Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies until 2025, Paul is Provost of The Queen’s College, Oxford and Senior Advisor at Frontier Economics, one of the largest European economics consultancies. He is Visiting Professor at University College London’s Department of Economics and the UCL Policy Lab, a forum for politicians, campaigners, writers, artists, business leaders and grassroots activists to connect, enhance skills and knowledge, and work together for the common good.

Paul’s career spans influential government roles, including Chief Economist (Department for Education) and Director of Public Spending (HM Treasury), and involvement in major policy reviews on pension auto-enrolment, inflation measurement and fiscal devolution. He was a member of the Committee on Climate Change (2012-2023).

Paul is a frequent media commentator on tax, welfare, public finances, inequality, education and climate policy and writes a regular column for The Times. His bestselling book Follow the Money: How Much Does Britain Cost? exposed how government raises and spends over £1 trillion annually, drawing widespread acclaim for its clarity and impact. His latest book is Challenging Inequalities: How we got stuck and where we go next (2026).

Awarded a CBE for services to the social sciences and economics, Paul holds several honorary doctorates and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.