A think tank is a non-governmental organisation that conducts research and advocacy on public policy issues. Their primary purpose is to influence public policy and political debate by introducing new ideas and analysis.

Think tank proposals, which are shaped by engagement with and contributions from academia, business and civil society, often find their way into party manifestos. They can form the basis of government policy papers and legislation.

Think tanks may pose as impartial bodies with a certain policy specialism. Central to the branding of think tanks is their claim to possess exceptional expertise, often presented as surpassing that of the government. But some of the most prominent think tanks are associated with a clear ideological viewpoint and agenda.

They range from organisations with a clear ideological viewpoint to specialist, impartial bodies whose influence is based on their data-driven research.

The place of think tanks in British politics

Think tanks may exert political influence by developing policy proposals that political parties choose to adopt, or by helping to frame and shape the terms of public debate.

Think tanks are a constant presence in the media. Their staff are frequently called upon by journalists to provide expert commentary and analysis on the day’s political and economic news. This is another method think tanks use to shape political discourse.

The so-called “revolving door” between think tanks and politics is well-established. Working at a think tank is a common career path for party researchers, special advisers and even MPs. Politicians often bring policies and ideas developed in think tanks into government. Think tanks may also offer secondments to political parties or senior MPs who are considered allies.

The think tank landscape

The UK has a diverse think tank scene, with organisations representing almost every political viewpoint. The influence of think tanks often depends on which party is in government.

Impartial think tanks

The Institute for Government (IfG), which is seen as impartial, focuses on the effectiveness of government.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) provides independent analysis of public finances and the impact of tax and spending decisions. They are especially prominent during fiscal events, explaining the impact of tax and spending decisions.

The Resolution Foundation focuses on improving the living standards of those on low to middle incomes. Like the IFS, the foundation is prominent during fiscal events and publishes budget analyses. It has sometimes been characterised as more left-of-centre. Torsten Bell, a former Resolution Foundation chief executive, entered parliament as a Labour MP following the 2024 general election. David Willetts, a former Conservative MP, was appointed as president of the foundation in 2019.

‘Ideological’ think tanks

The Adam Smith Institute is a right of centre think tank which promotes neoliberal and free market ideas. They are named after the 18th-century Scottish economist and moral philosopher, Adam Smith. The institute was established in 1977 by Dr Madsen Pirie and Dr Eamonn Butler.

The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) is a centre right think tank with strong links to the Conservative Party, having been set up by Sir Keith Joseph and Margaret Thatcher in 1974.

The Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) is a think tank with a particular focus on the economy. The CEPR is involved in “fostering high quality, policy-relevant economic research, and disseminating it widely to decision-makers in the public and private sectors”.

Demos is a think tank set up in 1993 with a strong focus on social issues.

The Cato Institute is a right of centre think tank “dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace”. The institute is named after Cato’s Letters – a series of essays published in 18th-century England that argued for less government influence in society.

The Fabian Society is a left of centre think tank set up in 1884. The society has long been affiliated with the Labour Party. The Fabian Society promotes “greater equality of power, wealth and opportunity” and “the value of collective action and public service”.

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), established in 1955, advocates free market principles. The IEA was seen as influential during the Truss government.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is a left leaning and progressive think tank with close links to the Labour Party. It was established in 1998. David Miliband was a policy analyst at IPPR before his appointment as Tony Blair’s head of policy and later head of Downing Street’s Policy Unit.

Migration Watch, established in 2001, has been influential in campaigning for lower migration, especially in the 2000s.

Bruges Group, a eurosceptic British think tank and campaign group founded in 1989, was named after Margaret Thatcher’s famous “Bruges speech”, which warned of a “European superstate”.

Policy Exchange is a centre right think tank that was established in 2002. It developed a reputation as being particularly influential with David Cameron’s Conservative government. Michael Gove was Policy Exchange’s founding chairman.

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) was founded by former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith in 2004. The CSJ designed the universal credit system in their 2009 Dynamic Benefits report to simplify the welfare system. The scheme was adopted during Cameron’s tenure as prime minister.

Think tanks: funding and transparency

A persistent controversy surrounding think tanks is the transparency of their funding.

It is suggested that a think tank’s research output could be influenced by its donors, and critics argue that without full transparency, it is impossible to know whose interests a think tank is truly representing.

There is no legal requirement in the UK for think tanks to disclose who their donors are. While some choose to be transparent, many do not, leading to accusations that they are simply front organisations for vested corporate interests or are being funded by “dark money” from anonymous backers.

Who Funds You? was a British volunteer run project that aimed to increase transparency in the sometimes shadowy world of think tanks. They scored think tanks based on four key measures:

• Does the organisation disclose its income?
• Are financial details published online?
• Are individual donors named and the amount of each donation published?
• Are corporate donors named and the amount of each donation published?

The organisation reportedly found that the Adam Smith Institute, ResPublica and the Tax Payers’ Alliance did not appear to publish any information about their funding.

A 2023 report published by openDemocracy found that “opaque” think tanks (ones where it is not clear where their funding came from) had an income of more than £25 million.

The report also found that “influential ‘dark money’ think tanks were mentioned by name 229 times by UK lawmakers in the 12-month audit period – and they earned more than 2.8 million social media engagements on their digital content.”

Additional resources

• Institute for Government (IfG): https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/
• Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS): https://ifs.org.uk/
• Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA): https://iea.org.uk/
• Resolution Foundation: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/
• Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR): https://www.ippr.org/
• Adam Smith Institute: https://www.adamsmith.org/
• Cato Institute: https://www.cato.org/
• Centre for Policy Studies (CPS): https://cps.org.uk/
• Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR): https://cepr.org/
• Demos: https://demos.co.uk/
• The Fabian Society: https://fabians.org.uk/
• Policy Exchange: https://policyexchange.org.uk/
• Migration Watch: https://www.migrationwatchuk.org/
• Bruges Group: https://www.brugesgroup.com/