Wales should have fully devolved control over justice, policing and prisons

Luke Warren
7 November 2019
Government and Institutions

Wales should have fully devolved control over justice, policing and prisons

Wales having control of its own judicial powers should not be an exception, but the norm. On 24 October, the Commission on Justice in Wales published its report outlining that Wales should be granted full control over its justice system, including over police, prisons and the appointing of its own judges. The proposals conclude that ... Continue reading
Luke Warren
7 November 2019
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Anti-capitalism: trendy but wrong

Alexander C.R. Hammond
6 November 2019
Society and Culture

Anti-capitalism: trendy but wrong

You can’t escape it; capitalism has a bad rap. Last night, thousands of anti-capitalist protestors took to the streets in capital cities across the world. Wearing V for Vendetta-inspired Guy Fawkes masks (most of which are made in China), these self-styled “anti-establishment” demonstrators, who took part in annual Million Mask March, sought to express their ... Continue reading
Alexander C.R. Hammond
6 November 2019
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IEA debate: Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

Ralph Buckle vs. Julian Jessop
31 October 2019
Government and Institutions

IEA debate: Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

YES - says Ralph Buckle, Acting Director of Education, Outreach and Programmes, Institute of Economic Affairs. Taxation without representation Perhaps the strongest argument for lowering the voting age to 16 rests on the principle of “no taxation without representation”. If you are in employment at the age of 16, you are added to PAYE and ... Continue reading
Ralph Buckle vs. Julian Jessop
31 October 2019
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Neoliberalism in Chile – the unpopular success story

Kristian Niemietz
30 October 2019
Government and Institutions

Neoliberalism in Chile – the unpopular success story

After a long delay of more than four decades, the Chilean people are finally rising up against neoliberalism. They demand an end to the economic legacy of the Chicago Boys, the US-trained liberal economists who occupied key economic policy positions during Pinochet’s dictatorship. The socialist project of Salvador Allende, the Marxist president who headed Chile’s ... Continue reading
Kristian Niemietz
30 October 2019
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The problem with environmentalists’ “consumer good, producer bad” narrative

Rowan Wright
25 October 2019
Energy and Environment

The problem with environmentalists’ “consumer good, producer bad” narrative

Whenever a government campaign, NGO or well-meaning public figure endorses lifestyle changes that can benefit the environment, there is a predictable outcry from the usual suspects. “Don’t blame everyday folks!”, they cry. “Just 100 companies are responsible for over 71% of global emissions!” While on the surface this claim stands up to factual scrutiny, digging ... Continue reading
Rowan Wright
25 October 2019
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Do Northern Rail’s problems make a case for wider renationalisation?

Len Shackleton
23 October 2019
Transport

Do Northern Rail’s problems make a case for wider renationalisation?

Last weekend I had a boneshaking ride on one of Northern Rail’s notorious Pacers. These trains, dating from the mid-1980s, were built cheaply in the last days of British Rail. They are essentially buses on rails, using a Leyland Motors bus body mounted on a modified freight vehicle. They are often fitted out with the ... Continue reading
Len Shackleton
23 October 2019
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The new Brexit deal: What’s changed, is it preferable?

Victoria Hewson
18 October 2019
Government and Institutions

The new Brexit deal: What’s changed, is it preferable?

What's happened? The EU Commission and UK have agreed a new Protocol for Ireland/Northern Ireland and a new Political Declaration in respect of the future relationship. It is expected that the Council will endorse it at the summit this week, and UK Parliament will vote on it on Saturday. The main body of the Withdrawal ... Continue reading
Victoria Hewson
18 October 2019
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Protest peacefully as much as you like. But Extinction Rebellion deliberately try to cause economic damage

Andy Mayer
15 October 2019
Society and Culture

Protest peacefully as much as you like. But Extinction Rebellion deliberately try to cause economic damage

Extinction Rebellion (XR), the movement using direct action to seek to persuade the Government to adopt a headline 2025 net zero target to tackle climate change, has been banned from protest in London, after a week of law-breaking activities that have drained resources away from front-line policing. In practice this means XR protestors can be ... Continue reading
Andy Mayer
15 October 2019
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Radical green activists are no better than climate science deniers

Rowan Wright
14 October 2019
Energy and Environment

Radical green activists are no better than climate science deniers

“I don’t want you to listen to me – I want you to listen to the scientists. I want you to then unite behind the science – and take action.” These were the words spoken by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg to the US Congress last month. At face value, they are eminently reasonable. There ... Continue reading
Rowan Wright
14 October 2019
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Scrapping the tax-free lump sum for pension withdrawal: not such a terrible idea

Mark Littlewood
9 October 2019
Tax and Fiscal Policy

Scrapping the tax-free lump sum for pension withdrawal: not such a terrible idea

In an article in the Times earlier this week I suggested Sajid Javid take a bold approach to tax reform. I argued that we should strive for lower and simpler taxes. On its own, the former would probably make our tax system less progressive overall, while the latter would make it more progressive. Because the ... Continue reading
Mark Littlewood
9 October 2019
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