Social Affairs Unit
{{Short description|Right-leaning think tank in the United Kingdom}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Social Affairs Unit
| image = Social Affairs Unit logo.jpg
| size = 104px
| abbreviation = SAU
| motto =
| formation = {{start date and age|1980}}
| type = Social policy think tank
| headquarters = London, United Kingdom
| leader_title = Director
| leader_name = Michael Mosbacher (2004 - 2019)
| website = [http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/ www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk]
}}{{Conservatism UK|Organisations}}
The Social Affairs Unit was a right-leaning think tank in the United Kingdom.it is "commonly described as a right wing 'think-tank'". M. E. Tasker; D. E. Packham, "Freedom, funding and the future of the universities", Studies in Higher Education, Volume 15, Issue 2 1990, pages 181 - 195. p190 Founded in 1980 as an offshoot of the Institute of Economic Affairs, it published books on a variety of social issues. Its website notes that "many SAU supporters are inclined to believe that the generation which fought the Second World War were rather too keen on social engineering over the goals of personal responsibility".Social Affairs Unit, [http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/about_us.php About Us], accessed 9 August 2010
The Unit published Standpoint (2008 - 2021), a monthly cultural and political newsstand magazine edited by Daniel Johnson (2008 - 2018), Michael Mosbacher (2018 - 2019), Edward Lucas (2019 - 2020) and Andreas Campomar (2020 - 2021).{{cn|date=April 2025}}
History
The Social Affairs Unit was established in December 1980 as an offshoot of the Institute of Economic Affairs, in order to carry the IEA's economic ideas into the field of sociology. "Within a few years the Social Affairs Unit became independent from the IEA, acquiring its own premises."Muller, Christopher (1996), "The institute of economic affairs: Undermining the post-war consensus", Contemporary British History, Volume 10, Issue 1 Spring 1996, pages 88 - 110. p102 Founded in 1980 as a registered charity,[http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?chyno=281530 Social Affairs Unit], Charity Commission, charity number 281530 its founder chairman was Professor Julius Gould, and its founder Director, Dr. Digby Anderson. Anderson often contributed leading articles to UK national newspapers, was Director from 1980 to 2004, when he retired and was succeeded by Michael Mosbacher.Digby Anderson, Social Affairs Unit [http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/blog/archives/000303.php Why oldies should be amused and amusing] February 24, 2005], Accessed May 2, 2008
Funding
Documents released as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement showed that the Unit accepted funding from British American Tobacco in the 1980s.Legacy Tobacco Documents Library [http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/dqo02a99][http://bat.library.ucsf.edu//tid/jig30a99] [http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/wgz20a99]
People
=Trustees=
- Prof. David Womersley
- Prof. Simon Green
- Mark Fisher CBE FRSA
=Other=
- Director: Michael Mosbacher (2004 - 2019)
- Media Fellow: Richard D. North (2004 - 2012)
=Advisory Council=
- Dr. Digby Anderson
- Dr. Alejandro Chafuen
- Professor Christie Davies (died 2017)
- Professor Adrian Furnham
- Professor Jacques Garello (died 2025)
- Professor Nathan Glazer (died 2019)
- Dr. Simon Green
- Professor Leonard Liggio (died 2014)
- Professor David Martin (died 2019)
- Professor Antonio Martino (died 2022)
- Professor Michael Novak (died 2017)
- John O'Sullivan
See also
Books
- {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0BO5PAAACAAJ |title=Anti-totalitarianism: The Left-wing Case for a Neoconservative Foreign Policy |author=Oliver Kamm |publisher=Social Affairs Unit |year=2005 |isbn=978-1780227955}}
- {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=osAgAQAAMAAJ |title=Diet Nation: Exposing the Obesity Crusade |author=John Luik, Patrick Basham, Gio Gori |publisher=Social Affairs Unit |year=2006 |isbn=978-1904863199}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/ The Social Affairs Unit]
- {{EW charity|281530|Social Affairs Unit}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1980 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Organisations based in London
Category:Political and economic think tanks based in the United Kingdom