Young Blood Needed at the Daddy of Think Tanks
Propeller-Head Wonk Watch: The venerable Institute of Economic Affairs is the grand-daddy of think tanks. Founded in 1955 it fought long and hard for the cause of economic liberalism, laying the intellectual foundations for the defeat of socialism, inflation and the framework for monetarism. They had policy success from the late seventies for two decades.
The IEA's example spawned think tanks around the world and spread the Thatcher-Reagan Revolution worldwide. In the New Labour era it has been eclipsed, first by the IPPR, then as the Tories march to power by Policy Exchange.
It spends a million pounds a year, more than even Policy Exchange, yet makes little impact. The IEA's publishing seems focused on reprints from the glory days. The director, John Blundell, is low profile, and never seen on broadcast media. He has successfully raised £1.4 million for the Ralph Harris Fellowship, mainly from the late Dorian Fisher (the founder's widow). He himself is the fellow and it consolidates his own position - some 20% of the IEA's income pays for the compensation of John and Christine Blundell.
The low profile and high cost of Blundell is beginning to concern the trustees. The complete lack of influence on the Conservative Party agenda on the eve of government is a big disappointment. One IEA insider lamented to Guido that the fledgling IEA off-shoot in Ghana got more media coverage than the half-century old former intellectual power house.
Blundell has long wanted to take up a think tank position in the U.S. In comparison to Cato and Heritage in Washington the IEA has contracted as they have grown in the last decade. Some trustees think that his fellowship could be a cheap price to move him sideways across the Atlantic, taking a step back from the day-to-day operations, letting him concentrate on fund raising from U.S. foundations with a new grand title. A fresh director could take his place and re-energise the IEA.
The IEA Founder's party tonight will be a scene of much gossip and gentle jostling for succession. Possible successors to Blundell in the running are said to include; Tim Evans from the Stockholm Network, Matthew Elliott from the Taxpayers Alliance, City A.M's editor Allister Heath, the IEA's own Roger Bates and Julian Morris from the International Policy Network. If they want to influence the agenda of the next government, there needs to be a change at the top soon...
The IEA's example spawned think tanks around the world and spread the Thatcher-Reagan Revolution worldwide. In the New Labour era it has been eclipsed, first by the IPPR, then as the Tories march to power by Policy Exchange.It spends a million pounds a year, more than even Policy Exchange, yet makes little impact. The IEA's publishing seems focused on reprints from the glory days. The director, John Blundell, is low profile, and never seen on broadcast media. He has successfully raised £1.4 million for the Ralph Harris Fellowship, mainly from the late Dorian Fisher (the founder's widow). He himself is the fellow and it consolidates his own position - some 20% of the IEA's income pays for the compensation of John and Christine Blundell.
The low profile and high cost of Blundell is beginning to concern the trustees. The complete lack of influence on the Conservative Party agenda on the eve of government is a big disappointment. One IEA insider lamented to Guido that the fledgling IEA off-shoot in Ghana got more media coverage than the half-century old former intellectual power house.Blundell has long wanted to take up a think tank position in the U.S. In comparison to Cato and Heritage in Washington the IEA has contracted as they have grown in the last decade. Some trustees think that his fellowship could be a cheap price to move him sideways across the Atlantic, taking a step back from the day-to-day operations, letting him concentrate on fund raising from U.S. foundations with a new grand title. A fresh director could take his place and re-energise the IEA.
The IEA Founder's party tonight will be a scene of much gossip and gentle jostling for succession. Possible successors to Blundell in the running are said to include; Tim Evans from the Stockholm Network, Matthew Elliott from the Taxpayers Alliance, City A.M's editor Allister Heath, the IEA's own Roger Bates and Julian Morris from the International Policy Network. If they want to influence the agenda of the next government, there needs to be a change at the top soon...
50 comments:
The Institute of Economic Affairs?
I heard a debate on Radio Five last week in which the chair of the IEA, David Middleton, made some quite extraordinary comments which wouldn't have looked out of place on a BNP election leaflet.
Phrases like "slavery wasn't a bad thing", "child labour is good for the economy", "if children are being abused in sweat shops in India it's really none of our business", "we shouldn't apologise for or in any way regret slavery" and so on...
I couldn't quite believe my eyes. This nasty right-wing shit should be locked up and burnt alive.
Economic realism hurts your eyes, anony? Then you should listen more often. It was on Radio 5 live, after all. But then I guess that your ears are closed, and that your brain is a muddled mass of pinkish do-gooding doggy-do.
Guess what, the turkeys didn't vote for Christmas.!
comic book, 10 years of low inflation in the west was possible by 10 years of slave wages in the east.
wear trainers?
Times Scotchland expert says SNP might win in Beirut East
Cue meltdown for the National Socialist party if that happens.
Serious points from Guido.
Could Graham Mather be asked to return? Still about, bit of a centrist, but would be still be better than Blunder.
I wear sandals thank you very much.
It's because of the uncaring Holocaust-denying mentality of David Irving and his corrupt far-right cronies that half the world lives in poverty.
Not that I'd expect such a stat to worry you.
After all, they're only "darkies", aren't they?
See the linked story on the right, concerning allegations against Ray Lewis, his deputy mayor....?
Well, if you wondered what Ken Livingstone and Socialist Action are up to, now you know...
Smearing people actually trying to put the socialist disaster right....
White Liberals and Trots care not a jot for ethnic minorities, in fact they are quite happy to use racism if they get off message.
As Bill Clinton said earlier this week, Obama 'can kiss my arse'.
He was only one step from saying what he thought..
'uppity n***er'.
Comic Book Guy @ 5.57.
You can be "Right-Wing" without necessarily wanting to occupy the Sudetenland. Many of the humanitarian, and, yes, 'socialist' institutions were formed by "right-wingers". The blokes that started the Co-Operative movement were hard nosed, churchgoing businessmen with a firm line on law and order and dead keen on the profit motive. They did what they did out of a sense of duty to their fellow man. Would you describe them as left or right?
Sadly, many of the the fascist regimes in the world that are murdering and oppressing their own people often have the words, 'popular', 'socialist', 'people's', 'democratic' and 'republic' in the country's official title. Their presidents are sometimes referred to as 'comrade'. But hey, they are 'left wing' so that's alright then.
Told ya...
Guardian was behind the allegations fired at Ray Lewis...
No doubt fed to them by Socialist Action.
That's the trouble with democracy...it won't do what it's told by the Guardian.
seaxe @ 6:24
Yes, if it says 'People's Democratic...' then the one thing you can be sure of it that the leaders drive around in big limos whilst the peasants starve.
Re occupying Sudetenland:
I bet a few in Paris and Berlin would like to occupy Poland since the Polish President stuck up for the right of the Irish electorate to say NO to the EU federal sleight-of-hand constitution.
Eire, don't be bullied.
@comic book
Sorry what? where did the holocaust come into this? I didn't reveal my attitude to poverty, i simply said that:
"10 years of low inflation in the west was possible by 10 years of slave wages in the east."
you (as have I) have received the benefits of cheap imports which are cheap because of extremely low wages in China, Vietnam, etc. as well as child labour (ever buy a football?)
no it's not right (as i see it), but its a fact. to suggest that you (or anyone else) is innocent in this is laughable as we all tacitly accepted the way it was done. now as the east uses its huge dollar reserves to acquire resources and as the slave workers become richer and more demanding we have inflation and a shift in the balance of world economic power. we will all see how our countries are bankrupt (we don't make anythin) and our standards of living will fall as the standards in the east will rise.
it is an observation, not an ideological point.
ps. fuck off and die; 'darkies' no, they're people like me and you why do commenters such as yourself always refer to race in an effort to backup an argument?
people are people are people, you are a hypocrite.
pps. what is poverty? does a lack of material goods make you poor or is it an attachment to them? what is the value of life? how can you judge someone else's existence to be less valid than yours? (i.e. 'poverty', like beauty may be in the eye of the beholda)
Arthur Seldon CBE was the intellectual powerhouse behind the IEA, and was a huge influence on Maggie; since he passed away 3 years ago the ship has inevitably drifted
(for more see www.arthurseldon.org). His son is Anthony Seldon, biographer of Blair and Churchill, and Master of Wellington College
If the IEA is a bit moribund then try visiting the Adam Smith Institute web-site. It has an active blog section. It's not a sweary site though.
Hold on: hasn't the IEA spent 53 years championing the globalisation that has made us so dependent on imported food and oil, not to mention the dodgy global capital that has wrecked our banks' liquidity? (I leave aside what they evidently consider the minor moral matter of enslaving the world's poor). Why should we celebrate this more out-in-the-open version of Bilderberg?
Pity - the IEA used to be excellent, and its magazine, "Economic Affairs" was really interesting, and unique in its subject matter.
All think-tanks have a sinister air about them. I wonder who's paying for these people to think, and what the backers hope to get out of it.
Hate to say it but isn't there a whiff of racism about the pursuit of Ray Lewis? Seems to me that anyone influential to the white mayor who is not white himself gets pillioried. Wonder what Ken and Lee think? Let's watch Newsnight to find out.
Good post Guido, about something I was totally ignorant of. Thanks.
"July 3, 2008 5:57 PM"
You had better be a parody...otherwise you are 'utterlyfuckwitwankdiv' and I calim my £5.
That would be claim of course.*
*Self flagellating pedant alert. I'm changing my name to Gordon...so there.
anon 6:42, you are Nick Griffin in disguise. Cunt.
Gutless vermin like you do not give a fuck about the billions living in squalor on the other side of the world so long as you get cheap clothes are beneath contempt.
I see Ray Lewis was lying through his teeth on Ch4 news. A nonce and a fraudster eh? He's just as bad, if not worse, than Lee Jasper.
Ditch him Boris, quickly!
Guido . . . does it really matter a toss? Gordo is going to be here for a very long time – 2 or 3 elections at least – that’s over a decade. His genius is going to eclipse all the tory fuck-up plans for HIS wonderful state planned agendas – well five-year plans really.
And the EU will have their own think tanks too – and squitty GB plc will have to fall in with that.
Oh and tractor prod is up, and peasants will al be given a parcel of land to grow spuds to make vodka.
Isn’t life grand?
Comic book guy is a computer generated parody, or his brain is made of my little pony poo. Either way, he exposes the sloppiness and irrationality behind the knee-jerk left wing thinking that dominates this country. The arguement goes like this: look at the poor kids working in factories in India. We must do something! We must stop nasty capitalists from hiring kids! We must boycott goods made in India! Result: Indian families without employment, without enough to eat, more kids begging on the streets, more poverty, more death. Twat. It is NOT our problem. India will develop, at its own pace, irrespective of your attempts to stop it, and we help it best by buying their goods, and by keeping our noses out of their business.
" Anonymous said...
All think-tanks have a sinister air about them. I wonder who's paying for these people to think, and what the backers hope to get out of it.
July 3, 2008 7:23 PM"
If you want a bit of sinister try the Tavistock Institute.
Bernays...a Fraudian slip.
Just sayin'
so let me get this right Comic book guy ..
It is ok for the UK to use child labour in the last century to raise our standard of living, but any poor country which tries to do the same has to work to 21 century morals set by us?
Can you really see the industrial revolution happening with a jobsworth Health & Safety fella?
Makes you wonder if the people who are anti child labour have some hidden agenda where they keep the poor as poor as possible- after all, where does an unemployed aid worker get work?
Ah, I love this site...
Lee Jasper... nasty little corrupt shit, there's gonna be a lynchin' boys... yeeeeee ha!
Ray Lewis... its a witch hunt I tell you, a racist witch hunt organised by the trots in the church of england. Leave our darky alone.
Oh sweet tribalism.
So, there we have it.
The trot smears against the uppity deputy mayor are re-runs of smears that failed to stick last time around...
From the Guardian (aka Socialist Action's broadsheet bitch) website this evening.
'In one case, the allegation centred on a sum of nearly £30,000 entrusted to Lewis to invest on her behalf by a female parishioner.
Yesterday the woman, Mary Massey, issued a statement saying that although there had been problems with the investment during 1997 all the money had been returned to her, with interest, by Lewis by 2004.'
'A spokesman for the Met police that that between 2003 and 2008 the force received five complaints of commons assault against Lewis and one complaint of child cruelty. All six incidents were investigated but no arrests were made and it was decided that no further action needed to be taken.'
Nice try, Redmond. Anymore for anymore?
Incidentally, for those wondering WTF is going on, Socialist Action are hopping about in fear of the upcoming GLA audit results set in motion by Boris.
Guido. your live coverage of PMQs is spot on. Hows about going live on Thursday evening's Question Time?
Anon 10:33PM, agreed, it would be hilarious. I think the problem is that poor Guido would have to sit for an hour, starting at 2235, and approve each individual comment. It's apparently a feature of the widget that every comment has to be individually approved, so it would be a heroic effort on his part to do this for the whole of QT each week.
No harm in asking though!
... and culminated in the zygote that is borris johnson's pathetic tenure that is his short and wilting mayorality.
one, now possibly two members of senior staff within 3 months. he's fucking shite, just like any future camermong government.
go try spin it you bog trotting wanker - fuck off back to mick land, you plaggy paddy twat!
Anon 10:54
Go back to frigging yourself over your photo of Ken, you dog ugly lesbian who only munches rug because you can't get a proper man to give you the damned good shagging you so desperately crave
Guido misunderstands the purpose of the IEA. It has a long range mission to change the intellectual climate and stands above day-to-day politics. Thus the IEA cannot get seriously involved with the current Conservative Party without completely undermining the beliefs of its supporters by embracing big-government and environmentalism.
Blundell may not be a media tart, but behind the scenes he has had immense influence, through the hiving off of think tanks such as Civitas, the Social Affairs Unit and IPN, as well as the formation of dozens of free-market think tanks around the world. Sucking up to the Conservative Party for short-term influence would destroy the IEA and all that it stands for. When Cameron's half-baked neo-socialist reforms fail, the political elite will once again look to organisations like the IEA and the Adam Smith Institute for intellectual inspiration.
Ray Lewis- another bruvva bang at it, at the publics expense. The Africanisation of Britain is not an edifying sight.
"Gutless vermin like you do not give a fuck about the billions living in squalor on the other side of the world so long as you get cheap clothes are beneath contempt."
Are, the scream of the self-righteous leftie in the face of the triumphant capitalist consumer society. YOU LOST! HAHAHAHAHAHA.
Good post. I like the wonk watch bit.
Very shit comments.
Matthew Elliott of the Taxpayers Alliance - now there's a man who knows how to build a profile. Would he be up for the job?
IEA - fuck off and die.
Monetarism = discredited pile of bollocks.
only one man to revive the IEA - Adam Myers. He was a swivel eyed loon at university, and works there now, I believe. Just the guy to run it into the sand, as he did with York Uni Tories.
Blundell may not be a media tart, but behind the scenes he has had immense influence, through the hiving off of think tanks such as Civitas, the Social Affairs Unit and IPN, as well as the formation of dozens of free-market think tanks around the world.
None of those had anything to do with Blundell except maybe leaving the IEA to escape him. They were the legacy of the Seldon / Harris years. In contrast Blundell's time there has produced bugger all. Guido's right - and what's more any of the successors to Blundell he lists would be an improvement.
Maybe Blundell's problem is that he spends his afternoons drinking instead of running the IEA?
I think this post misunderstands the role of the IEA, which is to engage with academics and students as much as politicians. The IEA publishes a quarterly journal of peer review standard research, plus scholarly monographs that continue to feature leading scholars on topics like happiness, social capital, Catholic social teaching, the NHS, free trade, etc, etc. Like any organisation the IEA has its imperfections but in terms of bang for buck I think it does suprisingly well.
The last thing we need is for Tim Evans or Julian Morris to run the IEA. It would become another Pfizer/Microsoft/Exxon policy whore house.
How about Barry Macleod-Cullinane?
Or Paul Marks?
I completely agree with the posting and often think that my opinion in this matter has fallen on deaf ears. The IEA has to become more relevant and I am afraid with the health challenges facing John that will be an impossible task.
Also I think that a successor should not necessarily be from a think tank or a non-profit. What about from private industry? Someone who could turn around the IEA from its stagnation into something more dynamic?
John Blundell deserves a great deal more credit than this. He has managed to secure the IEA's funding without compromising its integrity. And this in a period when the ruling class has turned against economic freedom, first with Blair's New Labour and now with Cameron's Blue Labour. Recent IEA publications, such as Sixty Years On - Who Cares for the NHS?, have been excellent and highly relevant. But they are uncomfortable reading for the Conservative Party and its lickspittles in the Tory press. They expose political cowardice and a failure to address some of Britain's deep rooted problems - like a Soviet-style healthcare system that needlessly kills tens of thousands every year. Perhaps this helps explain why some IEA studies do not get the level of media coverage they deserve.
Barry McCleod-Cullinane...now there's a name to conjour with. Or Barry Mad-Cloud Insane as he was known at York.
I favour Paul Marks. He is very intelligent and could start up an IEA care in the community unit. He'd be ideal for that.
Yip yap wibble dibble
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