Centre for Policy Studies
A ten-month programme introducing mid-career professionals from business and the City to the intellectual arguments for free markets, and to how Westminster actually works.
If you work in the private sector and find yourself increasingly frustrated by the gap between Westminster and the real economy, the Fellowship was built for you. Over ten months, you meet the politicians, thinkers and journalists shaping the debate and start to understand how to engage with it.
If you work in the private sector and find yourself increasingly frustrated by the gap between Westminster and the real economy, the Fellowship was built for you.
There is no formal age limit, but most successful applicants have been between 25 and 40 with at least five years of full-time work experience. After the programme, you are invited to join the Thatcher Fellowship Alumni programme, which brings past cohorts together for events and policy discussions alongside the new intake.
To apply, send a CV and a short cover letter explaining why you want to join the Fellowship and what you hope to get from it. Applications close on Sunday 31 May 2026.
We are looking for intellectual curiosity, a commitment to free market ideas, and a genuine frustration with the gap between Westminster and the private sector. Sessions are held under Chatham House rules.
[email protected]Attend a CPS-hosted dinner each month with economists, politicians, journalists and policymakers at the forefront of the debate.
Receive a monthly reading list compiled by CPS Research Director Karl Williams, designed to provoke debate and sharpen your thinking.
Spend a dedicated day in June/July with your cohort for discussion and ideas away from London.
Join the CPS team at the Conservative Party Conference and get introduced to the world of Westminster politics firsthand.
Get training in media engagement and political copywriting, plus the opportunity to write for a range of media publications.
Join social events with the CPS Board, team and previous cohorts, plus a Fellowship WhatsApp group with CPS leadership.
"The CPS Thatcher Fellowship is an unparalleled opportunity to learn from, and debate with, some of today's sharpest and most notable political thinkers and influencers. Spanning everything from the mainstream media to the art of polling, and from developing policy to the work of ministers, it provides incredible insight into the political sphere. I would highly recommend it to anyone with a genuine passion for free market politics."
Maria Higson
Fellow, 2024/25
"Not a Fellowship meeting or dinner went by where I wasn't intellectually stimulated, challenged, and on occasion humbled, by the sheer brilliance of the other fellows. Free flowing debate on an array of topics with senior Conservative politicians, historians, journalists, CPS leadership, and captains of industry gave us incredible insight into how Westminster works, or, all too often, doesn't."
Tim Dier
Fellow, 2024/25
Each month you receive a reading list spanning history, political economy and contemporary commentary. A sample from previous programmes:
You work in the private sector, you believe in free markets, and you want to understand why Westminster works the way it does and how to change it. Apply for the 2026/27 cohort.
fellowship@cps.org.uk → Applications close 31 May 2026