Centre for Social Justice

Centre for Social Justice Logo

The Centre for Social Justice says it is

an independent think tank established by Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP in 2004, to seek effective solutions to the poverty that blight parts of Britain.

In a March 2009 presentation Tim Montgomerie and Matthew Elliott described the Centre for Social Justice as part of the infrastructure of the conservative movement in Britain. In 2009 Iain Duncan Smith delivered a speech to the Heritage Foundation in Washington, thanking them for their help in 'building up an international network of individuals and think tanks interested in centre right approaches to the delivery of social justice'.

In 2010 the Centre for Social Justice was voted the think tank which has most influence on the Cameron Project by Conservative Home website and every MP who has taken part in the Centre's 'Inner City Challenge' is a member of the Conservative Party. The list includes Andrew Selons, David Burrowes, John Penrose, Patrick Mercer and Rt Hon Oliver Letwin .

Policy Areas

Economic Dependency

The Centre for Social Justice have a working group set up to tackle the problem of economic dependency. The working group includes Corin Taylor and Nicholas Hillman. Taylor is the research director of the Taxpayers Alliance and is also affiliated with the Policy Exchange; Nicholas Hillman is also a former research fellow with the Policy Exchange.

Along with the Democracy Institute the Policy Exchange and the Taxpayers Alliance attacked Wilkinson and Pickett for their book The Spirit Level, which argued that social problems have a causal relationship with greater levels of income inequality.

The Economic Dependency working group produced a report entitled Breakthrough Britain: Dynamic Benefits; towards welfare that works. The report cites a study by the Department of Work and Pensions which argues that 'the source of income is more important than the level of income in determining levels of social exclusion'. The report argues that the three main failings of the benefits system presided over by the previous Labour Government were:

• 1. It disincentivises work: the swift withdrawal of benefits, offsetting any earnings from work, punishes the lowest earners trying to earn more. It makes leaving welfare a risky proposition.
• 2. It imposes penalties on desirable behaviour apart from work – such as marriage and cohabitation, saving, and home ownership.
• 3. It is very complex – making it costly to administer and reinforcing dependency.

Working Group

Nicholas Boys Smith | David Godfrey | James Greenbury | Nicholas Hillman | Peter King | Sara McKee | Lee Rowley | Debbie Scott | Corin Taylor | Cameron Watt

Advisors

Mike Brewer

Family Law Review

Chairman

David Hodson

Working Group

Rebecca Bensted | Philippa Taylor | Helen Grant | Benjamin Fry | Dr Samanta Callan | Sheela Mackintosh | Richard Bruce | Rachel Gillman

Advisors

Dr Andrew Bainham | District Judge Nicholas Crichton | Professor Patrick Parkinson

Patrons

Lady Elizabeth Butler-Sloss of Marsh Green | Baroness Ruth Deech of Cumnor

Looked After Children

Chairman

Ryan Robson

Working Group

Ivor Frank | Simon Howlett | Michael Bailey | Susanna Cheal | Harriet Sergeant | Malcolm Stevens | Sarah Richardson

People

2010

Board of Directors

Mark Florman | Louise Hobbs | Stephen Brien | Ryan Robson | Sam Clarke

Advisory Board

Camila Batmangelidjh | Baroness Deech | Johan Eliasch | Brian Griffiths | William Hague | Robert Halfon | Syed Kamall | Oliver Letwin | Murdoch Maclennan | George Magan | Tim Montgomerie | Malcolm Offord | Patrick Regan | Stephan Shakespeare | Lawrence Sherman | David Willetts

People

Gavin Poole | Chris Bullivant | Charlotte Pickles | Robin Millar | Juliette Ash | Cara Walker | Jeffrey Bailey | Samantha Callan | Christian Guy | Adele Eastman | Zoe Briance | Ali Crossley | Deven Ghelani |Chris Perfect | Nicola Vimalanathan | Kirsty Turnbull | Lucy Maule | Joseph Colman | James Mumford | Melanie Mackay | Philippa Stroud, executive director until May 2010 |

2009

Board of Directors as at 19 November 2009:

• Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP (Chairman) | Mark Florman | Louise Hobbs | Dr Stephen Brien | Ryan Robson | Sam Clarke (Company Secretary) | Cara Walker

Advisory Board members as at 19 November 2009:

• Malcolm Offord - member of the Advisory Board | Camila Batmangelidjh CEO, Kid’s Company | Baroness Deech Former Principal of St Anne's College Oxford; former Senior Proctor of the University of Oxford; former chair of the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; former Governor of the BBC; and current Visiting Professor at Gresham College, London; sits as a Crossbencher in the House of Lords | Johan Eliasch Chairman and Chief Exec, Head N.V ; Chairman, Cool Earth; Prime Minister's Special representative on deforestation and clean energy | Lord Brian Griffiths Chairman of Board, Herman Miller Inc; International Advisor, Goldman Sachs International Limited | Rt Hon William Hague MP Shadow Foreign Secretary and former leader of the Conservative Party | Robert H Halfon PPC and Political Director, Conservative Friends of Israel | Syed Kamall MEP Co-founder of Global Business Research institute, MEP for London | Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP Chairman of Conservative Research Development | Murdoch Maclennan Chief Executive, Telegraph Media Group | George Magan Chairman of Carlton Capital Partners | Tim Montgomerie Editor, ConservativeHome | Malcolm Offord Partner, Charterhouse | Patrick Regan CEO of youth charity XLP | Stephan Shakespeare Chief Innovations Officer, YouGov | Professor Lawrence Sherman Wolfson Professor of Criminology, Cambridge University | Her Grace the Duchess of Westminster | David Willetts MP Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills

See Also

• Social Justice Scotland

Contact

1 Westminster Palace Gardens
Artillery Row
London, SW1P 1RL
www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk