Tom Bentley

Tom Bentley is an author and policy analyst based in Australia. Bentley was born and educated in the United Kingdom where he gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford.

Bentley is currently Executive Director for Policy and Cabinet for the Premier of Victoria, Australia, [cite news |title=Former Blair 'policy wonk' to advise Bracks |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/former-blair-policy-wonk-to-advise-bracks/2006/07/12/1152637740569.html |work=The Age |date=2006-07-13 |accessdate=2008-08-31 ] advisor to Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard [cite news |title=Geoff Mulgan hiring points to 'Blair-lite' policy approach |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24253226-5013871,00.html |work=The Australian |date=2008-08-28 |accessdate=2008-08-31 ] and part-time director of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. [cite news |title=Innovation drives growth |url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20803189-27197,00.html |work=The Courier-Mail |date=2006-11-23 |accessdate=2008-08-31 ] Between 1998 and 2006 he was director of DEMOS [cite book |title=Modern Political Science |last=Adcock |first=Robert |coauthors=Bevir, Mark; Stimson, Shannon C. |year=2007 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=9780691128740 |pages=p. 292 |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Jdi5zH_PovAC&pg=PA292&dq=demos+%22Tom+Bentley%22+-inauthor:bentley&lr=&num=100&as_brr=0&sig=ACfU3U2bxijcAsNthRiSv0Nc8zpmzNhMFQ |accessdate=2008-08-31] - described by The Economist as ‘Britain's most influential think tank'. Prior to his role at Demos he was a special adviser to David Blunkett MP, then Secretary of State for Education and Employment, [cite news |title=Time to stop 'teaching the test' |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2002/feb/10/uk.comment |work=The Observer |date=2002-02-10 |accessdate=2008-08-31 ] where he worked on issues including school curriculum reform, social inclusion, creativity, citizenship, adult skills and area-based regeneration. He has been a Trustee and Chair of the Learning Programme for the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) [cite web |url=http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/TOMBENTLEY.pdf |title=NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS |work=NESTA |accessdate=2008-08-31 ] and a Trustee of the Community Action Network in London.

Bentley has been a regular contributor to The Guardian, The Observer, [cite news |title=The view from above |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2002/aug/04/thinktanks.religion |work=The Observer |date=2002-08-04 |accessdate=2008-08-31 ] the Financial Times and the New Statesman as well as regularly being interviewed for print and broadcast media.

Publications

* Learning beyond the classroom: education for a changing world, (Routledge, 1998)
* The Creative Age: knowledge and skills for a new economy (Demos, 1999),
* The Adaptive State: strategies for personalising the public realm (Demos 2003),
* Letting go: complexity, individualism and the left (Renewal, 2002),
* Everyday Democracy: why we get the politicians we deserve (Demos, 2005)

References