Bright Blue (organisation)

Bright Blue is an independent centre-right think tank and pressure group with a mission statement of defending and improving liberal society, based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2014 by British thinker Ryan Shorthouse, Bright Blue aims to "defend and champion liberal, open, democratic and meritocratic values, institutions and policies." Bright Blue is a membership-based think tank, with membership open to anyone who identifies as a liberal conservative. It publishes political research, recommends and vets public policy, and hosts political events.

The Daily Telegraph has described the organisation as "the modernising wing of the Tory party" and the ConservativeHome website has described it as "a deep intellectual gene pool for the Conservative Party's future." In 2018, the Evening Standard noted that Bright Blue "has managed to set the party’s agenda on a number of issues." In 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, it was shortlisted for both UK Social Policy Think Tank of The Year and UK Environment & Energy Think Tank of The Year in the annual Prospect awards. It was the first centre-right organisation to call for the UK to adopt a legal net zero emissions target.

The think tank describes its guiding ideas as: optimism about human potential; evidence not ideology; pro-market not free-market; social justice; rewarding contribution; individual success and communal responsibility; open and integrated societies; the importance of institutions; positivity about politics; and citizen power.

Bright Blue hosts its own online newspaper, Centre Write, which focuses on giving a platform to up-and-coming political commentators.

Research
Bright Blue covers four main research themes in its work, including tax and employment, energy and environment, social policy, and education. Since its establishment, the think tank published over 100 reports.

Some of the most recent Bright Blue publications include an essay collection on helping people on lower incomes to acquire assets, A wealth of opportunities; a detailed report on the state and advantages of democratic business in the UK, Mind your business?, and a report examining the adequacy, accessibility and fairness of the UK’s social security system, Building up. The latter received extensive media coverage, especially in light of its call for the introduction of a state minimum income.

Partnership
The think tank has worked extensively with multiple various intellectuals and members of parliament, including Matthew d'Ancona, Francis Maude, Sajid Javid, Tom Tugendhat, Robert Buckland, David Willetts, Liam Fox, Andrew Mitchell, Zac Goldsmith, Laura Sandys, Nick Hurd, George Freeman, Isabel Hardman, Matthew Parris, or Ian Birrell. Michael Gove has described Bright Blue as "the source of radical and exciting ideas that have shaped Government" and Lucy Frazer has called Bright Blue's work "pioneering."

Many of Bright Blue's projects also involve collaboration with partner organisations, such as other think tanks, pressure groups and universities. For instance, it has worked with the left-wing think tank Fabian Society to call for and design a new pensions commission for the UK, and it has hosted events with organisations such as UK Finance and Virgin Money.

Influence
Bright Blue has seen over 70 of its policies adopted by the UK Government. Over 200 members of parliament declare themselves to be supporters of Bright Blue. Of those, over 20 are members of the Bright Blue Community – a group of people that "work closely with Bright Blue to shape and promote liberal conservative policies."

The think tank has had significant influence on a number of Conservative Governments, including those of David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Rishi Sunak.

In 2019, the think tank successfully campaigned for the introduction of a low-carbon obligation on gas suppliers. Other recent Bright Blue policy suggestions embraced by the UK Government include making the breach of a Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO) a criminal offence; extending Tier 5 Youth Mobility visas to more countries; increasing the period of time international students can stay in the UK on a Tier 4 visa after their course has completed; the ONS asking a voluntary question about gender identity in the Census; post-Brexit rural payment reform to replace the EU Common Agricultural Policy; cutting Stamp Duty for nearly all first-time buyers; a new flexible lifelong loan entitlement to four years of post-18 education; ending the support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas; banning bottom trawling in marine protected areas; including international aviation and shipping in new carbon budgets; extending the Youth Mobility Visa scheme to India; ensuring all new UK bilateral aid is spent in a way that does no harm to nature; accelerating the phase-out of coal in the UK; discretionary suspensions of the Minimum Income Floor for Universal Credit claimants; making the central government vehicle fleet zero emission; making the right to request flexible working a right from day one; extending student loan repayment period to 40 years; maintaining the telemedicine abortion service; removing the ability of local authorities to charge for the disposal of DIY waste from households at waste disposal sites; appointing Ofgem as the new regulator for heat networks; and increasing the salary threshold for the repayment of student loans. Most recent examples include also loosening planning restrictions on new onshore wind farms, full expensing on capital investment for UK firms, introduction of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), free childcare entitlement for children under the age of three, increasing the Universal Credit childcare cap, and paying parents on Universal Credit childcare support up-front.

Media
Bright Blue events are routinely covered by UK media, such as The Independent, City A.M., or the BBC. The same is true of Bright Blue research. Bright Blue also often provides political commentary for UK printed and broadcast media.

Organisation
The board of directors is made up of Ryan Shorthouse (executive chair), Alexandra Jezeph, Diane Banks, Phil Clarke and Richard Mabey. It currently has fourteen associate fellows, as well as over 200 parliamentary supporters and an independent advisory council of figures from different political and professional backgrounds, including multiple Conservative parliamentarians such as such as Michael Gove, Nicky Morgan, Damian Green, and Penny Mordaunt.

In November 2022, Ryan Shorthouse announced that he would stand down as Director of Bright Blue and step up to chair the organisation, criticizing the Conservative government for having "failed millennials" and citing disagreements over housebuilding policies and soaring childcare costs. Bright Blue is appointing a new Executive Director in 2024.

Funding
Bright Blue is a not-for-profit company that is funded by a range of organisations. It acknowledges its sponsoring partners in all reports and advertising materials, as well as on its website. The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Lloyds Bank Foundation, and Oak Foundation are some such organisations. In November 2022, the funding transparency website Who Funds You? gave Bright Blue a C grade (rating goes from A to E).

Centre Write
Centre Write is a British online newspaper published and edited by the think tank Bright Blue. It publishes a spectrum of centre-left, centrist, and right of centre authors. Its focus is on providing a platform for up-and-coming writers to write political opinion pieces.

In the past, its printed magazine has featured contributors such as Tim Yeo, Ben Goldsmith, Suella Braverman, Priti Patel, Frances O'Grady, Chris Grayling, John Hayes, Madeleine Sumption, Paul Blomfield, Vernon Bogdanor, John Curtice, Philippe Legrain, David Blanchflower, Matt Hancock, Vicky Ford, Alan Mak, Nigel Huddleston, Steve Hilton, Paul Goodman, Ed Vaizey, Flick Drummond, Angus Maude, Justine Greening, Nicky Morgan, Douglas Carswell, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Michael Heseltine, Damian Collins, Tracey Crouch, Sam Gyimah, Tim Loughton, Roger Scruton, Nick Gibb, Kwasi Kwarteng, Dehenna Davison, Neil O'Brien, Ben Houchen, Michael Kenny, Rory Stewart, Jesse Norman, Peter Hitchens, Victoria Atkins, Susan Hall, Alicia Kearns, Matt Warman, Tobias Ellwood, Grant Shapps, and Ed Davey, amongst others. In 2024, however, Centre Write stopped releasing a printed magazine in order to focus on its online publication.