Catalyst (think tank)
Encyclopedia
Catalyst was an independent left wing think tank
based in London
, United Kingdom
, set up in 1998 to promote policies directed to the redistribution of power, wealth and opportunity. Though not aligned to any political party, it was generally sympathetic to the Labour Movement
and described itself as "an organisation of the left".
The organisation was founded at the high point of Tony Blair
's modernisation of the Labour Party
and struggled to attract funding, especially from the trades unions who had originally been expected to be the most sympathetic to its redistributionist platform. Trades unions, concerned at further exclusion from power either by the electorate or the new Labour Party leadership, took a sharp turn away from too deep an association with the Left at this time and only begun in 2005 and 2006 to develop an increased if cautious interest in left-wing thought as a new generation of activist trades union leaders has emerged.
Former right wing but egalitarian Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Roy Hattersley
, was an early supporter, as was John Edmonds
, General Secretary of the GMB Union
, who had a deep commitment to full employment
strategies. Hattersley made the point that he had stood still while the Labour Party had moved from the far Left to the Right over his head.
Catalyst attracted intellectuals and academics on the centre-left associated with Tribune
, Red Pepper
, the Grassroots Alliance
, the Full Employment Forum and a variety of similar groups who were in danger of being left high and dry by the rapid drift to the Right under Blair. The departure of Brian Gould to New Zealand
removed an alternative focus for policy formulation and Robin Cook
, who later re-emerged after the Iraq War as an alternative leader on the Left, appeared to choose engagement with rather than resistance to Blairism at this time as did most of those associated with the "soft Left
" What's Left group in Parliament
. Catalyst merged with the Full Employment Forum in 2002.
However, Catalyst was never a political or campaigning organisation and restricted itself to public policy work on redistribution and looking at soft areas like identity politics and public administration that were often neglected on the Left in favour of economics and social policy. It was never associated with the so-called Hard Left
.
Catalyst's first Director was former Director of Policy at the Labour Party, Roland Wales, who was followed by Barbara Gunnell, Martin McIvor, and Jenny Smith. Its Founding Board of Management included Marjorie Thompson
, Mark Seddon
, Mike Watts, Nyta Mann, Pat Coyne, Tim Pendry, Hilary Wainwright
, Richard Stone
and others, with a prestigious Advisory Board. Its lack of funds did not stop it from putting out a series of pamphlets, some of which proved contentious including Simon Partridge's revisionist view of nationalism which was avowedly "Left-Burkean" and it adopted creatively low cost ways of making itself known. Its Annual Reception became a high point for centre-left political exiles from within the Labour Movement to meet and catch up.
It not only survived the modernisation period but re-emerged strengthened in recent years with a new generation of academics and intellectuals prepared to develop alternative democratic socialist policies. In 2003 Catalyst won the "One To Watch" category at Prospect
magazine's annual Think Tank Awards http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/thinktank2010. In 2006 it merged with the Compass
organisation http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/may/19/uk.thinktanks.
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, set up in 1998 to promote policies directed to the redistribution of power, wealth and opportunity. Though not aligned to any political party, it was generally sympathetic to the Labour Movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
and described itself as "an organisation of the left".
The organisation was founded at the high point of Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's modernisation of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and struggled to attract funding, especially from the trades unions who had originally been expected to be the most sympathetic to its redistributionist platform. Trades unions, concerned at further exclusion from power either by the electorate or the new Labour Party leadership, took a sharp turn away from too deep an association with the Left at this time and only begun in 2005 and 2006 to develop an increased if cautious interest in left-wing thought as a new generation of activist trades union leaders has emerged.
Former right wing but egalitarian Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Roy Hattersley
Roy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
, was an early supporter, as was John Edmonds
John Edmonds
John Edmonds is a former trade union official in the United Kingdom.Edmonds grew up in South London, and was educated at Christ's Hospital School and Oriel College, Oxford...
, General Secretary of the GMB Union
GMB Union
The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom, and has more than 600,000 members. Its members are drawn from many sectors, with particular strength amongst manual workers in local government and the health service...
, who had a deep commitment to full employment
Full employment
In macroeconomics, full employment is a condition of the national economy, where all or nearly all persons willing and able to work at the prevailing wages and working conditions are able to do so....
strategies. Hattersley made the point that he had stood still while the Labour Party had moved from the far Left to the Right over his head.
Catalyst attracted intellectuals and academics on the centre-left associated with Tribune
Tribune (magazine)
Tribune is a democratic socialist weekly, founded in 1937 published in London. It is independent but supports the Labour Party from the left...
, Red Pepper
Red Pepper (magazine)
Red Pepper is an independent ‘red, green and radical’ magazine based in the UK. For most of its history it appeared monthly, but relaunched as a bi-monthly during 2007.- Origins :...
, the Grassroots Alliance
Grassroots Alliance
The centre-left Grassroots Alliance is a group of elected members on the British Labour Party National Executive Committee, founded in 1998. They represent members from a broad spectrum of the Labour membership, ranging from centrists to left wingers...
, the Full Employment Forum and a variety of similar groups who were in danger of being left high and dry by the rapid drift to the Right under Blair. The departure of Brian Gould to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
removed an alternative focus for policy formulation and Robin Cook
Robin Cook
Robert Finlayson Cook was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Livingston from 1983 until his death, and notably served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001....
, who later re-emerged after the Iraq War as an alternative leader on the Left, appeared to choose engagement with rather than resistance to Blairism at this time as did most of those associated with the "soft Left
Soft left
The soft left was the name given to the more moderate left wing forces in the British Labour Party in the 1980s. They were first seen as a distinct movement when many previous left wingers such as Neil Kinnock refused to support Tony Benn in the election for the deputy leadership of the Labour...
" What's Left group in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. Catalyst merged with the Full Employment Forum in 2002.
However, Catalyst was never a political or campaigning organisation and restricted itself to public policy work on redistribution and looking at soft areas like identity politics and public administration that were often neglected on the Left in favour of economics and social policy. It was never associated with the so-called Hard Left
Hard left
Hard left is a name often given to an internal tendency within the British Labour Party. Similar terminology is used also in the context of the Australian Labor Party....
.
Catalyst's first Director was former Director of Policy at the Labour Party, Roland Wales, who was followed by Barbara Gunnell, Martin McIvor, and Jenny Smith. Its Founding Board of Management included Marjorie Thompson
Marjorie Thompson
Marjorie Thompson was vice-chair and chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament between 1983 and 1993.-References:Marjorie Thompson was vice-chair and chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament between 1983 and 1993....
, Mark Seddon
Mark Seddon
-Education:Seddon was educated at Dauntsey's School, an independent school , in the village of West Lavingdon in Wiltshire.-Life and career:...
, Mike Watts, Nyta Mann, Pat Coyne, Tim Pendry, Hilary Wainwright
Hilary Wainwright
Hilary Wainwright is a British socialist and feminist, best known for being editor of Red Pepper magazine.-Personal life:Hilary Wainwright's father was the Liberal MP Richard Wainwright, and her brother, Martin, is the Northern Editor of The Guardian, to which she occasionally contributes.She...
, Richard Stone
Richard Stone
Sir John Richard Nicholas Stone was an eminent British economist who in 1984 received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for developing an accounting model that could be used to track economic activities on a national and, later, an international scale...
and others, with a prestigious Advisory Board. Its lack of funds did not stop it from putting out a series of pamphlets, some of which proved contentious including Simon Partridge's revisionist view of nationalism which was avowedly "Left-Burkean" and it adopted creatively low cost ways of making itself known. Its Annual Reception became a high point for centre-left political exiles from within the Labour Movement to meet and catch up.
It not only survived the modernisation period but re-emerged strengthened in recent years with a new generation of academics and intellectuals prepared to develop alternative democratic socialist policies. In 2003 Catalyst won the "One To Watch" category at Prospect
Prospect (magazine)
Prospect is a monthly British general interest magazine, specialising in politics and current affairs. Frequent topics include British, European, and US politics, social issues, art, literature, cinema, science, the media, history, philosophy, and psychology...
magazine's annual Think Tank Awards http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/thinktank2010. In 2006 it merged with the Compass
Compass (think tank)
Compass is a left wing pressure group, aligned with the UK Labour Party describing itself as 'An umbrella grouping of the progressive left whose sum is greater than its parts'...
organisation http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/may/19/uk.thinktanks.