News

George Freeman calls for compromise on Brexit Bill - Giving Parliament a vote on the final deal but not tying PM’s hands in the negotiation

12th June 2018

George Freeman makes it clear that the Parliamentary vote on the final Brexit deal must not be locked into a deal or no deal scenario, but give Parliament the ability to say to the Prime Minister, “Go back and push harder.”

George Freeman calls on Government to back proposals similar to the Heathrow hub proposal for airport expansion around the country

5th June 2018

George Freeman congratulates the Government on making a decision on Heathrow airport but regrets the rejection of the Heathrow hub proposal and calls on the Government to encourage such a proposal for other airports around the country.

George Freeman welcomes Government backing of Breathing Space campaign to support those caught in the cycle of mental health and debt

24th April 2018

George Freeman welcomes the Government’s support Financial Guidance and Claims amendments backing the Breathing Space campaign which extends the six week debt respite scheme or “breathing space” to those in serious debt who are in hospital or under the care of a community crisis team.

All Party Group for Inclusive Growth Conference OECD in London

7th April 2018

Globalisation and the pace of Technology is fuelling a disconnected capitalism of extreme wealth disparities which has caught Conservative policy makers across the West napping: we need new thinking.  Fast.

Why we need a bolder #BeyondBrexit Conservative economic vision

19th March 2018

Here is a chart that should strike fear into any British policymaker. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has a graph showing the future direction of health and other cost pressures on the public finances. It is shaped like a Nike tick: from the current level, it rises inexorably upwards.  Welcome to the structural deficit: when the rate of rising demand pressure on spending  from an ageing society reliant on the welfare state exceeds the rate of growth in the economy.

George Freeman welcomes the PM’s speech on the UK/EU future economic partnership

5th March 2018

George Freeman welcomes the Prime Minister’s speech on the future of the UK/EU economic partnership and seeks reassurance that her proposal for associate membership of the European Medicines Agency means that the UK will be able to sell medicines into Europe and continue to lead in the pioneering technologies of tomorrow’s medicines.

Prime Minister’s Questions: Jobs, prosperity and growth

28th February 2018

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, George Freeman highlights the importance of putting jobs, prosperity and growth before ideology.

Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review

21st February 2018

I welcome today the announcement by the Prime Minister, and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, that there will be a Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review – focussing on the pregnancy test drug Primodos, the use of vaginal mesh and the anti-epilepsy drug Sodium Valproate.

George Freeman urges Government to act on brain cancer research taskforce report

6th February 2018

George Freeman pays tribute to the work and courage of Baroness Jowell on her battle with brain cancer and calls on the Government to act on last week’s report from the brain cancer research taskforce.

George Freeman leads debate on protecting town and village neighbourhood plans

30th January 2018

George Freeman leads a Parliamentary debate calling on the Government to better protect town and village neighbourhood plans from aggressive national large scale developers.

Big Tent Ideas Festival

Politics is undergoing a tectonic shift. That’s why I launched the Big Tent Ideas Festival, aiming to tackle the most difficult policy challenges we face. The Festival has now run for two years. This year we hosted our first-ever Leaders’ Summit and brought nearly 2,000 people together for the main Festival across fifty events and eight different tents, discussing ideas to reform our politics, our economy and our society.

The Big Tent Ideas Festival is part of the Capital Ideas Foundation, founded by a group of entrepreneurs to campaign for renewal in the radical centre-ground. Over the next year, we will be setting off round the country as the forum for the best new ideas in public policy. Click below and join us.

Read more:

Big Tent Ideas website

THE CASE FOR EFTA

We are in the middle of a Brexit civil war. What is clear is that the existing options will not unite our country.

Chequers has been dismissed by Brussels and is roundly rejected by the ERG. The Canada option was also not designed for the circumstances we currently face. We are a European nation already heavily reliant on the single market - wanting ideally to retain access to the single market without being in the 'political' union.

That’s why I believe ongoing membership of the European Free Trade Association is now the obvious route. It would give us off-the-shelf access to the single market, allow us to take back control of our fishing and farming industries, control free movement and let us negotiate our own trade deals.

Unless we stand up and fight for a sensible moderate Brexit, we risk enduring a #HardBrexit. There is an alternative that we can embrace now. It is time to embrace EFTA.

Publications

Progress for Oxford-Cambridge Arc as government announces preferred East West Rail central section

Announcing the preferred route, route E, for the Bedford to Cambridge section of the East West Rail line.
30 January 2020

Funding for on-street chargepoints doubled to help charge up electric vehicle revolution

Residential street chargepoint funding doubled and plans increasing access to real-time information released.
21 January 2020

Electric taxis to go wireless thanks to new charging tech trial

Wireless charging for electric taxis to start in Nottingham.
17 January 2020

First of a Kind 2020 launches to find this century’s Brunel

Department for Transport and Innovate UK launch competition to drive innovation on the railways.
13 January 2020

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