Griffith to Unveil Sweeping Tory Deregulation Agenda at Birmingham Conference

Conservative shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith will use the second day of his party's conference in Birmingham to set out an ambitious economic programme centred on tax cuts, reduced regulation and lower house-building costs, the party has announced.

Griffith is expected to frame his proposals as the "most ambitious deregulation project in a generation", arguing that only the Conservatives can restore dynamism to a UK economy that has struggled with weak growth and persistent cost-of-living pressures.

The speech follows the publication by party leader Kemi Badenoch of a 100-page document setting out her guiding principles and detailing how the Conservatives would govern if they returned to power at the next general election. The conference represents a critical moment for a party still recovering from its historic defeat in the 2024 general election, which ended fourteen years of Conservative-led government.

Central to Griffith's pitch is a promise to slash red tape across the economy. He is expected to tell delegates that no external saviour will rescue Britain's finances, and that only his party is prepared to confront difficult truths and deliver what he describes as cheaper homes, lower taxes and less bureaucracy.

In a pointed attack on the current administration, Griffith will accuse Prime Minister Andy Burnham of pursuing a "socialist fever dream of the 1970s" — a rhetorical broadside designed to draw a sharp ideological contrast between the two parties.

The Chancellor, John Healey, struck a different tone last week, insisting that all government commitments would be "built on the rock of fiscal discipline" and promising that the Budget on 28 October would give families and businesses "a bit of breathing space". The exchange sets up a clear dividing line on economic competence that will likely dominate political debate in the months ahead.

Housing is expected to be a major focus of the Conservative proposals. The party plans to scrap environmental and energy efficiency regulations, including the future homes standard, which it argues add unnecessary costs to new developments. According to Conservative estimates, these changes could reduce the cost of delivering a new home by as much as £50,000 — savings the party expects would eventually be passed on to buyers.

The Tories also intend to replace the existing system of section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy with a single flat levy on developers. Under the current framework, builders negotiate or pay contributions to fund local projects and services in areas where they build. The Conservatives contend that this arrangement causes delays and inefficiency, and that their replacement charge would speed up construction while ensuring money is spent more effectively for the benefit of residents.

In a further significant reform, Griffith will propose abolishing both Natural England and the Environment Agency, bodies the party has repeatedly criticised over their roles in blocking housing development and managing flood prevention respectively. Their functions would be transferred to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a move the Conservatives argue would streamline decision-making without sacrificing environmental protections.

The party is also targeting the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, which obliges companies to cover the costs of collecting, recycling and disposing of the packaging they produce. Scrapping the scheme, the Conservatives say, would remove a burden from businesses and could help bring down the cost of the weekly food shop — a claim that will resonate with households still feeling the squeeze from elevated grocery prices.

On infrastructure, Griffith is expected to commit a future Conservative government to doing "whatever it takes to end the delays and boost capacity" at Heathrow Airport by backing a third runway. The expansion was abandoned by the Conservative-led coalition in 2010, and the project has remained politically contentious ever since. Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves championed the runway as an economic growth measure after Labour took office, though Burnham has declined to endorse it since becoming prime minister, describing the matter as principally one for London and Londoners.

Supporting speeches from other Conservative shadow ministers on Monday will fill in further detail and reinforce the party's broader message as it seeks to rebuild public trust on the economy after its 2010–2024 record became a central line of attack for opponents.

The proposals have already drawn sharp criticism from rival parties. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper described the Conservatives as having "cemented their position as a pointless anti-growth anti-business party" by rejecting closer ties with Europe, adding that no one could take their economic pledges seriously given what she called a litany of fantasy-land financial commitments.

Reform UK economy spokesman Robert Jenrick accused the Conservatives of "once again copying our policies", and claimed the Tories were unable to match Reform's pledge to raise the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000.

With the next general election still some way off, Griffith's address is unlikely to settle the debate. But it marks an important step in the Conservatives' attempt to define a distinct economic identity and persuade voters that they deserve another chance at governing.