Long-time IFS director Paul Johnson to step down

Paul Johnson, director of the influential Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), has announced that he will step down from his role next summer.

Johnson, who became Director of the IFS in January 2011, will take up the role of Provost of Queen’s College, Oxford.

Johnson joined the IFS for the first time in 1988 before entering the civil service in 1998.

He went on to serve as chief economist in the Department of Education and as director of public spending in the Treasury. He also served as deputy head of the government economic service before re-joining the IFS.

Johnson’s commentary on the UK economy has featured prominently in the media. Most recently the IFS castigated both parties for the “conspiracy of silence” on the state of the public finances during the election campaign.

“This really is a bittersweet moment,” he said. “The IFS has been an incredibly important part of my life. I love it, what it does and what stands for, and all my amazing colleagues.”

“But after 14 years at the helm, it feels like the right time to move on and start a new chapter in my life,” he added.

Harry Gaskell, chair of the IFS board of trustees, said: “We will be very sad to see him go, but he leaves us in robust good health.

“And Paul’s legacy will endure, I have every confidence that our research and professional services staff will continue to produce an impressive quantity of policy-relevant research of outstanding quality.”

Imran Rasul, IFS research director, said Johnson was “not only a skilled communicator but an excellent economist”.

The IFS, set up in 1969, is a leading independent think tank that specialises in researching public policy and taxation. Its research is often cited by politicians looking to legitimate their own policies or criticise others.

Gaskell will work closely with the IFS trustees and the research director to appoint a new Director. Details of the process will be announced later this year.