Reform Scotland
Reform Scotland, established in 2008, is an Edinburgh-based think tank, a sister organisation to the London-based right-wing, free market think tank Reform.[1][2][3] However both organisations have their own separate governance and funding structures as well as different emphasis on policy.
Reform Scotland is the successor to the think tank Policy Institute (1999–2008).[4] The think tank is independent and has former MSPs from each of Scotland's four main political parties sitting on its Advisory Board.
Reform Scotland is a company limited by guarantee (No SC336414) and a Scottish charity (No SC039624) funded by individuals, charitable trusts, companies and organisations that share its aims.
Reform Scotland made a submission to the Scotland Bill Committee, based upon their pamphlet advocating Devolution Plus. Devolution Plus is a system whereby the Scottish devolution settlement would be amended to see both the Scottish Parliament and Westminster parliament raising sufficient revenue in taxation to fund their own spending. That submission was the basis of the foundation of the Devo Plus group, to promote the idea during the run up to a referendum on Scottish independence.
In 2012 Reform Scotland won ‘one to watch’ at Prospect magazine’s annual think tank awards in London as well as runner up in the economic and financial category.[5]
Key members of staff
- Geoff Mawdsley, Director (Scottish Conservative candidate for Stirling in the 2001 General election and was the party's chief political adviser for 8 years).[6]
- Alison Payne (née Miller), research director (Scottish Conservative candidate for the 2007 City Council election in Edinburgh, former political adviser to Annabel Goldie).[7]
Advisory Board
- Ben Thomson, Chairman
- Wendy Alexander, the former leader of the Scottish Labour Party
- Jim Mather, former Scottish National Party MSP and Scottish Government Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism;
- Derek Brownlee, former Scottish Conservative finance spokesman;
- Jeremy Purvis, former Scottish Liberal Democrats economy and finance spokesman
- Alex Hammond-Chambers
- Lesley Knox
- Professor Sir Donald MacKay
- Professor Graeme Millar
- David Milne OBE, FRAE, FRSE
- Keith Skeoch
- Martin Sime[8]
References
- ↑ "Reform Scotland, a counterpart to the Reform think-tank in London". The Times. 6 March 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
- ↑ Sharp, Tim (21 April 2008). "the tartan offshoot of free-market think-tank Reform". The Herald.
- ↑ Devine, Rachel (20 April 2008). "sister organisation of the London-based right-of-centre think tank started by the shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert in 2001". Sunday Times Scotland.
- ↑ "Policy Institute Merger With Reform Scotland". Policy Institute. 2 September 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
- ↑ http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/think-tank-of-the-year-awards-2012/
- ↑ http://reformscotland.com/index.php/about/our-people/geoff-mawdsley
- ↑ Miller, Alison (5 January 2007). "Why cap doesn't fit for school". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ↑ http://reformscotland.com/index.php/publications/details/1171