Institute for Public Policy Research

The IPPR has offices in Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester, and Edinburgh. Funding comes from trust and foundation grants, government support, and individual donors.

History

The Institute for Public Policy Research was founded in 1988 by Lord Hollick and Lord Eatwell. The founding director was James Cornford, and Tessa Blackstone was the first chair. According to academic Peter Ruben its primary aim was to provide theoretical analysis for modernisers in the UK Labour Party, offering alternatives to free market fundamentalism.

In 1992 IPPR published the highly influential report of the Commission on Social Justice, laying out an ambitious agenda of social policy reform and revitalise progressive thinking as New Labour became ascendant.

IPPR North was launched in 2004 with an office opening in Newcastle upon Tyne; a second office was opened in Manchester in 2012.

Matthew Taylor was director between 1998 and 2003. Tom Kibasi was the group's director between April 2016 and December 2019. Carys Roberts became Executive Director of IPPR in February 2020. Roberts's role in shaping IPPR led to the New Statesman naming her as the forty-sixth most powerful person in British left-wing politics.