ities ▁of ▁the ▁Th atch er ▁government . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁British ▁journalist ▁Andrew ▁Mar r ▁called ▁the ▁IE A ▁" und ou bt edly ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential ▁think ▁tank ▁in ▁modern ▁British ▁history ". ▁Dam ien ▁C ah ill , ▁a ▁Professor ▁of ▁Political ▁Econom y ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Sydney , ▁has ▁character ised ▁the ▁IE A ▁as , ▁" B rit ain ' s ▁oldest ▁and ▁leading ▁ne oli ber al ▁think ▁tank ". ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁IE A ▁appointed ▁Mark ▁Little wood ▁as ▁its ▁Director ▁General ▁with ▁effect ▁from ▁ 1 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁Pur pose ▁and ▁a ims ▁The ▁IE A ' s ▁director ▁Mark ▁Little wood ▁said ▁" We ▁want ▁to ▁totally ▁re frame ▁the ▁debate ▁about ▁the ▁proper ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁and ▁civil ▁society ▁in ▁our ▁country ▁… ▁Our ▁true ▁mission ▁is ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁climate ▁of ▁opinion ." ▁ ▁The ▁IE A ▁has ▁written ▁policy ▁papers ▁arg uing ▁against ▁government ▁fund ing ▁for ▁pressure ▁groups ▁and ▁char ities ▁involved ▁in ▁political ▁campaign ing . ▁This ▁does ▁not ▁affect ▁IE A ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁accept ▁money ▁from ▁government . ▁Char ity ▁Commission ▁rules ▁state ▁that ▁" an ▁organisation ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁char itable ▁if ▁its ▁purposes ▁are ▁political ". ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁the ▁Char ity ▁Commission ▁announced ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁to ▁investigate ▁whether ▁the ▁IE A ▁had ▁broken ▁its ▁rules . ▁ ▁Since