Under fresh financial proposals, the Opposition aims to eliminate standard eco-friendly building codes, such as the future homes standard, to streamline construction across the country. Conservative strategists calculate that removing these environmental restrictions could reduce individual residential development expenses by an estimated £50,000, passing those financial advantages directly to home buyers. Additionally, traditional planning obligations—specifically section 106 agreements along with the Community Infrastructure Levy—would be replaced by a streamlined developer payment mechanism. The party contends that consolidating these infrastructure payments will resolve construction bottlenecks while ensuring local communities benefit more effectively from development revenues.
To further slash red tape, the party intends to dismantle both Natural England and the Environment Agency, reassigning their regulatory duties regarding housing and flood management directly to Defra. Conservative leadership also plans to eliminate the Extended Packaging Responsibility (EPR) framework, which currently forces manufacturers to fund the collection and disposal of their waste packaging. Ditching this financial mandate is intended to relieve commercial pressure on enterprises, ultimately driving down everyday supermarket prices for consumers. These sweeping structural changes form part of a broader push to tackle rising living costs across the United Kingdom.
These measures form the centerpiece of what shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith will frame as the “most ambitious deregulation project in a generation” during the second day of the Conservative gathering in Birmingham. The presentation follows the release of a 100-page policy document by party leader Kemi Badenoch, outlining the Conservatives’ foundational tenets as they seek to rebuild credibility after their historic 2024 general election defeat. Addressing delegates, Griffith will assert that “No-one else is coming to save our economy. Only we can inject reality, tell the hard truths and make this a country we are proud to hand on to the next generation.” Shadow cabinet figures will deliver a series of addresses throughout Monday to expand upon these economic recovery plans.
Targeting the current administration, Griffith will criticize Prime Minister Andy Burnham for pursuing a “socialist fever dream of the 1970s”, while pledging that the Opposition stands for “cheaper homes, lower taxes, and less red tape”. On infrastructure, Griffith will declare the Conservatives’ commitment to do “whatever it takes to end the delays and boost capacity by backing the third runway” at Heathrow Airport—a project originally halted under the Conservative-led coalition in 2010 and later endorsed by former Chancellor Rachel Reeves, though Burnham has dismissed it as “principally… a matter for London and Londoners”. Meanwhile, Chancellor John Healey maintained that upcoming government spending decisions in the 28 October Budget will be “built on the rock of fiscal discipline” to “give families and businesses a bit of breathing space”.
Opposing political parties quickly condemned the platform, with Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper claiming the Conservatives have “cemented their position as a pointless anti-growth anti-business party” through their rejection of closer European ties. Cooper argued that “No-one can take anything the Conservatives say on the economy seriously given their litany of fantasy-land financial pledges.” Echoing these attacks, Reform UK economy spokesman Robert Jenrick accused the Conservatives of “once again copying our policies”. Jenrick highlighted that the Tories remain unable to match Reform’s own proposal to expand the tax-free personal allowance up to £15,000.
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