Andrew Griffith will use the second day of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham to lay out a sweeping plan to cut taxes, slash red tape and lower the cost of building new homes. The shadow chancellor says his approach will be the “most ambitious deregulation project in a generation” and promises cheaper homes, lower taxes and less bureaucracy.
Griffith’s Deregulation Vision
Griffith is expected to tell delegates that no other party can rescue the UK economy, insisting that only the Conservatives can inject reality and tell the hard truths. He will accuse Prime Minister Andy Burnham of chasing a “socialist fever dream of the 1970s”. The speech follows the release of a 100‑page document by party leader Kemi Badenoch that outlines her guiding principles for a future Conservative government.
Tax Cuts, Housing Costs and Developer Levies
Among the proposals, Griffith will pledge to reduce food costs and cut the expense of delivering a new home by up to £50,000. To achieve this, the party intends to scrap the Future Homes Standard and other environmental and energy efficiency regulations. A single levy for developers would replace both section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy, which the Conservatives argue will remove delays and improve how community funds are spent.
Environmental Agency Reforms and Heathrow Expansion
The Conservatives also want to abolish Natural England and the Environment Agency, transferring their functions to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Griffith will back a third runway at Heathrow, saying the next Conservative government will do “whatever it takes to end the delays and boost capacity”. He noted that plans for expansion were scrapped by the Tory‑led coalition in 2010, while former Chancellor Rachel Reeves had previously championed the project.
Political Reactions and Criticism
Reform UK has accused the Tories of copying its policies, with economy spokesman Robert Jenrick claiming the Conservatives cannot match Reform’s pledge to raise the tax‑free personal allowance to £15,000. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper labelled the party a “pointless anti‑growth anti‑business party” for rejecting closer ties with Europe, saying no one can take their economic claims seriously given a “litany of fantasy‑land financial pledges”.
Why it Matters
Griffith’s speech signals a clear shift toward deregulation as the Conservatives seek to rebuild trust after their 2024 election defeat. If implemented, the proposed changes could reshape housing affordability, business costs and infrastructure development across the UK, while also intensifying the debate over the country’s environmental priorities and its post‑Brexit economic direction. Voters will now have a concrete platform to weigh against Labour’s fiscal stance as the next general election approaches.
