Compass (think tank)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Compass is a 'democratic left' pressure group, roughly aligned with the UK Labour Party. It differs from a classic think tank in that it is a membership organisation.
Compass was launched in 2003 with support from a number of academics and left wing politicians. Since then it has published a number of pamphlets charting an alternative path for the New Labour Government in the UK. It has gradually risen in influence and media prominence. When the Chair, Neal Lawson, called for Tony Blair to resign in May 2006, it was widely reported in major newspapers.
It held its annual conference on June 17, 2006, with many public figures attending. Speakers included Ed Balls, Neal Lawson, Derek Simpson, Hilary Benn, Fiona Millar, John Harris, Hazel Blears, Kevin Maguire, and Ed Miliband. There were calls for amongst other things the abolition of the monarchy and the destruction of nuclear weapons put forward by the membership [1].
[edit] Criticism
Since its inception, Compass has been criticised by some (most notably Tom Watson MP and several other bloggers) for both its hyper-critical attitude to Tony Blair's premiership and the left-leaning policies advocated so far. It is frequently compared to Progress as a faction of the Labour Party.
