Overview
- Neil Amin‑Smith was appointed to a senior special adviser economic role and his appointment was first reported on Friday, July 31.
- Amin‑Smith is a former Clean Bandit violinist who left the band in 2016 and later earned an MPhil in Economics at Cambridge.
- He joined the Institute for Fiscal Studies as a research economist and moved to HM Treasury in 2019, where he advised on City of London policy and worked closely with Rachel Reeves.
- The hire draws strong media attention for its celebrity angle while also highlighting continuity of Treasury technocratic expertise inside Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s early reshuffle.
- Chancellor John Healey has set a first Budget for October 28 and markets and international partners are awaiting costed fiscal and defence plans that Amin‑Smith may help prepare.