Graham Mather
Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs who wants 'to get government out of providing schools and hospitals, cut taxes and give vouchers to the poor.'[1] His resignation in 1992 came after in-fighting with Ralph Harris and Arthur Seldon following Thatcher's removal. After claims it covertly acted as a political organisation the Charity Commissioners investigated the IEA's status.
At the Institute of Directors his interests were 'the advance of markets into government itself',[2] seeing himself as part of a 'priesthood of believers in the market' pushing a libertarian right ideology against the 'threat...from socialism'[3] The IPPR's Patricia Hewitt got together with Mather:
- 'There is even, between the rival think tanks, agreement on the part of the new agenda... That has reached the point where the IEA and IPPR are planning a joint seminar...'
It is not Mr Mather said, 'a consensus on solutions. But there is a consensus on objectives.' Patricia Hewitt said: 'We may even be able to agree on some of the methods.' Their conference was on empowerment, '...an attempt to simulate the power of the market mechanism within the public sector...' [4]