By Vivienne Russell
3 December 2010
A former Treasury economist has been appointed as the new director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Paul Johnson will take over at the beginning of January, it was announced today.
Johnson was director for public spending and deputy head of the Government Economic Service at the Treasury between 2004 and 2007. Before that he was chief economist at the Department for Education and head of economics at the Financial Services Authority. He also worked at the IFS for ten years, from 1988 to 1998, and spent two years as deputy director.
Johnson said: ‘It is a huge honour and responsibility to take on the directorship of the IFS. It has built a formidable reputation for combining authoritative, independent analysis of public policy issues with academic research of the very highest quality.
‘With the government facing an unprecedented fiscal deficit, having recently announced radical changes to public spending, and with major welfare reforms in the offing, this is an important and fascinating moment to be taking over.’
IFS president Rachel Lomax added: ‘Paul is exceptionally well qualified to lead the institute – he is a highly regarded economist of great integrity, with a broad experience of policy. He has been closely associated with the IFS throughout his career, and it is a particular pleasure to welcome him back as director.’
Former IFS director Robert Chote left the institute at the beginning of October to take up the position of chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Deputy director Carl Emmerson is serving as acting director in the interim.
