Institute of Economic Affairs

{{UKpolitics}}
{{cquote|<nowiki>[A]</nowiki> hard-right lobby group for vested interests of big business, fossil fuels, tobacco, junk food...|||James O'Brien|LBC Radio<ref name=monbiot20220805/>}}
'''The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)''' is a Westminster-based think tank that has long boasted an ‘E’ rating ("No or negligible relevant information provided.") from WhoFundsYou and zero stars out of five from Transparify for funding transparency.<ref>[http://whofundsyou.org/org/institute-of-economic-affairs Who Funds You?]</ref> It officially holds charitable status, despite being proven to act as a front for offering political access to large [[American]] corporations.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/29/rightwing-thinktank-ministerial-access-potential-us-donors-insitute-of-economic-affairs-brexit Rightwing UK thinktank 'offered ministerial access' to potential US donors], Robert Booth, The Guardian, 29 July 2018</ref> It lost a legal battle over being labelled a "hard right lobby group" according to openDemocracy.<ref>[https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/institute-for-economic-affairs-loses-battle-over-hard-right-lobby-group-comments/ Institute for Economic Affairs loses battle over ‘hard-right lobby group’ comments], Martin Williams, Open Democracy, 9 August 2021</ref>

The IEA operates under a franchise of [[hard-right]] think tanks called the State Policy Network. As an associate member of this network, they receive money from GlaxoSmithKline and State Healthcare; the Seale Freedom Trust correspondingly flaunts its aim to ‘reduce public sector services in healthcare’, including repealing [[Medicare]] in the US. To please their sponsors, the American 'journalist' Kate Andrews goes on a lot of [[BBC]] political programmes to advocate [[Privatization|privatizing]] the [[National Health Service]].<ref>[https://amityunderground.com/dissecting-the-iea-the-think-tank-committed-to-privatising-the-national-health-service-for-the-benefit-of-american-industry-kate-andrews-institute-of-economic-affairs-james-buchanan-milton-friedman/ Dissecting the IEA: the think tank committed to privatizing and Americanizing the NHS], Ruairi Wood</ref>{{dead}} Glaxo also came up in the covid era as a company that had competing and undeclared conflicts of interest in a government covid vaccine deal, according to the BMJ.<ref>https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/conflicts-of-interest-among-the-uk-governments-covid-19-advisers-are-not-transparent/</ref>

It has taken financial donations from [[tobacco]]<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/jun/01/thinktanks-big-tobacco-funds-smoking Health groups dismayed by news 'big tobacco' funded rightwing thinktanks], The Observer/TheGuardian.com, 1 June 2018</ref> and [[gambling]]<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/30/casino-owners-donated-iea-after-thinktanks-pro-gambling-report Casino owners donated to IEA after thinktank's pro-gambling report], The Guardian, 30 July 2018</ref> companies. In an undercover leak it was revealed that the IEA was involved in the "[[Brexit]] influencing game"<ref name=iea-news>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/29/rightwing-thinktank-ministerial-access-potential-us-donors-insitute-of-economic-affairs-brexit Rightwing UK thinktank 'offered ministerial access' to potential US donors], The Guardian, 29 July 2018</ref>, offering a service to get in touch with important political figures like [[Conservative_Party_(UK)#Michael_Gove|Michael Gove]], [[Boris_Johnson|Boris Johnson]], {{wpl|Liam_Fox}}, [[Steve Baker]] and {{wpl|David_Davis_(British_politician)|David Davis}}, in addition to [[Conflict_of_interest|including]] the shaping of research, for example, it could help US chicken and cattle farmers sell chlorine soaked chicken and beef to the UK. This would help sell salmonella to the UK public<ref>[https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/mbio.00540-18 Viable-but-Nonculturable Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica Serovar Thompson Induced by Chlorine Stress Remain Infectious],  Callum J. Highmore, Jennifer C. Warner, Steve D. Rothwell, Sandra A. Wilks, C. William Keevil, mBio, Vol. 9, No. 2 (2018)</ref>, on the other hand, ''it would be profitable''. Liam Fox was also being funded by Pfizer during the time of Atlantic Bridge and being David Cameron's aide<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/oct/11/david-cameron-aide-liam-fox David Cameron's aide worked for Liam Fox charity], ''The Guardian'', 11 Oct 2011</ref>, further inspection of the IEA's associations reveals a web of conservative lobbying.

==Connections to other think-tanks and notable persons==
[https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4005727/full-print The Hintze Family Charitable Donation], which {{wpl|Michael_Hintze}} is a trustee of, donated £100,000 to the IEA according to a (now dead) link to a report by the
[https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission Charity Commission]<ref name=guardianhintzelawson>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/mar/27/tory-donor-climate-sceptic-thinktank Michael Hintze revealed as funder of Lord Lawson's climate thinktank], The Guardian, 27 March 2012</ref>. Another report from them indicates donations of up to £50,000 in 2016.<ref>[https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search?p_p_id=uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet&p_p_lifecycle=2&p_p_state=maximized&p_p_mode=view&p_p_resource_id=%2Faccounts-resource&p_p_cacheability=cacheLevelPage&_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_objectiveId=A8605346&_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_priv_r_p_mvcRenderCommandName=%2Faccounts-and-annual-returns&_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_priv_r_p_organisationNumber=4005727 Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December20l6], The Hintze Family Charitable Foundation</ref> Michael Hintze is a large donor to many conservative causes, and even seems to have privately dined with David Cameron in the past. He is also linked to Liam Fox<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/oct/11/michael-hintze-liam-fox-backer Michael Hintze: Liam Fox backer who helped to bankroll foreign trips], The Guardian, 11 Oct 2011</ref>, who set up a dodgy charity that the charity commission struck off called {{wpl|The_Atlantic_Bridge}}, which was also founded by [[Margaret Thatcher]]. He is also linked to {{wpl|David_Henderson_(economist)|David Henderson}}, who was academic advisor chairman of {{wpl|Global_Warming_Policy_Foundation}}, a climate denial charity that has come under scrutiny over its non-transparency around its financial donors and received donations from Hintze.<ref name=guardianhintzelawson/> Henderson was responsible for articles like "Misguided Virtue: [[Objectivism|False Notions]] of Corporate Social Responsibility".<ref>[http://www.iea.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/files/upldbook126pdf.pdf Misguided Virtue], David Henderson, IEA, 2001</ref>

GWPF recently rebranded itself, possibly to avoid easily being called out by getting a name change to NZW (Net Zero Watch).<ref>[https://www.politico.eu/article/climate-change-skeptics-united-kingdom-science-deniers-rebrand/ UK’s climate science deniers rebrand], Politico.EU, 11 Oct 2021</ref> [[Steve Baker]] happens to be a trustee of the think tank, showing us that he and Hintze seem to be good chums.

Its interests also sometimes align with the {{wpl|Adam_Smith_Institute}}, which has also been around and was a major ally of Margaret Thatcher's during privatization. It also seems to want you to buy chlorine washed chicken.<ref>[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56eddde762cd9413e151ac92/t/59747741bf629a8e3d01a494/1500804930480/Chlorinated+Chicken.pdf Chlorinated Chicken: Why you shouldn't give a cluck], Peter Spence, Adam Smith Institute, April 2017</ref> It is worth noting that this think tank also had issues with the charity commission when it was offering lunches to get interviews with political figures<ref name=iea-news />. In fact, the Adam Smith Institute is part of the {{wpl|Atlas_Network}}<ref group=note>Funnily enough, the wikipedia page itself says that the name of the Atlas Network is not in fact a reference to Ayn Rand.</ref>. The IEA also is in that group, along with another controversial think tank called the {{wpl|Legatum_Institute}}<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/28/us-groups-raise-millions-to-support-rightwing-uk-thinktanks US groups raise millions to support rightwing UK thinktanks], The Guardian, 28 Sep 2018</ref>, who were also grilled by the Charity Commission for not remaining politically impartial as a charity.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jun/01/pro-brexit-thinktank-legatum-institute-broke-charity-rules-politics-watchdog Pro-Brexit thinktank broke charity rules on politics, watchdog says], The Guardian, 1 Jun 2018</ref>

It has a close relationship with [[Spiked]], the alt-right/libertarian online magazine. In 2018 Spiked published an article defending the IEA over allegations from Greenpeace about the IEA's opaque funding, headlined "This is just a smear campaign"; this anonymous article included an interview with IEA's Mark Littlewood.<ref>[https://www.spiked-online.com/2018/08/03/this-is-just-a-smear-campaign/ "This is just a smear campaign"], Spiked, Aug 3, 2018</ref> The IEA's Christopher Snowdon writes for Spiked, and the IEA's website promotes his appearances.<ref>[https://iea.org.uk/media/good-riddance-public-health-england/ Good riddance Public Health England], IEA, 1 Nov 2021</ref>

The IEA has close links to [[Liz Truss]], who became British Prime Minister in 2022. Her special advisor Ruth Porter was communications director at the IEA.<ref name=monbiot2022>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/23/liz-truss-power-extreme-neoliberal-thinktanks Has Liz Truss handed power over to the extreme neoliberal thinktanks?], George Monbiot, ''The Guardian'', 23 Sep 2022</ref> The IEA chief Mark Littlewood and another IEA worker Ruth Porter were involved with Truss in establishing the Free Enterprise Group of Conservative MPs, and Littlewood said Truss had spoken at more IEA events "than any other politician over the past 12 years", adding that Truss was "genuinely engaged in the ideas rather than just occasionally turning up to say a few warm words at a Christmas party".<ref name=monbiot2022/><ref>[https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/politico-london-influence/iea-way-or-the-highway-spad-advice-give-time-generously-2/ London Influence: IEA way or the highway — SpAd advice — Give (time) generously], London Influence, Politico, 8 Sep 2022</ref> OpenDemocracy even goes on to basically state that the economic policies that Liz Truss put forward and which were so awful were inspired directly by the IEA, and also goes on to mention that they are Rishi Sunak's old allies.<ref>https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/think-tanks-institute-economic-affairs-liz-truss-economy-crash/</ref>

==Funding==
Despite its funding being notoriously opaque, there is some information regarding it. Among its funders are oil baron Harry Boyd Earhart's Foundation ($72,500 in 2014 and 2015), Pierre F. Goodrich's Liberty Fund ($80,000 between 2014 and 2017), the Chase Foundation of Virginia ($40,000 from 2014 to 2017), [[John Stossel]]'s Center for Independent Thought ($10,000), Virginia-based Donors Trust ($10,000), and evangelical Christian fund manager John Templeton's Foundation ($497,000).<ref>[http://conservativetransparency.org/top/?recipient=6230&yr=&yr1=1996&yr2=2013&submit= Top Supporters of Institute of Economic Affairs], Conservative Transparency, accessed 29 Aug 2022</ref><ref name=guardian20191129>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/29/the-us-donors-who-gave-generously-to-rightwing-uk-groups The US donors who gave generously to rightwing UK groups], The Guardian, 29 Nov 2019</ref>

Naturally, it is supportive of tobacco companies, given that they have been quite charitable to the institute. (This includes funding some of [[Roger Scruton]]'s pro-tobacco publications.)<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/15/cigarette-packaging-corporate-smokescreen-liberty Cigarette packaging: the corporate smokescreen], George Monbiot, The Guardian, 15 July 2013</ref> Being that it received funding from BP oil, it is no wonder that it also engaged in climate denialism: in 2019 ''The Guardian'' said the IEA had "published at least four books, as well as multiple articles and papers, over two decades suggesting manmade climate change may be uncertain or exaggerated".<ref>[https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2018/07/30/bp-funding-institute-of-economic-affairs-gambling/ Revealed: BP and gambling interests fund secretive free market think tank], ''Unearthed'', Greenpeace, 30 July 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/10/thinktank-climate-science-institute-economic-affairs Revealed: top UK thinktank spent decades undermining climate science], ''The Guardian'', 10 Oct 2019</ref>

==Complaints==
It complained to media regulator Ofcom when radio presenter James O'Brien (hardly a Marxist firebrand) characterised it as a "hard-right lobby group for vested interests of big business, fossil fuels, tobacco, junk food" in 2019.<ref name=monbiot20220805>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/05/rightwing-thinktanks-government-bbc-news-programmes Rightwing thinktanks run this government. But first, they had to capture the BBC], George Monbiot, The Guardian, 5 October 2022</ref> He also called an IEA spokesperson "some Herbert" and stated the IEA was of "questionable provenance, with dubious ideas and validity" and funded by "dark money". Ofcom judged that nothing O'Brien said was a distortion of the facts, and he had offered them a right of reply; the IEA's complaint was rejected.<ref name=guardian20210809>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/aug/09/lbcs-james-obrien-wins-ofcom-battle-with-institute-of-economic-affairs LBC’s James O’Brien wins Ofcom battle with Institute of Economic Affairs], The Guardian, 9 Aug 2021</ref>

In 2019 it received a formal warning from the Charity Commission for England and Wales, for using charitable resources to campaign for a hard [[Brexit]] (total disengagement from the EU and European institutions), and specifically to fund a document arguing for a hard Brexit called ''Plan A+''. The Charity Commission said: "This clearly constitutes political activity and, as it does not further the educational purposes of the IEA, any costs incurred by the IEA will have been an inappropriate use of charitable resources."<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/05/rightwing-thinktank-breached-charity-law-by-campaigning-for-hard-brexit], The Guardian, 5 Feb 2019</ref>

Journalists [[George Monbiot]] and Carole Cadwalladr have repeatedly complained to the BBC about the broadcaster giving a platform to IEA employees without revealing the sources of their funding. In response to complaints, the BBC changed its editorial guidelines to say that information on the funding of think tanks "should be made available to the audience, when relevant to the context". However the BBC repeatedly ignores this guideline and invites the IEA to comment on news stories, even when figures closely connected to the IEA were in power, as with Liz Truss's government.<ref name=monbiot20220805/>

==See also==
*[[Cato_Institute|Cato Institute]]
*[[Think tank]]
*[[Front group]]
*[[Lobbying]]

==External links==
*[https://iea.org.uk/about-us IEA - About Us]
*[https://amityunderground.com/dissecting-the-iea-the-think-tank-committed-to-privatising-the-national-health-service-for-the-benefit-of-american-industry-kate-andrews-institute-of-economic-affairs-james-buchanan-milton-friedman/ Dissecting the IEA: the think tank committed to privatizing and Americanizing the NHS]

==Notes==
<references group=note/>

==References==
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[[Category:Think tanks]]

Categories: Think tanks