The Bruges Group is a think tank based in the United Kingdom.
The group is often associated with the Conservative Party, though it is independent of it and remains an all-party organisation. Its Honorary President is Baroness Thatcher, and its Chairman is Barry Legg, who is a businessman and was Chief Executive of the Conservative Party and a former Member of Parliament.
Set up in February 1989, its original aim was to promote the idea of a less centralised European structure than that emerging in Brussels. Its inspiration was Margaret Thatcher's Bruges speech in September 1988, in which she remarked that, "We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them re-imposed at a European level". The Bruges Group's research now includes looking into alternative international relationships for the UK and a complete restructuring of Britain’s relationship with other European countries.
Although the Group’s President in Baroness Thatcher many senior Labour politicians have addressed their meetings including the former Labour minister Frank Field, MP, Gisela Stuart MP, Lord Stoddart of Swindon and Labour Cabinet Minister the late Rt Hon. Peter Shore.
Read more about Bruges Group: Bruges Group in The Media, Activities, The 1980s and 1990s
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