Novara Media Death in Westminster: 3. The City
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Mar 10, 2026 Dalia Gebrial, activist and urban-inequality commentator on homelessness and public space, and Peter Geoghegan, investigative reporter on money and power in Westminster, walk London’s power geography. They trace think-tank influence, offshore wealth in empty luxury homes, and how private money shapes political life. Short, sharp scenes move from Georgian terraces to a dark underpass where social failure becomes visible.
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IEA's Westminster Cultivation Story
- The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) began as Anthony Fisher's project after hearing Friedrich von Hayek and deliberately positioned itself near Westminster to influence politicians.
- Peter Geoghegan describes how Fisher hosted lunches and cultivated politicians like Enoch Powell to spread free market ideas from small London offices.
IEA Frames Tax Havens As Moral And Economic Goods
- The IEA defends tax havens as economically and morally beneficial, framing tax avoidance as freedom and competition.
- Kojo Koram notes the IEA's argument that offshore systems encourage wealth creation and let people keep as much money as possible.
Use Proximity And Hospitality To Influence Policy
- Build influence through proximity and hospitality by inviting policymakers to events and lunches to seed ideas.
- Peter Geoghegan explains the IEA moved close to Westminster, offering wine and sandwiches to get politicians to adopt their ideas.