Social Market Foundation

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The Social Market Foundation SMF is a London-based think tank with the slogan, "marrying markets and social justice." The think tank focuses on economic and social policy with a pro-market rather than free-market approach. The organisation is most influencial in the areas of health, education, welfare and savings policy. It professes to be politically independent, engaged with all political groups.

Background & History

SMF is a Blairite pro-market think tank. [http://www.smf.co.uk/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=4 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 SMF shares its 11 Tufton St., Westminster address with the Adam Smith Institute. Lord Ralf Dahrendorf, a member of SMF's Policy Advisory Board, argues in the SMF's 2003/2004 Annual Report that 'The Social Market Foundation is well placed to combine economic, social and political analysis. The three approaches are often separated, yet for policy decisions they have to be brought together. This makes the SMF uniquely relevant.' Given that the SMF line-up are familiar faces in the think tank circuit (Stevenson and Haskins have ties to Demos) its difficult to percieve what is so unique about the Foundation.

Key Staff

Ann Rossiter: Director and Chief Executive Officer since Jul '05; a former Director of Fishburn Hedges, the corporate communications consultancy, and Lexington Communications; 4 yrs. in Parliment for John Denham Mp and Glenda Jackson MP on pensions and transport policy; 4 yrs. in BBC Political Policy Unit; board member of OFT Futures Advisory Board

Natalie Tarry: Dep Dir/Dir. of Research since Apr '06; 4 yrs. with New Local Government Network, an independent local govt. think tank; prior work at European Parliment;

Dermot Kehoe: Managing Dir.; previous 8 yrs. at BBC in Public Policy, Strategy and Comm.; Secretariat to Iraq Commission; previous Director of Fabian Society, specilising in constitution reform and modernising govt.; former broadcaster/producer for GMTV

Board Members

Chairman: Lord Lipsey

Policy Advisory Board Members

The Policy Advisory Board should consist of 25 members who are consulted from "time to time." ('06/07 Annual Report)

Contributors

Audit Commission, Barclays Bank, Barrow Cadbury Trust, Blackpool Council, Boots, BP International, British Nuclear Fuels, British Property Federation, BSkyB, BUPA, Camelot Group,CBI, Centrica, Chemical Industries Association, Corporation of London, Edexcel, EDS, Electoral Commission, Energywatch, Finance & Leasing Association, Fujitsu, GlaxoSmithKline, Go-Ahead Group, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Learning & Skills Development Agency, Marks & Spencer, Mobile Operators Association, National House Building Council, National Youth Agency, Pfizer, Pharmacia Pharamaceutical Services Negotiating, Safeway Stores, J Sainsbury, Shell International, Specialist Schools Trust, Sugar Bureau, Sun Microsystems, Sutton Trus,t Thames Water Utilities, T-Mobile, UBC Media, Ufi/ Learn Direct, UPS Vauxhall Motors, Vodafone.

Note: Corporate donations form 56.06% of its funding, Statutory Bodies and Not for Profits 40.55% and Charitable Trusts 3.39% .

Patrons

Auditors

Knox Cropper Chartered Accountants 8/9 Well Court London EC4M 9DN

Labour Fringe Meetings

SMF 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 topics. Nearly all of the discussion panels feature a Labour minister. For example, the Mobile Operators Association(MOA) sponsored 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.

Other Staff

  • Business Manager: Claire Newman
  • Events Manager: Sally Dobson
  • Conference Manager: Kirstine Roberts
  • Chief Economist: Ian Mulheirn
  • Senior Research Fellow: Simon Griffiths
  • Senior Research Fellow: Jessica Prendergrast
  • Head of Health: Lyndsay Mountford
  • Health Project Leader: David Furness
  • Communications Officer: Robert Sharp
  • Researcher: Barney Gough - Mar '06; co-written publications concerning new forms of equity release schemes and uniform business rates; also a health researcher for SMF; former research intern for Alan Milburn MP; former researcher asst. for interim report of Fabian Commission on Life Chances and Child Poverty
  • Researcher: Rena Menne - Oct '07; researching flexibility and security in the British labour market and behavourial economics
  • Researcher: Tom Richmond - Jan '08; previously taught A-Level Psychology; worked for Westminster MP;
  • Researcher/Events Asst: Beth Foley - Jul '07; intern at Westminster Forum Projects in London and Global Youth Action Network in New York; studied in Berlin through Erasmus Exchange Programme
  • Events Asst: Will Hoyles - Jan '08; previously with East Sussex County Council; intern for Hansard Society and New Local Govt. Network
  • Associate Fellows: Niall Maclean, Saranjit Sihota, Alex Isaac, Robin Harding, Kieran Brett, Theo Blackwell, Vidhya Alakeson, Charitini Stavropoulou

Former Board Members

Former Advisory Members

Former Staff

Contact details

Social Market Foundation
11 Tufton St
Westminster
London
SW1P 3QB
02072227060
Website: http://www.smf.co.uk/

SourceWatch resources

External links

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