Chris Hayes

Chris's work mainly focuses on the energy transition, infrastructure, financialisation and macroeconomic stabilisation. He has previously worked at the OECD and the Institute for the Future of Work. Prior to turning to economic policy he worked as a commercial media analyst for Enders Analysis, and studied at the Stockholm School of Economics and the University of Oxford.

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UK
Energy
Briefing
2026-08-21
21.08.2026

A Right to the Sun: How a New Solar Bond Can Cut Bills and Build Energy Security

A new solar bond — a low-rate long-term loan from the National Wealth Fund to households — can deliver a rooftop revolution, cutting the cost of energy for millions.
UK
Energy
Utilities
Transport
Briefing
2026-03-04
04.03.2026

The Privatisation Premium and the Case for Public Provision

The privatisation premium — compulsory, elevated costs to consumers for essentials — worsens the affordability crisis. Public ownership is the best way to overcome the drivers of the privatisation premium: the higher cost of capital and coordination frictions generated by privatisation.
UK
Utilities
Energy
Transport
Health & Care
Housing & Land
Interactive
2025-09-16
16.09.2025

Who Owns Britain?

How has the radical experiment of privatisation transformed our society and reshaped our lives?
UK
Housing & Land
Report
2025-08-03
03.08.2025

Wrong to Sell: How Right To Buy Gave Away Billions in Public Wealth

Calculating the present market value of housing transferred through the Right To Buy discount.
UK
Energy
Fossil Fuels
Briefing
2025-04-27
27.04.2025

Nationalise Gas to Lower Bills: How a Public Strategic Reserve Can Lower Costs and Enhance Energy Security

As gas plants are phased out, they should be brought into public ownership.
UK
Energy
Fossil Fuels
Briefing
2025-01-10
10.01.2025

Public Coordination of a Just North Sea Transition

The winding down of fossil fuel production in the North Sea is inevitable and necessary. We need public control over these assets to ensure a timely and just transition.
UK
Housing & Land
Briefing
2024-11-29
29.11.2024

The Antisocial Contract

Reliance on speculative private developers and market coordination will neither deliver the scale of housebuilding needed to tackle the crisis, nor address its acute distributional dimension. Both objectives require a strengthened role for the public sector.
UK
Macroeconomics
Perspectives
Essay
2024-11-01
01.11.2024

The Chancellor's New Handcuffs?

On public investment as portfolio management.
UK
Politics
Perspectives
Essay
2024-09-25
25.09.2024

A Fine Balance

On Labour’s fiscal and accounting rules.
UK
Energy
Briefing
2024-08-05
05.08.2024

Purchasing Power: A Public Option Retail Arm for Great British Energy

To deliver on the promise of lower energy bills, Great British Energy should include a retail arm that sells energy directly to people’s homes.
UK
Corporate Power
Briefing
2024-05-16
16.05.2024

A Firm Partnership

This briefing note introduces Common Wealth’s upcoming programme of corporate governance reform, launching this summer with a mix of research, policy development and advocacy.
UK
Energy
Briefing
2024-02-15
15.02.2024

The Case for Ambitious Public Ownership of Renewable Generation: Ten Common Questions and Common Wealth’s Answers

How public ownership of new renewable capacity can accelerate the energy transition.
UK
Energy
Report
2024-02-12
12.02.2024

The Greatest Generation: How Public Power Can Deliver Net Zero Faster, Fairer and Cheaper

A new public green energy generating company should be the vehicle for the just transformation of the UK’s electricity system.
UK
Macroeconomics
Report
2023-12-07
07.12.2023

Inflation, Profits and Market Power: Towards a New Research and Policy Agenda

Corporate profits in sectors beyond just oil and gas played a role in amplifying and prolonging the recent inflationary episode — squeezing workers, consumers and other firms further down the supply chain. A broader and more targeted toolkit is needed to contain future shocks.
UK
Energy
Perspectives
Essay
2023-09-08
08.09.2023

Green Capital Strike!

On the failed CfD auction and the case for public power.
UK
Finance & Pensions
Perspectives
Essay
2023-05-15
15.05.2023

Will Pensioners Suffer If We Restrain Corporate Excess?

On our pensions and their entanglement with shareholder payouts.
UK
Fossil Fuels
Briefing
2023-05-02
02.05.2023

Q1 Results: BP Hands Ten Times as Much to Shareholders as They Spend on “Low Carbon” Investment

UK
Energy
Report
2023-03-07
07.03.2023

A Wholesale Transformation: Evaluating Proposals for Electricity Market Reform

The wholesale market is not fit for purpose. We assess the alternatives.
UK
Fossil Fuels
Briefing
2023-02-02
02.02.2023

Shell's Q4 Results: Big Oil Won't Deliver the Green Transition

UK
Energy
Briefing
2023-01-16
16.01.2023

National Grid: Ownership and Key Financial Indicators

UK
Energy
Briefing
2023-01-06
06.01.2023

Chart of the Week: Energy Network Costs Paid by the Public Have Risen Sharply

The charges on energy bills for energy transmission and distribution have risen significantly since 2018.
UK
Transport
Briefing
2022-12-19
19.12.2022

Chart of the Week: UK Rail Prices now 5x Those in France

UK
Corporate Power
Report
2022-10-27
27.10.2022

Buy Back Better: The Case for Raising Taxes on Dividends and Buybacks

UK
Corporate Power
Briefing
2022-10-11
11.10.2022

The Big Buyback

This briefing is published in collaboration with IPPR as part of our programme of work exploring profits and corporate power post-pandemic.
UK
Finance & Pensions
Report
2022-06-21
21.06.2022

Asset Manager Capitalism: Where Next?

UK
Macroeconomics
Report
2022-06-20
20.06.2022

Prices and Profits after the Pandemic

How rising profits could be stoking inflation.
UK
Corporate Power
Work
Briefing
2022-05-02
02.05.2022

The Great Divide: Examining Labour Compensation and Dividend Growth

UK
Finance & Pensions
Report
2022-04-08
08.04.2022

The Passive Revolution

The explosion of passively-managed investments over the past two decades – and in particular in the wake of the 2008 Financial Crisis – marks a major shift in two defining forces in the global economy: corporate governance and control over investment allocation.
UK
Finance & Pensions
Report
2021-12-17
17.12.2021

Passive Attack: Charting the Rise of Passive Index Trackers

CDW
Work
2024-05-01
01.05.2024

Centre for Democratising Work Dashboard

What is work in Britain like? Explore working time, the power of labour, and the quality of work with the CDW's interactive data dashboard.
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