The IEA is delighted to invite you to a panel discussion on devolution in the United Kingdom.

RSVP by email or call 020 7799 8900.

Panellists include:

• Dr Angus Armstrong, Director of Macroeconomics, National Institute of Economic and Social Research


• Professor Philip Booth, Editorial and Programme Director, IEA


• Isabel Hardman, Assistant Editor, The Spectator (chair)


• Tommy Sheppard MP, SNP Spokesman for the Cabinet Office; Member of the National Council of the Scottish Independence Convention


• Matthew Sinclair, Senior Consultant, Europe Economics; Co-author of “Slicing up the public sector: A radical proposal for devolution”

Event background

The UK is one of the world’s most centralised countries when it comes to the division of powers between local and central government. Furthermore, the response to the Scottish independence debate has been to create a “half-way house” which might well be unstable. This panel will debate issues such as: the economic costs and benefits of further devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; whether there should be radical devolution of tax raising and spending powers to local government; whether a federal United Kingdom should be created; and the economic and political benefits of Scottish independence.

A Paragon Inititative Event

This event is part of The Paragon Initiative, a five year programme which will provide a fundamental reassessment of what Government should – and shouldn’t – do. It will put every area of Government activity under the microscope and analyse the failure of current policies.

Read more about the initiative here.