Britain to launch think tank to develop Liberal Democrats’ policy
In Britain, the new think tank The Britain Project will be officially launched on September 21 during the Liberal Democrats’ conference in Brighton. The organization is intended to propose liberal political ideas, help develop policy and prepare parliamentarians for possible work in government, Politico Europe reports.
The Britain Project will have no formal connection with the party led by Ed Davey. At the same time, in July, at least 50 of the 71 Liberal Democrat MPs attended a presentation of the center’s work during a regular parliamentary meeting. Many of them said they wanted to take part in its activities.
Policy preparation
The Britain Project’s policy director is Tim Leunig, who recently became the Liberal Democrats’ whip in the House of Lords. According to him, the organization seeks to prepare practical proposals that the civil service could implement, as well as help parliamentarians understand the complex decisions facing the government.
Leunig worked as a civil servant for more than ten years and was also a policy adviser in several government departments, including under Conservative governments. He said the center should publish ideas that would be acceptable to society and suitable for implementation.
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Economy and public services
The think tank plans to regularly publish policy papers focused primarily on economic growth and public services. A Politico Europe source involved in the organization’s work and not authorized to comment publicly on its activities named the cost of living as one of the priorities. According to the source, the center wants to demonstrate the link between a dynamic economy and the ability to support social justice.
The Britain Project will be funded by individual donations, but the names of donors will not be disclosed. The organization does not plan to have a physical office in order to save money. It will be established as a charity with advisory and governing boards; the advisory board will include not only Liberal Democrat members.
Some party parliamentarians positively assessed the emergence of the center. At the same time, one Liberal Democrat MP warned that preparations for a possible coalition could alienate voters who previously supported the Conservative Party, as they may believe that the Liberal Democrats would help Labour remain in power.
