The IEA say 14 cabinet members are linked to them.
A secretively-funded think tank called the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is celebrating after 14 Tories associated with it were appointed to the cabinet.
In an email to supporters, the IEA said “Boris Johnson appointed possibly the most liberal, free-market oriented cabinet since the days of Margaret Thatcher.”
The IEA does not disclose who funds it and boasts to potential corporate donors of its influence in government.
It has lobbied against helping Ford workers in Bridgend, against a ban on junk food advertising and in favour of a UK-US trade deal.
In its email to supporters, it said that 14 of the Tories who will now sit around the cabinet table are alumni of IEA initiatives.
These include the chancellor Sajid Javid, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.
Others include:
- Robert Buckland, Justice Secretary
- Alun Cairns, Welsh Secretary
- James Cleverly, Party Chairman
- Matt Hancock, Health and Social Care Secretary
- Alister Jack, Scottish Secretary
- Andrea Leadsom, Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary
- Brandon Lewis, Minister of State for the Home Office
- Kwasi Kwarteng, Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
- Jacob Rees-Mogg, Leader of the House of Commons
- Julian Smith, Northern Ireland Secretary
- Liz Truss, International Trade Secretary
11 Responses to “Secretively-funded think tank celebrate ‘most free-market cabinet since Thatcher’”
Tom Sacold
However much I hate the Tories, this article is just plain silly. A conspiracy theory worthy of Area 51 and aliens.
The IEA has been a right-wing market-based research organisation for as long as I can remember. They produce their research like any other think-tank. We can criticise their work and their findings, but lets have some sort of self-respect and not go absolutely nutty in claiming that they are some sort of sinister secret organisation.
John Rooke
We are entitled to know who funds these propaganda efforts. That’s not conspiracy theory, it’s simply democratic transparency and accountability.
Patrick Newman
Sacold, you are exposed! No self-respecting socialist would defend the IEA. I don’t think you are naive – just a Right-winger. The IEA is neither an institution nor is it much concerned with economics. It is a secretly funded campaigning organisation working on behalf Right politics and economic policy. Dont you ever prattle on about neo-liberalism again!
Cole
Seems Sacold has indeed been exposed. His posts are so absurd it’s clear he’s a hard right winger posing as a socialist. And he’s not very good at it either.
I trust no one is daft enough to pay him.
John Traynor
FREER is a subsidiary of IEA and is peopled by Tory MPs.
https://ducksoap.wordpress.com/2019/02/24/freer/