IEA Blog

Defence and markets are unusual bedfellows. Typically, defence is regarded as an activity which is state-provided and state-funded with very … Continue reading “Do market mechanisms have a role to play in national defence?”

…continued from Part 1    Between the 17th and the 19th century, some people in Britain made a lot of money … Continue reading “Book review: “Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution” by Maxine Berg and Pat Hudson (Part 2)”

In September 2022, the IEA published my paper Accounts and Accountability, which argued that the government’s proposals for further regulating … Continue reading “Audit reform: a short-lived victory for economic sense”

I try to judge a book not primarily by whether or not I agree with the authors’ main conclusions, but … Continue reading “Book review: “Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution” by Maxine Berg and Pat Hudson (Part 1)”

The UK’s Conservative Party 2019 manifesto committed to banning the imports of hunting trophies, and for the last year a … Continue reading “The UK’s trophy hunting import ban risks undermining wildlife conservation efforts”

Aside from one welcome element, making permanent the full expensing of business investment, yesterday’s Autumn Statement demonstrates that the Tories … Continue reading “A verdict on the Autumn Statement”

…continued from Part 1   Chapter 4 addresses the old Marxist idea that wealth must be built on exploitation, but … Continue reading “Book review: “The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World” by Johan Norberg (Part 2)”

On 6 November, the IEA published my paper “Has Brexit Really Harmed UK Trade? Countering the Office for Budget Responsibility’s … Continue reading “Britain after Brexit: a 10-point response to Peter Foster”

I first came across Johan Norberg almost exactly 20 years ago, when the German translation of his book In Defence of … Continue reading “Book review: “The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World” by Johan Norberg (Part 1)”