It is nearly eight years since the publication of The Orange Book by a group of Liberal Democrat thinkers, including Members of Parliament. Some see the publication as marking an important turning point within the Liberal Democrat Party as a number of influential members tried to persuade the party to embrace economic liberal thinking more enthusiastically. It has been argued that, without The Orange Book and the trends in thinking that it represents, the current coalition government would not have been possible and, as such, its publication was a milestone in terms of the reframing of the political debate in Britain.

The IEA is publishing an edition of its journal, Economic Affairs, examining the history of economic liberalism within the Liberal Party, the importance of The Orange Book and the implications for policy today. This panel discussion will examine the issues with leading thinkers and key players in the development of Liberal Democrat philosophy and policy.

The panel includes:

Dr Steve Davies, Education Director, IEA;

Prof Stephen Haseler, Professor of Government, The Global Policy Institute, London Metropolitan University;

Dr Tim Leunig, Reader in Economic History, LSE and Chief Economist, Centre Forum;

Mark Littlewood, Director General & Ralph Harris Fellow, IEA;

Paul Marshall, Co-Founder and Chairman, Marshall Wace LLP

RSVP (ACCEPTANCES ONLY PLEASE) to iea@iea.org.uk or 020 7799 8900