The UK’s debt is climbing sharply, and the next government will have to cut spending and raise taxes once economic growth returns. This conference will bring together four speakers from Canada, Ireland, Sweden, and Australia to discuss how their governments balanced the books in recent years, and what social and economic costs and benefits ensued.
The politics of the UK public finances.
Gemma Tetlow, Senior Research Economist, IFS
Sally Keeble MP, member of Treasury Select Committee (tbc)
Andrew Tyrie MP, former special advisor to Chancellors Lawson and Major, member of Treasury Select Committee
Lord Newby of Rothwell, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman
The politics of debt reduction in Canada.
David Herle, political advisor to finance minister and prime minister Paul Martin, on the politics of the Canadian cuts of the 1990s.
Respondents:
Charles-Antoine St-Jean, former Comptroller General, Canada (tbc)
Warwick Lightfoot, economist,former special advisor to Norman Lamont (tbc)
Julian McCrae, Research Fellow, Institute for Government, and former member of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit (tbc)
Taxation and the economy – lessons from Ireland
Professor Colm McCarthy, economist and commentator, on how Ireland is dealing with the collapse in its tax base.
Respondents:
Christopher Cook, economics leader writer, Financial Times
Chris Sanger, Head of Tax Policy, Ernst and Young
Comparing Sweden and Australia’s public services reforms
Pär Nuder, Swedish finance minister from 2004 to 2006, on how Sweden cut public spending by 17 per cent of GDP since 1993.
Dr Chris Aulich, academic and commentator on Australia’s public sector, on John Howard’s privatisations and public services reforms which reduced the size of the state to 33 per cent of GDP.
Respondents:
Professor Nick Bosanquet, Professor of Health Policy, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College and Consultant Director, Reform
David Walker, communications director, Audit Commission, formerly the Guardian
CentreForum is grateful to Ernst and Young and Foreign Affairs and Trade Canada for having supported this event.
