Ryan Shorthouse is a British writer, thinker and entrepreneur. He is the founder and Executive Chair of
Bright Blue, an independent think tank for promoting
Liberal Conservatism.
Life and career
Ryan Shorthouse was chief executive of Bright Blue from 2014 to 2023 and is now executive chair.[1] He was previously a Research Fellow for the
Social Market Foundation and a part of the team that won Prospect magazine's Think Tank of the Year in 2012.[2][3] Before 2010, he was a researcher for the
Rt Hon David Willetts MP during his tenure as Shadow Education Secretary, where he authored the Conservative Party's Childhood Review.
He is also a writer and political commentator, appearing regularly on television, radio, and in print.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Shorthouse has written widely on social mobility,[10] education,[11] Childcare,[12] universities,[13] immigration,[14] housing,[15] economics,[16] welfare,[17] and political philosophy.[18]
Under Shorthouse's leadership, Bright Blue has grown significantly in size and impact. Bright Blue has raised over £5 million for its work, employed around 60 people and seen the adoption of over 50 original Bright Blue policies by the UK Government.[19] Broadly, under David Cameron, Bright Blue's work helped improve education policy, especially on childcare and universities. Under Theresa May, it secured significant changes to environmental policy, including being the first centre-right organisation to call for the UK to adopt a legal net zero emissions target. Under Boris Johnson, Bright Blue helped change the post-Brexit immigration system for workers and students.[20] Under Rishi Sunak, many of Bright Blue's ideas on reforming childcare support were adopted.[21]
Shorthouse is a trustee of Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education, and a senior visiting fellow of
King's College London. He is also a commissioner of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. He is also a mentor of the Social Mobility Foundation and governor of a state secondary school in East London.
In November 2022, Shorthouse announced that he would stand down as director and step up to chair the think tank[22] Bright Blue is appointing a new CEO in 2023.[23]
Ryan Shorthouse is a British writer, thinker and entrepreneur. He is the founder and Executive Chair of
Bright Blue, an independent think tank for promoting
Liberal Conservatism.
Life and career
Ryan Shorthouse was chief executive of Bright Blue from 2014 to 2023 and is now executive chair.[1] He was previously a Research Fellow for the
Social Market Foundation and a part of the team that won Prospect magazine's Think Tank of the Year in 2012.[2][3] Before 2010, he was a researcher for the
Rt Hon David Willetts MP during his tenure as Shadow Education Secretary, where he authored the Conservative Party's Childhood Review.
He is also a writer and political commentator, appearing regularly on television, radio, and in print.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Shorthouse has written widely on social mobility,[10] education,[11] Childcare,[12] universities,[13] immigration,[14] housing,[15] economics,[16] welfare,[17] and political philosophy.[18]
Under Shorthouse's leadership, Bright Blue has grown significantly in size and impact. Bright Blue has raised over £5 million for its work, employed around 60 people and seen the adoption of over 50 original Bright Blue policies by the UK Government.[19] Broadly, under David Cameron, Bright Blue's work helped improve education policy, especially on childcare and universities. Under Theresa May, it secured significant changes to environmental policy, including being the first centre-right organisation to call for the UK to adopt a legal net zero emissions target. Under Boris Johnson, Bright Blue helped change the post-Brexit immigration system for workers and students.[20] Under Rishi Sunak, many of Bright Blue's ideas on reforming childcare support were adopted.[21]
Shorthouse is a trustee of Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education, and a senior visiting fellow of
King's College London. He is also a commissioner of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. He is also a mentor of the Social Mobility Foundation and governor of a state secondary school in East London.
In November 2022, Shorthouse announced that he would stand down as director and step up to chair the think tank[22] Bright Blue is appointing a new CEO in 2023.[23]