Our history

Over almost 25 years, Reform – now Re:State – has been shaping the debate on public service reform, producing robust research and putting forward radical yet implementable ideas to deliver better outcomes for citizens and better value for money for taxpayers.  

Reform was conceived in the autumn of 2001 and was formally founded at the beginning of 2002. While the topics it has published on have shifted over time, its focus on the improvement of public services for all and achieving value for money for the taxpayer has not. 

2001 

After the 2001 General Election, Nick Herbert, Reform’s first Director, and Andrew Haldenby canvassed support for an independent think tank to challenge the idea that increasing public spending, and taxation, was the only way to improve public services. They received their first donation in the December of that year. 

2002 

Reform’s formal launch was followed by its first publication on the then Government’s fiscal plans, Spending without reform. Its first journal included articles by Frank Field MP and David Laws MP. 

2005 

At the 2005 election, Nick Herbert became an MP. Andrew Haldenby took over as Director and Reform focused on identifying ways to reform public services to boost efficiency and cut waste. 

2008 

The financial crash created a burning platform for government to deliver ‘more for less’ as the economy, and the public finances, took a huge hit. Reform’s study, Back to black, began the debate on public spending reductions that went on to dominate politics through to the 2015 General Election. Years researching how to reform public services to make them more efficient put Reform at the centre of the debate. 

2015 

Reform continued to develop its reputation for robust, cutting edge policy papers, publishing on education, criminal justice, health, welfare and fiscal policy. Papers on productivity put forward ideas for news ways of measuring school and prison performance, in welfare Reform was first to call for a new model of uprating in social security, and in social care put forward a new funding approach. Papers were published seeking to overhaul procurement and radically reform disability and sickness benefits – putting forward policies that have been adopted. Devolution of public services became a core theme. 

2018 

Reform published the first think tank report on AI in the NHS, Thinking on its own, kicking of a programme of work exploring how technology could help deliver better outcomes and better value in healthcare. The use of data and technology is a theme running through Reform’s work. In 2019, Charlotte Pickles became Director. 

2020 

As Covid-19 forced governments across the world to take drastic action to contain the pandemic, Reform published papers focused on improving the response. Analysing different countries’ approach to employment support programmes, Reform made the early calls for the Government to allow short-time working within the furlough scheme and implement much stronger anti-fraud mechanisms – both of which were implemented.  

2022 

In September 2022, Reform launched an ambitious new mission: ‘Reimagining the State’. In an essay by the Director to mark this new chapter, Reform called for a total overhaul of the functions of the State. “After a decade of disruption, in the wake of the pandemic, we find ourselves at a crossroads…Achieving radically different outcomes requires a radically different approach... It is time to reimagine how the State operates; to shape a new social settlement fit for today and the coming decades.” 

To do this, and put forward radical ideas need to remake the State, Reform launched two major work programmes: ‘Reimagining Whitehall’ and ‘Reimagining Health’. The following year a third flagship programme was established: ‘Reimagining the Local State’. In each of these areas, Reform has already achieved major success, with policies being adopted and implemented by Government. 

2025 

Reform becomes Re:State. As the think tank grows in impact and influence, the name reflects the legacy, builds on the momentum, and looks ahead to the vision of a State remade. It also reinforces Re:State’s strictly independent, cross-party charitable status, ending the confusion created by the Brexit Party renaming as Reform UK.  

In the coming years, Re:State we will continue to cement its position as Westminster's leading think tank for bold, cross-party ideas.