This war on obesity is “an attempt to divert attention” from the handling of coronavirus

3 July 2020
Lifestyle Economics

This war on obesity is “an attempt to divert attention” from the handling of coronavirus

Christopher Snowdon writes for Spiked

Throughout the visitation of Wuhan Virus, there has been a palpable desire from certain quarters to find a lifestyle factor to blame, but as IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon points out, "evidence for such assertions is hard to find". Writing for Spiked, Christopher argues that the Government should ditch nanny state interventions and ... Continue reading
3 July 2020
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Let’s not forget in our fight against Covid-19 the risk of an even worse health crisis

3 July 2020
Healthcare

Let’s not forget in our fight against Covid-19 the risk of an even worse health crisis

Annabel Denham writes for The Telegraph

One potentially dire consequence of the coronavirus pandemic has been the substantial reduction in the number of MMR jabs administered (5,000 fewer to end-April 2020 compared with last year) - which may, as IEA Director of Communications Annabel Denham warns, lead to a rise in measles - a highly infectious and more dangerous disease than ... Continue reading
3 July 2020
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“A bigger and bossier state” is not a solution to human character flaws

2 July 2020
Society and Culture

“A bigger and bossier state” is not a solution to human character flaws

Dr Kristian Niemietz writes for CapX

"The case for limited government does not rest on the assumption that we are all perfectly rational and benign. It rests on the assumption that whatever “messy, complicated human frailties” we may have as individuals are amplified, not neutralised, by politics and political decisionmaking" says Dr Kristian Niemietz, Head of Political Economy at the Institute ... Continue reading
2 July 2020
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Roosevelt’s New Deal was not the great saviour of the US economy

1 July 2020
Tax and Fiscal Policy

Roosevelt’s New Deal was not the great saviour of the US economy

Professor Philip Booth writes for CapX

Boris Johnson should look to West Germany, not America, if he wants to revive the economy, says Professor Philip Booth, Senior Academic Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Writing for CapX, Philip argues Boris Johnson's proposal ‘Rooseveltian’ New Deal for Britain isn't anything of the sort and that the British response to the Great ... Continue reading
1 July 2020
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Why society needs older workers

30 June 2020
Labour Market

Why society needs older workers

Professor Len Shackleton writes for No Desire To Retire

The attitude to older people in the Covid-19 pandemic has been far too negative; many make a massive contribution, writes the IEA's Editorial and Research Fellow Professor Len Shackleton. Writing for No Desire To Retire, Len argues the as the population continues to age, and the cost of state pensions and elder care increases, we ... Continue reading
30 June 2020
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If we’re being consistently woke about statues, Keynes must surely be the first of the Left to fall

30 June 2020
Society and Culture

If we’re being consistently woke about statues, Keynes must surely be the first of the Left to fall

Professor Len Shackleton writes for The Telegraph

With calls to remove a memorial window dedicated to Sir Ronald Fisher because of his connections with eugenics, John Maynard Keynes must surely be next in line for dabbling in eugenics, writes IEA editorial and research fellow Professor Len Shackleton. In a column for The Telegraph, Len argues that "a consistent application of wokeness to ... Continue reading
30 June 2020
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Hard to find ‘worthwhile shovel-ready projects’ to boost demand in the short term

30 June 2020
Government and Institutions

Hard to find ‘worthwhile shovel-ready projects’ to boost demand in the short term

Julian Jessop quoted by The Edge Markets

Responding to the Prime Minsiter's promise of a  ‘new deal’ to rebuild U.K. economy after virus, IEA Fellow Julian Jessop said “Infrastructure spending can get the biggest bang for the buck over the longer term, if projects are chosen carefully and boost productivity, but it is hard to find a large number of worthwhile shovel-ready ... Continue reading
30 June 2020
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We have become blind to the cost of lockdown

26 June 2020
Government and Institutions

We have become blind to the cost of lockdown

Annabel Denham writes for The Times

This pandemic has been "a grim reminder of the tragic choices that sometimes need to be made in health economics", writes IEA Director of Communications Annabel Denham. In a column for The Times, Annabel cites IEA research showing that "the longer the economy is kept shuttered, the greater the risk that the damage will be ... Continue reading
26 June 2020
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Extending the furlough scheme would hinder London’s recovery, not help it

25 June 2020
Labour Market

Extending the furlough scheme would hinder London’s recovery, not help it

Len Shackleton writes for City AM

Warning of a “looming unemployment crisis”, Sadiq Khan this week made an appeal for a further extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), under which more than a million Londoners have been furloughed. His concern for London jobs is understandable. But it would be wrong to continue the scheme beyond October, writes IEA Editorial ... Continue reading
25 June 2020
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