The IEA Book Club will be hosting an upcoming event with Paul Johnson on his latest book, “Follow the Money: How Much Does Britain Cost”. This event will take place on Wednesday 7th June from 17:30 – 19:30 at the IEA Westminster offices. Chairing this event will be Matthew Lesh (Director of Public Policy and Communications).

Follow the Money is a forensic examination – by the man best placed to do so – of the way the state raises and spends £1 trillion of our money every year. To follow the money, Paul provides an explanation of where that money comes from and where it goes to, how that has changed and how it needs to change.

Paul shows how bad politics has resulted in poor and damaging policy decisions; why taxes are rising to unprecedented levels, and yet the welfare state is struggling under the strain of all that is being asked to do, and how we have neglected the young for too long. Johnson also challenges us to recognise that there are no easy solutions in making tough choices and the trade-offs that are the inevitable, if rarely acknowledged.

Paul has been Director of the IFS since January 2011. He is also currently visiting professor in the Department of Economics at University College London. Paul has worked and published extensively on the economics of public policy, with a particular focus on income distribution public finances, pensions, tax, social security, education, and climate change. He was awarded a CBE for services to the social sciences and economics in 2018. As well as a previous period of work at the IFS his career has included spells at HM Treasury, the Department for Education, and the FSA. Between 2004 and 2007 he was deputy head of the Government Economic Service. Paul is currently also a member of the committee on climate change and the Banking Standards Board. He was an editor of the Mirrlees Review of the UK tax system.

This event is exclusively for IEA Book Club members. For more information on the Book Club, please click the link here or get in touch at bookclub@iea.org.uk.