Social Market Foundation

The Social Market Foundation (SMF) is a British public policy think-tank based in Westminster, London. It was set up by supporters of David Owen after the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was disbanded in the late 1980s. It aims to promote and produce policies supporting the “social market”. This was the concept of the SMF’s first publication, published in 1989, in which former chair, Robert (now Lord) Skidelsky, argued that:

History

Founded in 1989, the SMF was cited as ‘John Major’s favourite thinktank’ [Shrimsley, R (1995), 'Defector from SDP to head Tory research', "Financial Times", August 24, p. 7] and two former directors (Rick Nye and Daniel Finkelstein) left to work for the Conservative Party. The organisation courted controversy in 2000 when it played host to then Conservative Party leader William Hague who delivered a speech criticising Labour's asylum policy in terms that critics deemed racist. [ [http://www.irr.org.uk/2000/june/ak000002.html IRR: Asylum, popular racism and the local elections ] ] Hague's speech called for a tougher approach to asylum seekers including their detention in camps pending a determination of their status [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/2000/04/18/nhag18.html Hague in call to detain illegal migrants ] ]

In 2001, Lord (Robert) Skidelsky was replaced as chair by Lord (David) Lipsey. Since that time, the SMF has moved closer to the Labour Party and was associated with some of the policies of Tony Blair's New Labour, particularly issues of public service reform. This recent association is illustrated by two former directors leaving to work for senior Labour Party politicians.fact|date=May 2008

The SMF has staged some well known speeches, notably Robin Cook’s ‘Chicken Tikka Masala’ [ Cook, R (2001), [http://www.guardian.co.uk/racism/Story/0,2763,477023,00.html Robin Cook's chicken tikka masala speech] , Guardian Unlimited, 19 April, accessed 16 September 2006 ] speech where he famously claimed that chicken tikka masala was the national dish of modern Britain and William Hague's controversial asylum seeker speech. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/2000/04/18/nhag18.html Hague in call to detain illegal migrants ] ] The current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, spoke at the SMF while Chancellor on the role of the market and the need for further public sector reform. [ Brown, G (2003) 'A Modern Agenda for Prosperity and Social Reform', Speech to the Social Market Foundation, 3 February]

Policy goals

The SMF’s remit is to focus on domestic public policy, particularly the public services and welfare. The majority of publications are therefore focussed on issues concerning education, healthcare and employment. However it also produces publications on wide-ranging subjects such as road-pricing, casinos and energy policy. The SMF website lists its current research areas as follows:

*The impact of globalisation and the insecure society;
*Government effectiveness and UK competitiveness;
*A decade of reform: public services and the social market;
*Market incentives and human behaviour; and
*Capability, poverty and culture. [cite web|url=http://www.smf.co.uk/research.html|title=Research|publisher=Social Market Foundation|accessdate=2008-05-13]

SMF Governing Board (at June 2008)

*Chair: Lord (David) Lipsey
*Viscount (Tom) Chandos
*Gavyn Davies
*David Edmonds
*Daniel Franklin
*Martin Ivens
*Graham Mather
*Brian Pomeroy

Policy Advisory Board (June 2008)

*Lord (Victor) Adebowale
*Wendy Alexander MSP
*Professor Nicholas Barr
*Philip Collins
*Simon Crine
*Don Cruickshank
*Lord (Ralph) Dahrendorf
*Ed Davey MP
*Evan Davis
*Daniel Finkelstein
*Professor Anthony Giddens
*Liam Halligan
*Lord (Chris) Haskins
*Deirdre Hutton
*Peter Lampl
*Dr Oliver Letwin MP
*George Osborne MP
*Lord (Bhikhu) Parekh
*Trevor Phillips OBE
*Lord (Raymond) Plant
*Sir Stephen Sherbourne
*Sue Slipman
*Lord (Dennis) Stevenson
*Lord Turnbull
*Lord Turner
*Stephen Twigg
*David Willetts MP

Current staff (June 2008)

*Ann Rossiter - Director
*Natalie Tarry - Deputy Director and Director of Research

*Sally Dobson - Director of Communications
*Beth Foley - Events / Researcher
*David Furness - Health Project Leader
*Dr Simon Griffiths - Senior Research Fellow
*Barney Gough - Researcher
*Will Hoyles - Events Officer
*Rena Menne - Researcher
*Lyndsey Mountford - Head of Health
*Ian Mulheirn - Chief Economist
*Claire Newman - Business Manager
*Jessica Prendergrast - Senior Researcher
*Tom Richmond - Researcher
*Kirstine Roberts - Director of Events and Conferences
*Robert Sharp - Communications Officer
*Laura Tomlinson - Events Assistant

References

ee also

List of UK think tanks

External links

* [http://www.smf.co.uk Official website]
* [http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=599&speeches=1 The text of Conservative Party Leader William Hague's 2001 address to the SMF]
* [http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?chyno=1000971 The Social Market Foundation] , Charity Commission, charity number 1000971