Reform

Reform is a free market think-tank which describes itself as ‘an independent, non-party think-tank whose mission is to set out a better way to deliver public services and economic prosperity’.

Reform, Hope House, Great Peter Street, London SW1. Photo taken by Spinwatch, Dec 2010

They ‘believe that by liberalising the public sector, breaking monopoly and extending choice, high quality services can be made available for everyone.’

Their vision is 'of a Britain with 21st Century healthcare, high standards in schools, a modern and efficient transport system, safe streets, and a free, dynamic and competitive economy'.

In a March 2009 presentation Tim Montgomerie and Matthew Elliott described Reform as part of the infrastructure of the conservative movement in Britain.

Background

Reform was launched by Andrew Haldenby, Nick Herbert and Patrick Barbour in 2002. In October 2001, The Times reported having seen a strategy document for the future think-tank which stated that it would be modelled closely on Washington’s Heritage Foundation. The article said Reform would be launched in the New Year, ie early 2002.

Reform was incorporated as a not-for-profit company on 4 December 2001 under the name Reform Britain. The Daily Telegraph reported that it was run by its founders Andrew Haldenby and Nick Herbert, as well as media executive James Bethell.

In May 2004 Reform registered an associated charity the Reform Research Trust. Amongst the new charity’s objectives were to “educate the public on public policy issues, in particular in relation to public services and the economy”.

People

Executive team

• Andrew Haldenby, Director

Former executives

• Nick Seddon, Was Reform's deputy director until May 2013 when he was appointed Prime Minister David Cameron's health policy adviser. Seddon was head of communications at private hospital firm Circle for 18 months. He left in early 2010. He was replaced at Circle by Christina Lineen, a former aide to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.

Directors

• Andrew Haldenby Director, Andrew Haldenby co-founded Reform with Nick Herbert in 2001. He was previously Communications Director at Business for Sterling, Director of Studies at the Centre for Policy Studies and Head of the Political Section in the Conservative Research Department.

• Rupert Darwall Consultant Director, Rupert Darwall is a freelance strategy consultant. He was previously Special Adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont.

• Professor Nick Bosanquet Consultant Director, Nick Bosanquet is Professor of Health Policy at Imperial College, London. He is a health economist who first carried out research on NHS funding in the 1980s for the York Reports sponsored by the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing and the Institute for Health Services Management. He has been Special Adviser on public expenditure to the Commons Health Committee since 2000. He is a non-Executive Director of a Primary Care Trust in London.

Advisory Board

• Sir Christopher Gent Chairman, Sir Christopher is Chairman of GlaxoSmithKIine plc and a non-executive director of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. He was Chief Executive of Vodafone Group plc until August 2003.
• Meg Allen is Director of DRAMLA SA, Geneva.
• Jeremy Browne is the Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton.
• Frank Field is the Labour MP for Birkenhead. From 1997 to 1998 he was the Minister for Welfare Reform, Department of Social Security.
• Nick Herbert is the Conservative MP for Arundel & South Downs. He co-founded Reform with Andrew Haldenby.
• Jonathan Hill is a Director of Quiller Consultants, the leading UK communications group which he founded in 1998. He was Political Secretary to the Prime Minister John Major until 1994.
• Oliver Pawle Hon. Treasurer is Vice Chairman of UBS Investment Bank.
• Sir Steve Robson was Second Permanent Secretary and Managing Director of the Finance, Regulation and Industry Directorate at HM Treasury until 2001.
• Derek Scott is Economic Consultant to KPMG. He was Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister until the end of 2003.
• Jeremy Sillem Hon. Treasurer, Jeremy Sillem was the Chairman of Bear Stearns International Limited, the European arm of the New York based investment bank, until January 2004.
• Sir Richard Sykes became Rector of Imperial College London in January 2001. He was Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline plc until May 2002.

Advisory Council

• Lord Norman Warner Former Minister of Health 2003-07
• Sir Robert Balchin Former Chairman, Grant Maintained Schools Foundation
• Dr Adrian Bull Managing Director, Carillion Health
• Professor Tim Congdon Director and Chief Economist, Lombard Street Research
• Professor Sir Douglas Hague Economics Adviser to the Prime Minister 1979-83
• Professor David Henderson Visiting Professor, Westminster Business School
• Dr Ruth Lea Director, Centre for Policy Studies
• Dr John Marks Director, Educational Research Trust
• Professor Patrick Minford Professor of Applied Economics, Cardiff Business School
• Professor Julian Morris Director, International Policy Network
• Professor Anthony O’Hear Weston Professor of Philosophy, University of Buckingham
• Dr Mark Pennington Lecturer in Public Policy, Queen Mary, University of London
• Stephen Pollard Senior Fellow, Centre for the New Europe, Brussels
• Sir David Ramsbotham Former Chief Inspector of Prisons
• Dr Matt Ridley Environmental Scientist (and journalist)
• Professor Steven Schwartz Vice Chancellor, Brunel University
• Professor Karol Sikora Visiting Professor of Cancer Medicine, Imperial College Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital
• Professor John Spiers External Professor, University of Glamorgan
• Professor Jim Thornton Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nottingham City Hospital
• Professor James Tooley Professor of Education Policy, University of Newcastle
• Chris Woodhead Former Chief Inspector of Schools

Funding

Reform describes itself as determinedly independent and states that none of its research is funded by either companies or individuals. In recent years it has been funded by: Prudential, Legal & General, Scottish Widows, Aviva, Benenden insurance, Gen Re (reinsurer of health products) and US health insurance giant UnitedHealth, which has faced accusations of overcharging and malpractice. The industry’s trade body, the Association of British Insurers, is also a donor.

2012

Prudential was Reform’s most generous funder in 2012, handing over £67,500.

2004

During 2004 the Reform Research Trust received donations of £327,216 and an expenditure of £201,130.

Health lobbying

Reform supports the 'grassroots' campaign group, Doctors for Reform.

During the 2010 Conservative Party conference, Reform ran a number of health-related events including, ‘NHS: The new health service’, an invite only event sponsored by Baxter UK, an arm of the American private healthcare company; and ‘Healthy Competition’, a panel discussion between the Minister for Public Health, Anne Milton, and the CEO of private healthcare company General Healthcare Group.

Health reform

Reform has long advocated free-market reforms to the NHS. It believes that the government should 'grasp the nettle on how health services are financed,' and that 'the Coalition has missed the real opportunity for NHS reform'.

It has argued that 'Co-payments and user charges', should be part of the NHS and the government should do more 'to encourage the greater role of insurance'.

In March 2014 Reform published a report Solving the NHS care and cash crisis. Its recommendations included that:

People in England should be forced to pay a £10-a-month NHS "membership charge" (to save the service from ruin)

People staying overnight in hospital should pay ‘hotel charges’.

Reform is funded by companies which would benefit greatly from the introduction of changes to the way we pay for healthcare. These have included General Healthcare Group, the UK’s largest private hospital firm, but more significantly a large number of corporations in the private health insurance industry.

Health publications

• Solving the NHS care and cash crisis, March 2014, Reform
• Delivering a new health agenda, July 2010 Funded by General Healthcare Group, Dr Foster Intelligence and Bevan Brittan. Calls for an "increase in private contributions to health costs" and greater competition in the provision of services.
• Fewer hospitals, more competition, March 2010 This report calls for more competition in health service providers and for the NHS to "Commit to greater plurality in supply and reverse the “NHS preferred provider” policy."
• The future of health, June 2009 Report and conference funded by General Healthcare Group, Pru health, Interhealth Canada, MSD, Dr Foster Intelligence and ACCA.

Lobbying firms

Burson-Marsteller provided public affairs services for the Reform Research Trust in 2012

Connections

• Reform Scotland

Contact information

• 45 Great Peter St London SW1P 3LT
• Tel: 020 7799 6699
• Fax: 020 7233 4446
• Email: info@reform.co.uk
• Twitter: @reformthinktank

Resources

• Tamasin Cave, Who is behind Reform's call for NHS charges?, Spinwatch, 31 March 2013