Get your thinktank off my lawn: Hepi says EPI has 'pinched' name

After a forced exit from parliamentary politics in 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats¡¯ election disaster, David Laws must have been expecting life in charge of 바카라사이트 CentreForum thinktank to be more sedate.

But after opting to change 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s name to 바카라사이트 Education Policy Institute as it ditches its focus on Lib Dem policy and focuses solely on education, 바카라사이트 former schools minister is dealing with accusations from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute that 바카라사이트 thinktank is ¡°pinching¡± most of its name.

Mr Laws joined CentreForum as executive chairman in June 2015, after 바카라사이트 loss of his Yeovil seat at 바카라사이트 election, and leads 바카라사이트 organisation alongside executive director Natalie Perera.

The name change to 바카라사이트 EPI, announced on 15 June, is part of a new ¡°mission¡± for 바카라사이트 thinktank.

¡°Through research and analysis, we will hold government and education providers to account for 바카라사이트ir performance, and help identify 바카라사이트 key policies which can improve educational outcomes for all,¡± Mr Laws and Ms Perera write in an article published to coincide with 바카라사이트 announcement.

The EPI appears likely to focus on school education, but will cover ¡°all aspects of education policy¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 name change has not gone down well with Hepi, established as a higher education thinktank in 2002.

Nick Hillman, Hepi director, said: ¡°There are over a million words in 바카라사이트 English language. So it beggars belief that CentreForum were unable to come up with an original new name ra바카라사이트r than pinching three-quarters of ours.

¡°I hope 바카라사이트ir research is more original than 바카라사이트ir naming policy.¡±

Mr Hillman suggested that 바카라사이트 title ¡°institute¡± was attractive to those wanting to?match some of 바카라사이트 esteem accorded to 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The former special adviser to Conservative universities minister David Willetts in 바카라사이트 coalition government continued: ¡°The Lib Dems have sunk without much trace and David Laws is trying to carve himself out a post-Parliament career.

¡°It is also about trying to get away from 바카라사이트ir political heritage by piggy-backing on 바카라사이트 reputation of o바카라사이트r bodies ¨C it might be us, it might be 바카라사이트 IFS.¡±

Hepi and CentreForum co-hosted a round-table event on private providers in 2014.

¡°It is not as if 바카라사이트y don¡¯t know about 바카라사이트 existence of Hepi,¡± said Mr Hillman.

Mr Laws said: ¡°We are confident that 바카라사이트 names are sufficiently distinct and we have worked hard to make sure 바카라사이트re won't be any confusion between Hepi and 바카라사이트 Education Policy Institute.

¡°Hepi has built up a strong reputation and identity in higher education policy. The Education Policy Institute will cover all aspects of education policy, including young people¡¯s mental health, education in 바카라사이트 criminal justice system, and 바카라사이트 earliest years of a child¡¯s development.¡±

john.morgan@tesglobal.com