Save the Centre

Save the Centre
Name	Save the Centre
Formation	2010s
Type	Political advocacy group
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Convenor
Website	(not provided)

Save the Centre is a centrist political advocacy group formed to influence policy debate and electoral strategy in the United Kingdom. It engaged with think tanks, party organizations, and media outlets to promote moderate policies and tactical alliances. The group sought to affect outcomes in parliamentary contests and national referendums through campaigning, research, and high-profile endorsements.

Background

Save the Centre emerged amid debates about realignment within the Conservative Party, Labour Party, and Liberal Democrats following the 2010 general election and the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. Founders included former officials associated with Cabinet Office projects, alumni of the Institute for Government, and commentators from outlets such as The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Times, and The Independent. The initiative drew on networks that included figures tied to the Shadow Cabinet, the Prime Minister's staff in previous administrations, and advisors who had worked with Nick Clegg, David Cameron, and Tony Blair.

The movement positioned itself in relation to historical events and institutions like the Third Way, the New Labour project, the centrist tradition in British politics, and international examples such as the Democratic Party centrists and the Dutch liberal movement. It referenced policy debates from the 2015 election through the 2019 election and the period of coalition government between 2010–2015 coalition.

Objectives and Campaign Activities

Save the Centre aimed to reduce polarization in parliamentary seats contested by candidates from the Conservative Party, Labour Party, and Liberal Democrats. It pursued objectives including tactical voting coordination similar to initiatives seen in Best for Britain, Open Britain, and The Independent Group for Change. Campaign activities included constituency-level endorsements, online advertising on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and production of briefing papers citing analysis from institutions like the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Resolution Foundation, and Centre for Policy Studies. The group organized debates featuring speakers associated with Chatham House, RSA, IMF, and academics from London School of Economics, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge.

Save the Centre coordinated volunteer canvassing modeled on operations used in campaigns by Change UK, Best for Britain, and Momentum while engaging with polling firms such as YouGov, Ipsos MORI, and Survation to refine messaging. It endorsed electoral pacts and advocated for reforms similar to those proposed by Electoral Reform Society, though stopping short of calling for wholesale changes advocated by proportional representation movements.

Organizational Structure and Funding

The organization adopted a loose coalition structure combining former parliamentary aides, think tank researchers, and private donors tied to financial centers in London, Canary Wharf, and institutions in Westminster. Leadership included a convenor, advisory board members drawn from alumni of Policy Network, Demos, and Centre for Social Justice affiliates, and campaign directors with backgrounds in the British Political Parties sphere. Funding sources reportedly included small-donor crowdfunding campaigns and major contributions from individuals linked to firms in the City of London, philanthropic foundations similar to Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and corporate donors active in sectors represented by CBI members.

Operational partnerships were formed with PR firms known for work with Keller Politics, agencies operating in proximity to Westminster lobbying circles, and legal counsel with experience in election law as applied in cases before entities such as the Electoral Commission and tribunals addressing Representation of the People Act disputes.

Political Positions and Policy Proposals

Save the Centre advocated a platform emphasizing fiscal prudence coupled with socially liberal stances akin to those historically associated with Liberal Democrats leaders and centrist figures like Tony Blair, Nick Clegg, and David Cameron. Policy proposals included targeted tax reforms drawing on analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and welfare adjustments referencing research from Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Resolution Foundation. On foreign policy, it supported continued engagement with NATO and cooperation within frameworks like the Council of Europe and the United Nations, while urging pragmatic stances on relations with European Union member states and negotiation strategies informed by precedents from the Good Friday Agreement process.

On public services, the group promoted commissioning models debated in reports from the National Audit Office and echoed policy options found in manifestos of centrist candidates in elections including 2017 and 2019. It also called for regulatory modernisation inspired by discussions in Financial Conduct Authority briefings and cross-party working groups in House of Commons committees.

Public Reception and Criticism

Public reception ranged from support among centrists in media outlets such as The Times, Financial Times, and commentators associated with The Spectator and New Statesman to skepticism from activists in Momentum and critics aligned with Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and other advocacy groups. Critics accused the group of enabling strategic tactical voting that favored establishment candidates, drawing comparisons to controversies involving Electoral Reform Society campaigns and debates around the AV referendum.

Accusations also referenced historical intra-party disputes, citing figures from the SDP era and alleging parallels with centrist realignment attempts led by politicians such as Roy Jenkins and David Owen. Media coverage by outlets including BBC News, Sky News, and ITV News scrutinized funding transparency and decision-making processes.

Impact and Outcomes

Save the Centre influenced several marginal constituencies by coordinating endorsements and mobilizing tactical voting campaigns in contests during general elections and by-elections, with measurable effects reported in polling by YouGov and seat modelling similar to analyses by Electoral Calculus. In some cases, its interventions were credited with helping defeat candidates associated with polarizing platforms tied to movements like Brexit Party and with bolstering moderate incumbents.

Outcomes included increased discourse on centrist cooperation, influencing policy debates in House of Commons committees and prompting responses from party headquarters of the Conservative Party and Labour Party. The long-term legacy involved renewed discussion about electoral strategy among centrist networks and think tanks such as Institute for Government and Chatham House, echoing earlier realignment episodes in British political history.

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom