 | This article contains promotional content. (October 2023) |
| Formation | 29 April 2002 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Nick Boles, Lord Maude and Archie Norman |
| Type | Think tank |
| Legal status | Charity |
| Location |
|
Director | The Lord Godson |
Chairman of Trustees | Alexander Downer, former High Commissioner of Australia to the United Kingdom |
| Website | policyexchange.org.uk judicialpowerproject.org.uk |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Conservatism in the United Kingdom |
|---|
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Policy Exchange is a British right-wing[1] conservative[2][3][4][5] think tank based in London. In 2007 it was described in The Daily Telegraph as "the largest, but also the most influential think tank on the right".[6] Policy Exchange is a registered charity.[7] Although Policy Exchange is a registered charity, [7] it refuses to disclose the sources of its funding and is ranked as one of the least transparent think tanks in the UK. It was founded in 2002 by the Conservative MPs Francis Maude and Archie Norman, and Nick Boles, who later also became a Tory MP.
It describes itself as "an independent, non-partisan educational charity whose mission is to develop and promote new policy ideas that will deliver better public services, a stronger society and a more dynamic economy."[8] The Washington Post said Policy Exchange's reports "often inform government policy in Britain"[9] and Iain Dale described it on ConservativeHome as the "pre-eminent think tank in the Westminster village".[10]
The policy ideas developed by the think tank which have been adopted as government policy include free schools, Police and crime commissioner, garden villages and protecting the armed forces from prosecution under human rights laws. Policy Exchange has a unit called Judicial Power Project[11] that examines the power of the British judiciary and argues that unelected judges have accrued too much power. The significance of Policy Exchange in UK politics remains contentious, primarily due to its alignment with right-wing factions and its utilisation as a political podium.[12][13]
It describes itself as seeking localist, volunteer and free-market solutions to public policy problems, with research programmes covering education and social reform, energy and environment, Britain's place in the world, economics and industrial policy, housing policy, space, counter-terrorism and demography, integration and immigration.
- ^ Griffin, Tom (13 February 2023). "'Government by Think Tank': The Return of Policy Exchange". Byline Times. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ Wintour, Patrick (21 July 2014). "UK jobcentres should face competition, says thinktank". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
- ^ Portes, Jonathan (4 August 2020). "The rightwing defence of 'academic freedom' masks a McCarthyite agenda". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ White, Alan (25 April 2013). "Four reasons why policy-making shouldn't be outsourced to right-wing think tanks". New Statesman. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "Public policy engagement toolkit: UK think tanks". Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership. Newcastle University. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "The Right's 100 Most Influential: 50-26". The Daily Telegraph. London. 2 October 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ a b "Home". Charity Commission. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ "Protecting the Constitution". Policy Exchange. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ Booth, William (19 September 2017). "The 5 countries where people click most on ISIS propaganda (and the U.S. is No. 2)". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
- ^ "Iain Dale: My reshuffle predictions. The Prime Minister believes he has delivered for his supporters – and now owes them nothing". Conservative Home. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ "Judicial Power Project | Examining the proper limits of judicial power". judicialpowerproject.org.uk. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
- ^ Monbiot, George (1 September 2020). "No 10 and the secretly funded lobby groups intent on undermining democracy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ "How a neo-conservative think tank defined British Muslims". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 14 May 2024.