King's College London

The Way the Money Goes takes a detailed look at what happened to the UK's fiscal constitution - the framework for planning and controlling public spending - under three different governments from the early 1990s to the mid-2010s.

The book, which was co-authored by Maia King and Barbara Piotrowska (King’s College London) with Christopher Hood and Iain McLean (University of Oxford), was announced as the winner of the 2025 WJM Mackenzie Book Prize.

The award is run by the Political Studies Association, with the judging panel describing it as “a noteworthy contribution to political studies”.

The citation said: “This impressive book expands our understanding of how public spending occurs in practice, while making novel theoretical contributions to the politics of public finance and administration.

“This book’s analytical approach, rich empirical materials and comparative perspective make it a noteworthy contribution to political studies.”

The book draws on more than 130 in-depth interviews with civil servants and ministers who were involved in public spending over a period of more than two decades, as well as archival documents from the same timeframe. It highlights that while key aspects and formal rules of the UK’s fiscal system remained unchanged over time, their enforcement was inconsistent, and spending classifications played a significant role in shaping financial decisions.

The academics said: "We were delighted to receive this year’s W J M Mackenzie Prize and are grateful to the judging panel and the Political Studies Association for their consideration. We are hugely grateful to our co-authors Iain McLean and the late Christopher Hood, who led the project from its inception. This recognition feels especially meaningful in light of Christopher’s passing in January. His dedication and brilliance made this book possible, and this prize is a wonderful testament to his vision."

One of Christopher’s last speaking engagements, on ‘accountability and the budget’, was hosted by the King’s Centre for British Democracy.

You can find out more about the book and the Mackenzie Book Prize here.