The institute for public policy research: Policy and politics

Abstract

The Institute for Public Policy Research's primary aim was to provide rigorous theoretical analysis outlining the direction a government run by Labour modernisers could take. Starting from a financially uncertain base, the Institute informally allocated different policy areas to its research fellows who proceeded to act as its editors‐in‐chief of projects, overseeing their development and farming out work, effectively conserving resources in the process. With Labour's defeat in the 1992 election, it was clear that planning new initiatives for government was somewhat premature and the party's leadership renewed their drive for union and Clause IV reform, overshadowing the IPPR's attempts at policy renewal. However, the quantity and quality of IPPR publications helped reassure party activists and political sympathisers that there was an alternative to pure free market thinking. Thus although it is still not clear how much influence the IPPR has exerted over its original target audience, the Labour front bench, it has played an important role in boosting Labour Party morale and confidence.