replace these mechanisms with a single developer levy, streamlining the current system. The party argues this new charge would remove delays and improve how funds are spent to benefit residents.
Beyond housing, Griffith's plan encompasses the removal of two major environmental bodies—the Environment Agency and Natural England. Their functions would be transferred to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The package also proposes scrapping the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, which the Conservatives describe as the "grocery tax". According to Conservative claims, this scheme currently costs shops and manufacturers £1.6 billion annually. The party believes scrapping it would help lift a burden from businesses and could cut the cost of the weekly shop.
Additional proposals include backing a third runway at Heathrow, withdrawing from the Aarhus Convention—an international treaty that grants public access to environmental decision-making information—and accelerating the deployment of new nuclear power stations. The Conservatives argue that the Aarhus Convention has enabled what they characterise as "lawfare hindering every major infrastructure project in this country". Speaking to a national broadcaster, Griffith said infrastructure development was key to his plan, describing the failure to build Heathrow's third runway as "a national embarrassment" and calling for action on reservoirs and nuclear reactors.
How have political opponents responded?
Labour has attacked Griffith's credibility on economic matters. In an overnight statement, Bridget Phillipson, the party chair, said:
Trusting the co-author of Liz Truss' disastrous mini-Budget with Tory plans on the economy and housing is like asking an arsonist to run the fire service. Kemi Badenoch is once again demonstrating her appalling lack of judgement. 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.
Reform UK has taken a different line, accusing the Conservatives of copying policies their party announced weeks or months earlier. Richard Tice, Reform UK's deputy leader and business spokesperson, stated:
Tories pledge to scrap some costs regulations and taxes they put in place! They are copying Reform policies we announced weeks and months ago! They are trying to fix problems they created 😡
According to additional reporting, Reform UK's economy spokesman Robert Jenrick escalated the criticism, accusing the Conservatives of "once again copying our policies" while arguing that Reform's pledge to raise the personal allowance to £15,000 goes further than Conservative proposals. This reflects a broader pattern at the conference: while talk of a formal Tory-Reform pact has diminished compared to a year ago, significant policy overlap continues to emerge, with several Conservative announcements closely mirroring Reform UK positions.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said the Conservatives have "cemented their position as a pointless anti-growth anti-business party" by rejecting closer ties with Europe, adding that "no-one can take anything the Conservatives say on the economy seriously given their litany of fantasy-land financial pledges."
What is the context for these proposals?
The deregulation agenda sits within a wider Conservative strategy to address housing affordability. The Future Homes Standard, due to take effect next year, would require new homes to incorporate low-carbon heating systems such as heat pumps or district heat networks. The Conservative proposals effectively represent a challenge to such environmental building standards, arguing that regulatory costs are a primary driver of house prices.
Griffith's comprehensive policy document follows Badenoch's release of a nearly 100-page policy paper on the conference's opening day, signalling that the Conservatives intend to present detailed, costed proposals rather than broad rhetoric as they prepare for a general election. Following their historic defeat in the 2024 general election, the Conservatives have been attempting to rebuild and convince voters that they can be trusted again.
Griffith described his approach as the "most ambitious deregulation project in a generation". When pressed on whether he would keep the pensions triple lock, he said the Conservatives would maintain it—a position that contrasts with earlier comments he made as a backbencher in 2021, when he wrote that the state pension triple lock was "unfair" as pensioners could "gain from the misfortune of others". Senior Conservatives including former chancellor Jeremy Hunt and shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat have individually suggested the current triple lock is unsustainable.
Griffith accused Prime Minister Andy Burnham of wanting to pursue a "socialist fever dream of the 1970s", adding that the Tories want to deliver "cheaper homes, lower taxes, and less red tape". Chancellor John Healey last week said all promises the government made would be "built on the rock of fiscal discipline" and the Budget on 28 October would "give families and businesses a bit of breathing space".
What happens next?
Griffith is scheduled to deliver his formal conference speech on Tuesday afternoon, where he will elaborate on these proposals to the party membership and media. The speech will follow addresses from other shadow cabinet members, including Andrew Bowie on energy, Richard Holden on transport, and Damian Hinds on health, all speaking earlier in the day. During a series of speeches on Monday, Conservative shadow ministers will continue to make their case and provide more details of their proposals.
The comprehensive nature of Griffith's policy package suggests the Conservatives are attempting to establish themselves as a serious alternative government with detailed plans for economic growth and housing supply, rather than simply opposing Labour's record.
