Matthew Taylor

Matthew Taylor’s extensive political acumen led to his pivotal role as Campaign Co-ordinator and Director of Policy during the 1997 UK general election for the Labour Party. In this capacity, he significantly contributed to the Labour Party manifesto, the iconic pledge-card, and developed Excalibur, a rapid rebuttal database. He further served as Assistant General Secretary of the Labour Party until December 1998. Transitioning to policy leadership, Taylor then directed the Institute for Public Policy Research, a prominent left-of-centre political think tank, from 1998 to 2003, and co-founded the Labour Party-affiliated think tank Compass in 2003.

Taylor broadened his leadership impact by serving as Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) from 2006 until December 2020. During this period, he became a distinguished public voice, regularly appearing as a panellist on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Moral Maze’ since 2008 and presenting the discussion program ‘Agree to Differ.’ He frequently contributes opinion pieces to national newspapers and maintains a monthly column with the Local Government Chronicle, establishing him as a leading commentator on policy and social trends. He is also a visiting professor at Nottingham Trent University. In December 2020, Taylor announced his departure from the RSA, subsequently being appointed Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation in June 2021, a role he continues to hold.

His significant contributions to public service and employee rights were recognized with his appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours. He was also elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) in 2016. Most recently, in 2024, he has been a leading voice in arguing for a renewed social contract for health and integrated care systems, demonstrating his ongoing influence in national policy discussions.