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Key staff

Jill Kirby (a champion of the traditional family and smaller government) has directed the Centre since 2007.

Other team members include two Deputy Directors, Tim Knox (who oversees publications) and Jenny Nicholson (responsible for fundraising); Research Director, Sam Talbot-Rice and Research Economist Bimal Dharmasena.

The CPS relies on commissioning expert contributions from outside experts rather than a large staff team. Distinguished contributors include Lord Lawson and Lord Forsyth.

The Chairman is the advertising guru Lord Saatchi.

Basic philosophy

The CPS was founded by Margaret Thatcher and Keith Joseph in 1974. Along with the Institute of Economic Affairs it was the most important of influences on the Thatcherite revolution. Accompanying its economic liberalism, however, the CPS has always upheld Keith Joseph’s belief in the family and the institutions of society as essential bulwarks against an overbearing state.

Its first director was the late Alfred Sherman and former Directors include Ruth Lea and David Willetts (now in the Shadow Cabinet).

Despite its very close links to the Conservative Party it operates entirely independently. Its Thatcherite emphases on supply-side tax reform, individual freedom and scepticism about climate change haven't always sat comfortably with the 'über-modernisers' within David Cameron's team. Relations with David Cameron’s team have been much warmer since Jill Kirby’s arrival, a recent example being a series of seminars on the ‘post-bureaucratic age’ held jointly with Shadow Cabinet to explore the impact of technology on decentralising power, a key theme of the Cameron-Hilton agenda.