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The Hardman Lecture 2019

Frank Haskew, head of the ICAEW Tax Faculty, reports on the Hardman Lecture 2019. Key topics covered by Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, who presented the lecture, included borrowing and spending, the future of state spending, tax policy choices and VAT anomalies.

Hardman Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), presented the Tax Faculty’s annual Hardman Lecture on 30 October 2019. Given the uncertainties over whether the UK might leave the EU the following day, Paul focused his talk around the tax policy challenges that will face any incoming government.

As it happened, this was a wise decision as it was announced that very morning that the UK would hold a general election on 12 December 2019. The presentation was therefore extremely well timed, and Paul’s well-considered speech and engaging delivery made for a thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable evening.