Labour life peer Lord Mendelsohn has joined the Adam Smith Institute (ASI), a leading economic policy think tank, as a Patron

Lord Mendelsohn, a Labour life peer in the House of Lords, has joined the Adam Smith Institute (ASI), one of the world’s leading economic policy think tanks, as a Patron.

With decades of experience bridging the worlds of politics and business, Lord Mendelsohn brings a wealth of expertise to the ASI.

As a Working Peer in the House of Lords, he has served as Shadow Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Shadow Minister for International Trade between 2016 and 2018, having previously been Shadow Minister for Business, Innovation and Trade between 2015 and 2016. He has also sat on the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee.

Today, he holds a number of roles in the business world, including as a Senior Adviser to Value Retail plc and as Chairman of Evoke plc, and is an investor and advisor in a wide range of sectors.

As a Patron, Lord Mendelsohn is eager to expand the reach of Adam Smith’s ideas, working across political divides to promote innovative market reforms that serve all of society. His blend of business and trade experience, both in politics and in business, makes him uniquely well-placed to support the ASI’s work.

The Adam Smith Institute is an independent, non-partisan think-tank, which was ranked as the top independent think-tank in the world by the University of Pennsylvania. It works to promote free-market economics through research, publishing, media outreach and education, and prides itself on putting forward bold and radical policy ideas to deliver real change.

The Institute is famous for its pioneering work over the last few decades on housing and planning, infrastructure, intergenerational inequality, taxation, internal markets in healthcare, education reform, future markets, and emerging technologies and AI. It continues to influence public policy today, demonstrated by the government’s recent adoption of proposals to empower local authorities to buy farmland at farmland prices before giving it planning permission for development.

Commenting on his appointment, Lord Mendelsohn, Patron of the Adam Smith Institute, said:

“I am excited to be joining the Adam Smith Institute, an organisation that champions the ideas of a philosopher whose great contribution to economic thinking has influenced across the political divide.

Adam Smith’s writings were an attempt to reflect a changing world, and they are as relevant today as they were then. In this new political era, there’s an opportunity for progressives to modernise Adam Smith’s legacy, moving beyond the laissez-faire caricature and making the case for Smith’s core ideas: that true prosperity must be inclusive and that markets must serve society, not the other way around. To resolve the UK's growth and productivity problems, it is essential that we harness the power of markets for the benefit of all, embracing the opportunities of initiatives such as public-private partnerships and infrastructure investment to help businesses thrive.

Good functioning markets require government to play a regulatory role to promote efficiency and fairness as well as prevent exploitation, including strengthening the voice of labour. This is the pro-business agenda the UK needs.

I look forward to working with the ASI across party lines to promote innovation and make free markets work at all levels of society.”

James Lawson, Chairman of the Adam Smith Institute, said:

"We are delighted to welcome Lord Mendelsohn as a Patron. His exceptional combination of political insight and business acumen will be a real asset to the ASI. Lord Mendelsohn’s experience will enable us to pioneer bold ideas to revitalise the UK economy, from fostering innovation to promoting entrepreneurship.

Lord Mendelsohn keenly understands the role of markets in boosting living standards and wages, and unlocking opportunities for society’s poorest. He will be instrumental in advancing our mission to champion market solutions that benefit everyone."

 -ENDS-

Notes to editors:

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Lord Mendelsohn will be our keynote speaker at the Adam Smith Institute’s ‘The Next Generation' Drinks for u35s on the 5th November. Please email press@adamsmith.org if you would like to attend.

Lord Mendelsohn became a Peer in September 2013 and sits as a Labour Working Peer in the House of Lords. He was Shadow Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Shadow Minister for International Trade from 2016-2018, having previously been Shadow Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2015-2016 and was a member of the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee from 2019-2021.

He formerly served as a Policy and Communications Adviser to the Rt. Hon Tony Blair MP (1995-1997) and also served as Director of General Election Resources (2007 - 2010) and as an Assistant Treasurer of the Labour Party (2009 – 2011).

Lord Mendelsohn is the Chairman of Evoke Plc, the owner and operator of the 888 and William Hill businesses. He was formerly a Partner at Oakvale Capital, a corporate finance boutique. He serves as adviser to a number of companies and is also Senior Adviser to Value Retail Plc, the owner and operator of Bicester Village and shopping villages across Europe and China and soon the US. He is also an entrepreneur and investor with interests in sectors including agritech, energy, leisure and technology.

He serves as the President of the Commonwealth Jewish Council and a Director of the UK Abraham Accords Group.

The Adam Smith Institute is one of the world’s leading think tanks. It was ranked first in the world among independent think tanks and as the best domestic and international economic policy think tank in the UK by the University of Pennsylvania. Independent, non-profit and non-partisan, the Institute is at the forefront of making the case for free markets and a free society, through education, research, publishing, and media outreach.