Social Market Foundation

The SMF is a Blairite pro-market think tank. According to its website: "The SMF was established in 1989 to provide a source of innovative economic and social policy ideas. Steering an independent course between political parties and conflicting ideologies, the SMF has been an influential voice in recent health, education, welfare and pensions policy reform. Our current work reflects a commitment to understanding how individuals, society and the state can work together to achieve the common goal of creating a just and free society."

The Social Market Foundation organised a wide range of fringe talks at the 2004 Labour Party conference. Many of the discussions were sponsored by companies that have a direct business interest in the topic under discussion. Nearly all of the discussion panels feature a Labour minister. For example, the Mobile Operators Association(MOA) is sponsoring a discussion with the title "Listening to the public: does community consultation improve the planning process?", with environment minister Alun Michael MP on the panel. The MOA has been lobbying for some time to prevent stricter planning regulations on mobile phone masts. The MOA sponsored a similar talk at the 2003 conference.

Personnel (2005)

• Ann Rossiter - Director
• Nina Temple - Head of Development and Communications(Former leader of the communist Party of Great Britain/Democratic Left)
• Valerie Johnson - Events Manager
• Jacqueline Cassidy - Head of External Affairs
• Emma Carr - Events and Communications Officer
• Niall Maclean - Research Fellow
• Vidhya Alakeson - Research Fellow
• Jessica Asato - Researcher
• Claudia Wood - Researcher
• Moussa Haddad - Researcher
• Ben Llewelyn - Business Manager

(2004)

• Chairman: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lord_Lipsey&action=edit" class="new" title="Lord Lipsey">Lord Lipsey</a>
• Director: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Philip_Collins&action=edit" class="new" title="Philip Collins">Philip Collins</a>
• Deputy Director: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beth_Breeze" title="Beth Breeze">Beth Breeze</a> (formerly Egan)
• Director of Research: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ann_Rossiter&action=edit" class="new" title="Ann Rossiter">Ann Rossiter</a>
• Research Fellow: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Roger_Wicks&action=edit" class="new" title="Roger Wicks">Roger Wicks</a>
• Researchers: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jessica_Asato&action=edit" class="new" title="Jessica Asato">Jessica Asato</a>
• Director of Communications: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sarah_Schaefer&action=edit" class="new" title="Sarah Schaefer">Sarah Schaefer</a>
• Events Manager: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Valerie_Johnson&action=edit" class="new" title="Valerie Johnson">Valerie Johnson</a>
• Conference Events Manager: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jaqueline_Cassidy&action=edit" class="new" title="Jaqueline Cassidy">Jaqueline Cassidy</a>
• Finance & Administration: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ben_Llewelyn&action=edit" class="new" title="Ben Llewelyn">Ben Llewelyn</a>

<a name="Directors"></a>

Board members (2005)

Viscount (Tom) Chandos

Gavyn Davies
David Edmonds
John McFadden
Brian Pomeroy

<a name="Patrons"></a>

Patrons

• <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lord_Flowers&action=edit" class="new" title="Lord Flowers">Lord Flowers</a>
• Rt Hon <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lord_Owen" title="Lord Owen">Lord Owen</a> CH
• <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lord_Sainsbury_of_Turville&action=edit" class="new" title="Lord Sainsbury of Turville">Lord Sainsbury of Turville</a>
• Professor <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lord_Skidelsky" title="Lord Skidelsky">Lord Skidelsky</a>

<a name="Policy_Advisory_Board"></a>

Policy Advisory Board (2005)

Lord (Victor) Adebowale
Wendy Alexander MSP
Tim Allan, Ex Blair advisor and spin doctor for BSkyB
Matthew d’Ancona, Sunday Telegraph Deputy Editor
Simon Crine
Don Cruickshank
Lord (Ralf) Dahrendorf, SDP founder
Ed Davey MP
Evan Davis, BBC Economics Correspondent
Daniel Finkelstein, Ex Tory AdvisorProfessor Tony Giddens 
Liam Halligan 
Lord (Chris) Haskins 
Deirdre Hutton
Peter Lampi
George Osborne MP
Lord (Bhikhu) Parekh
Trevor Phillips
Lord (Raymond) Plant
James Purnell MP
Sue Slipman
Lord (Dennis) Stevenson
Wendy Thomson
Andrew Tyrie MP
Stephen Twigg
Shriti Vadera
David Willetts MP

Address: 11 Tufton St, London, SW1P 3QB
Telephone: 020 7222 7060
Fax: 020 7222 0310
Email: info@smf.co.uk
Website: <a href="http://www.smf.co.uk/" target="_NEW">www.smf.co.uk</a>

External links
SourceWatch profile of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Social_Market_Foundation">Social Market Foundation</a>
Guardian profile of <a href="http://politics.guardian.co.uk/thinktanks/page/0,10538,715480,00.html">Social Market Foundation</a>
Nick mathiason '<a href="http://politics.guardian.co.uk/thinktanks/story/0,10538,1539926,00.html">The marketing of Blairism</a>', The Observer, 31 July 2005