Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is a progressive think tank based in London and widely regarded as one of the United Kingdom's most influential centres for left-of-centre policy research. Founded in 1988, IPPR describes itself as committed to fairness, democracy and sustainability, and it works through researched policy analysis, published reports, commissions and a high media profile. As an independent registered charity, it has spent more than three and a half decades seeking to keep progressive ideas at the heart of British public debate, and its research has helped shape policies ranging from congestion charging to devolution, public service reform and economic justice.
Founding and early history
The idea for IPPR originated with Clive Hollick, who in 1986 — at a time when the Thatcher government was dominant and the Labour opposition was struggling — began developing plans for an independent progressive think tank. Working with John Eatwell, Hollick spent two years establishing the institute, which was publicly launched in 1988. Tessa Blackstone became its first chair and James Cornford its first director. According to academic observers, the new organisation's primary aim was to provide theoretical and analytical support for modernisers within the Labour Party, offering credible alternatives to free-market orthodoxy. One of IPPR's earliest reports recommended congestion charging for London — a policy idea that would resurface years later when London's charge was actually introduced — and the organisation built a reputation from the start for research with real-world impact at national and local level.
Commission on Social Justice
IPPR's first major breakthrough came in the early 1990s with its landmark Commission on Social Justice. Published in 1992 in the aftermath of Labour's election defeat, the report was chaired by Sir Gordon Borrie and overseen by IPPR's then deputy director Patricia Hewitt. It laid out an ambitious agenda of social policy reform and played a significant role in revitalising progressive thinking in Britain as New Labour rose to political ascendancy. The commission's work helped set the terms of debate on welfare, poverty and fairness, and it established a template for the large-scale policy commissions that would become an IPPR hallmark in later decades.
The New Labour years
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, IPPR stood close to the centre of British political life. Matthew Taylor served as director between 1998 and 2003, a period in which the institute led thinking on devolution, elected mayors, family-friendly working, asset-based welfare and public service reform. Many of these ideas fed directly into the New Labour government's legislative programme. IPPR's close links with key Labour figures helped drive its influence, though the organisation consistently maintained that its policy ideas were grounded in rigorous evidence rather than ideology — an approach that became a model for think tanks across the UK.
National expansion: IPPR North and IPPR Scotland
IPPR broke new ground in British think-tank life by establishing regional branches. IPPR North was launched in 2004 with an office in Newcastle upon Tyne, giving the institute a dedicated base for research on the North of England's economy, devolution and public services. A second northern office opened in Manchester in 2012. In the wake of Scotland's 2014 independence referendum and the subsequent transfer of powers to the Scottish Parliament, IPPR formed IPPR Scotland, a dedicated think tank for Scotland based in Edinburgh. The expansion meant IPPR was no longer purely a Westminster-focused institution but one engaged with devolved government and regional policy-making across the UK.
Commissions and flagship research
Beyond the Commission on Social Justice, IPPR has convened several other high-profile commissions. In the late 2000s it published the findings of the Commission on National Security for the 21st Century, chaired by Paddy Ashdown and George Robertson, which examined Britain's security policy in a changing world. In November 2016 IPPR launched the Commission on Economic Justice, a two-year project designed to help rewrite the rules of the post-Brexit economy and craft a new national economic policy for Britain, with its final report appearing in 2018. Its landmark 2014 report The Condition of Britain was recognised with the Social Policy Think Tank of the Year award, and the institute has also produced influential work on climate change, energy and migration.
Awards and recognition
IPPR's standing in the think-tank world is reflected in a string of awards. It won the prestigious Prospect Think Tank of the Year award in 2001 and in 2007 became the first organisation to win the prize a second time. In 2009 it was named Green Think Tank of the Year for its work on climate change, followed by the Social Policy Think Tank of the Year award in 2014 for The Condition of Britain and the Energy and Climate Change Think Tank of the Year award in 2015. These honours underline the breadth of IPPR's research, which spans social, environmental and economic policy.
Leadership
IPPR's leadership has included several figures prominent in British public life. Matthew Taylor directed the organisation from 1998 to 2003 before moving on to roles including chief executive of the RSA. Tom Kibasi served as director from April 2016 to December 2019. Carys Roberts became Executive Director in February 2020, and her role in shaping IPPR's direction led the New Statesman to name her among the most powerful figures in British left-wing politics. The current Executive Director is Harry Quilter-Pinner. The founding figures — Lord Hollick and Lord Eatwell — remained associated with the institution, and the first chair, Tessa Blackstone, and first director, James Cornford, are recognised as central to its creation.
Research areas and approach
IPPR's research spans economic justice, environmental policy, democracy and migration. It is known for combining traditional policy reports with public engagement, media commentary and events aimed at opinion formers, policymakers and politicians of all parties. The institute describes its work as driven by principles of combating inequality — not merely redistributing the proceeds of growth but sharing power, opportunity, income and wealth more evenly — alongside empowering citizens and promoting social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Its regional offices allow it to ground this work in the specific economic conditions of different parts of the UK.
Funding and charitable status
IPPR is an independent registered charity. Its funding comes from a mix of trust and foundation grants, government support and individual donors. This diverse funding base is designed to protect its independence, and the organisation states that it engages with politicians of all parties and none. Like many major think tanks, it operates in an environment where the sources of policy research funding are increasingly scrutinised, and it maintains that its analysis is evidence-led.
Policy impact in the 2020s
In recent years IPPR has continued to set the agenda on some of Britain's biggest challenges. Its environmental justice work has pushed for a fair green transition, while its research on the future of work, automation and artificial intelligence has examined how prosperity can be shared more widely. The institute has also contributed to debates on migration, democratic renewal and the cost of living, maintaining its position as a go-to source for progressive policy ideas in an era of political turbulence.
Contact and online presence
IPPR's headquarters are at 8 Storey's Gate, London SW1P 3AY, with additional offices in Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester and Edinburgh. Its official website is ippr.org, where it publishes its reports, briefings, blogs and event listings. The site also hosts the organisation's media commentary and the work of its regional branches. As one of the UK's most quoted think tanks, IPPR's research regularly features in national newspapers, broadcast media and parliamentary debate, and its commissions continue to provide a focal point for progressive policy discussion in Britain.
