Logo.png) | |
| Formation | 2003; 23 years ago (2003) |
|---|---|
| Founder | Tom Bentley Michael Jacobs Neal Lawson Matthew Taylor |
| Location |
|
Chair | Neal Lawson |
| Affiliations | Labour Party |
| Revenue | £326,297 (2018) |
| Expenses | £323,753 (2018) |
| Website | compassonline |
Compass is a Britishcentre-left[1] pressure group, aligned with theLabour Party which describes itself as: "'An umbrella grouping of the progressive left whose sum is greater than its parts". Like the formally Labour-affiliatedthink tank theFabian Society it is a membership-based organisation and thus seeks to be a pressure group and a force for political organisation and mobilisation.
Compass was launched in 2003 byTom Bentley ofDemos,Michael Jacobs of theFabian Society,Neal Lawson ofLLM Communications andMatthew Taylor of theInstitute for Public Policy Research[2] with the publication of a statement calledA Vision for the Democratic Left. Supported by a number of academics and Labour politicians unhappy with the political direction of prime ministerTony Blair, this was the first attempt by Compass to help guide the Labour government. Since then, it has published pamphlets and a series of booklets as part of its Programme for Renewal, aiming to chart an alternative path for left governments and for centre-left activists in the UK.
In June 2023, it was revealed that the chair of Compass, Neal Lawson, faced possible expulsion from the Labour Party due to allegedly tweeting in support ofGreen Party candidates in 2021.[3][needs update]
Since its inception, Compass has risen in influence and media prominence. The Chair,Neal Lawson, has written forThe Guardian newspaper, and when he called forTony Blair to resign in May 2006, it was widely reported elsewhere.
Compass organises an annual conference. The event on 17 June 2006 included many figures identified with Labour and the trade union movement, such asEd Balls,Neal Lawson,Derek Simpson,Hilary Benn,Fiona Millar,John Harris,Hazel Blears,Kevin Maguire, andEd Miliband. There were calls for, amongst other things, theabolition of the monarchy and the destruction of nuclear weapons, put forward by the membership.[4] In 2006 it merged with theCatalyst think tank.
The 2007Robin Cook Memorial Conference "Shaping Our Global World" included speakers such asKen Livingstone,Dave Prentis,Frances O'Grady,Jon Cruddas andHelena Kennedy as well as panels and seminars organised by groups such asUnison,Friends of the Earth,War on Want,Liberty, theFabian Society and the Citizen Organising Foundation.
In 2010, Compass established the High Pay Commission on top pay and inequality, which in turn became theHigh Pay Centre think tank in 2011.[5]
The Compass website is a source of information about Labour politics, with regularly posted opinion pieces written by a wide range of authors with an invitation for responses from readers.
Since a decision in 2011 to open membership to people from other political parties, Compass has lost influence within the Labour Party.[6]
The Programme for Renewal is the name of the Compass policy review. This has involved commissioned 'thinkpieces' for publication on the organisation's website, seminars, working groups and online discussions involving over a hundred academics, policy thinkers and practitioners. The outcome of this process was three short books.The Good Society outlined the Compass conception of a progressive society, A New Political Economy explored progressive and alternative economic policies andDemocracy and the Public Realm looked at the renewal of democratic processes and structures. The text of these books was made available online in order to be subjected to discussion and debate.
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(July 2023) |
Compass is managed by a committee of persons elected by the membership bi-annually. The Management Committee 'provide[s] strategic direction for Compass and make[s] decisions on behalf of the membership'. In an attempt to promote equality, the Committee has a gender quota. The Committee meets between four and five times a year.[7]
| Member | Position |
|---|---|
| Anshu Srivastava | |
| Clive Lewis | |
| Siân Berry | |
| Martin McIvor | |
| Kahra Wayland-Larty | |
| Hannah Peaker | Women's Equality Party Representative |
| Ruth Lister | Chair of the Management Committee |
| Sue Goss | Vice-Chair of the Management Committee |
| Mark Cooke | Compass Treasurer |
| Paul Pettinger | Liberal Democrat representative |
| Russell Elliott | Welsh Representative |
| Francesca Klug | |
| Jeremy Gilbert |
| Member | Position |
|---|---|
| Neal Lawson | Chair of Compass |
| Ruth Lister | Chair of the Management Committee |
| Mark Cooke | Treasurer |
| Sue Goss | Vice-Chair of the Management Committee |
| Lisa Nandy | Parliamentary Representative |
| Willie Sullivan | Scottish Representative |
| Russell Elliott | Welsh Representative |
| Tom Wallis | Compass Youth |
| Eliane Glaser | |
| Indra Adnan | |
| Mathew Hulbert | |
| Siân Berry | |
| Nadine Rae |
Previous members have included MPsJon Trickett andChuka Umunna.
Compass holds an Annual General Meeting, open to all members, at which the constitution, policy and strategy of the organisation can be debated and amended.[9]
Compass Youth is an autonomous organisation which aims to engage young people to find out what issues really matter to them,[10] develop their skills to turn ideas into action[11] as well as organise and champion campaigns young people can get involved in.[12][better source needed]
It is best known for its campaigning onVotes at 16, its participative manifesto debates[13] and Love Difference festivals.[14] It has developed right across the country represented regionally and on university campuses.[15][better source needed]
In September 2025, Compass and soft-left groupOpen Labour launched a network,Mainstream Labour.[16]
In November 2022, the funding transparency websiteWho Funds You? gave Compass an A grade, the highest transparency rating (rating goes from A to E).[17]