Global trade “may not recover to same levels of growth” seen prior to lockdown, says new IEA research

6 July 2020
Trade, Development, and Immigration

Global trade “may not recover to same levels of growth” seen prior to lockdown, says new IEA research

The current economic slowdown has exposed the potential fragility of global supply chains and exacerbated concerns over trading with China, says new briefing paper. The World Trade Organization has predicted that global trade in goods will drop by between 13 and 32 per cent in 2020 as a result of the pandemic; The last time trade ... Continue reading
6 July 2020
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CMA recommendations are “based on fear”, says Victoria Hewson

2 July 2020
Regulation

CMA recommendations are “based on fear”, says Victoria Hewson

"The CMA recommendations are based on fears for possible future harms to innovation and competition. Rather than wait for any such harms to consumers to be proven, they wish to empower a regulator to take preemptive action - which would be a dangerous step, predicated on the idea that expert regulators could know what configuration ... Continue reading
2 July 2020
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IEA responds to PM’s plan for the UK’s economic recovery

30 June 2020
Tax and Fiscal Policy

IEA responds to PM’s plan for the UK’s economic recovery

Responding to the Prime Minister’s plans for the UK’s economic recovery post Covid-19, IEA Senior Academic Fellow Professor Philip Booth said: “We should be wary of hype about a 'Rooseveltian' New Deal. To begin with, the impact of the original New Deal was not positive. The US had the longest Great Depression of any major ... Continue reading
30 June 2020
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Putting railways under the control of Network Rail would be “ill-advised,” says Professor Len Shackleton

25 June 2020
Transport

Putting railways under the control of Network Rail would be “ill-advised,” says Professor Len Shackleton

 In response to the news that the government will “renationalise” Britain’s railways using emergency coronavirus measures, Professor Len Shackleton, IEA Editorial and Research Fellow, said: "The announcement of the intention to renationalise the railways, ahead of the long-awaited Williams Report, is ill-advised. Putting them under the control of Network Rail, whose record in its existing ... Continue reading
25 June 2020
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The economic value of human life

25 June 2020

The economic value of human life

The balance is shifting on the economic cost of maintaining the lockdown, given the growing evidence of the harms that the restrictions are doing to others Covid-19 has brought to light grim examples of familiar problems in health economics and cost-benefit analysis. Sometimes “tragic choices” need to be made; There is nothing wrong with trying ... Continue reading
25 June 2020
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Civil liberties concerns persist after “widely predicted” move to private sector tracing system

18 June 2020

Civil liberties concerns persist after “widely predicted” move to private sector tracing system

In response to the news that the NHS coronavirus app has been abandoned in favour of the Apple and Google system, IEA Head of Regulatory Affairs Victoria Hewson said: "The abandonment of the NHSX’s attempt to create a bespoke system for digital contact tracing in favour of a private sector solution had been widely predicted. ... Continue reading
18 June 2020
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Extremely high growth rates of money could cause inflationary boom, says new briefing paper

18 June 2020
Monetary Policy

Extremely high growth rates of money could cause inflationary boom, says new briefing paper

New research from the Institute of Economic Affairs asks: Is inflation the next threat? The policy reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic will increase budget deficits massively in all the world’s leading countries; The deficits will to a significant extent be monetised, with heavy state borrowing from both national central banks and commercial banks; By mid- or ... Continue reading
18 June 2020
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IEA expert responds to the formal launch of UK-Australia trade negotiations

17 June 2020
Trade, Development, and Immigration

IEA expert responds to the formal launch of UK-Australia trade negotiations

In response to Australia and the United Kingdom formally launching negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement, IEA Academic and Research Director Professor Syed Kamall said: "This presents an opportunity at a time when there are concerns over increasing protectionist noises from the US and EU, and trade tensions with China. "It is reassuring for free ... Continue reading
17 June 2020
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ONS labour market data “the calm before the storm,” says Professor Len Shackleton

16 June 2020
Labour Market

ONS labour market data “the calm before the storm,” says Professor Len Shackleton

Responding to today's Office for National Statistics employment figures, IEA Editorial and Research Fellow Professor Len Shackleton said: “This morning’s data show little change in the employment or unemployment rates, though the number in work has fallen sharply, particularly amongst the self-employed. This is the calm before the real storm which we can expect when ... Continue reading
16 June 2020
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