David Frost, the Rt Hon Lord Frost of Allenton CMG, to become IEA director general
The Board of Trustees of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is delighted to announce that David Frost will become director general and Ralph Harris Fellow of the Institute in January 2026.
His appointment marks the beginning of a new chapter for the IEA, one focused on rebuilding public understanding of how freedom, markets, enterprise, and limited government create prosperity.
Lord Frost, a former cabinet minister and diplomat, is one of Britain’s most prominent advocates of exactly these ideas. He will now make the case for them from the IEA. As the head of a charity, he will no longer take the Conservative whip and will sit in the House of Lords as a non-affiliated peer.
Lord Frost is known for his clarity of thought, strategic leadership, and ability to deliver institutional change. As the UK’s chief Brexit negotiator and then as a cabinet minister, he oversaw perhaps the most complex negotiations the UK has ever undertaken, demonstrating a rare capacity to combine principle with practical leadership. Earlier, both as a British ambassador and later as the head of a major trade association, he has shown the ability to lead and modernise organisations successfully.
Lord David Frost, incoming director general at the free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “I am delighted to be able to make the case for freedom from this new vantage point, as director general of the IEA, one of Britain’s oldest, greatest, and certainly most pro-freedom think tanks. The IEA helped create the conditions for Britain’s free market revolution in the 1980s by refusing to compromise on its principles and by advocating them so clearly that they entered into the political bloodstream. That now needs to happen again if we are to defeat the current bleak outlook of statism and collectivism.
“The IEA is an educational charity and does not engage in party politics. Accordingly I will no longer take the Conservative whip in the Lords. I will continue to contribute there as a non-affiliated peer. I will not be joining any other party.
“I look forward to having even greater freedom to say what I think and (to adopt the famous phrase of FA Hayek) to argue ever more strongly against the socialists of all parties.”
Linda Edwards, chairman of the IEA Board of Trustees, said: “I am delighted to welcome David Frost as the Institute’s next director general. He brings deep conviction, strong leadership, and a proven record of turning vision into action. He has led teams through major challenges, modernised complex organisations, and shown how clear principles can produce real results.
“The IEA was founded seventy years ago to change the climate of opinion and to move the boundaries of political possibility — what we now call the Overton Window — in the direction of a freer, more prosperous Britain. That mission is as urgent today as it was then.
“Times have changed, but the need for independent education and rigorous research on how free people and free markets create progress has not. With David at the helm, the IEA will renew its focus on education and ideas: inspiring students, shaping debate, and giving future leaders the confidence to stand up for freedom.
“We are genuinely excited to begin this new chapter under strong leadership, determined to reassert why economic liberty, personal responsibility, and limited government remain the surest foundations for a flourishing society.
“I would also like to thank Tom Clougherty for his excellent work as Executive Director over the past two years. He guided the IEA through a successful transition and strengthened and amplified its voice in public debate. We wish him every success in the future.”