Richard Cobden: the unsung hero of free trade

Alexander C. R. Hammond
2 April 2020
Trade, Development, and Immigration

Richard Cobden: the unsung hero of free trade

Today marks the 155th anniversary of the death of one of the most important figures in the history of free trade and classical liberalism. Few have heard the name Richard Cobden, but his work changed the entire the global economy forever. Cobden was a 19th century British politician and textile manufacturer who was born in ... Continue reading
Alexander C. R. Hammond
2 April 2020
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How should we pay for all this extra government spending?

Philip Booth
2 April 2020
Tax and Fiscal Policy

How should we pay for all this extra government spending?

Every pillar of a free society is under threat during the current pandemic. To avoid bad long-term economic outcomes and further threats to our liberty, we need to diagnose what kind of economic event this is. Covid-19 is a supply shock. Huge amounts of capacity are being taken out of the economy. It would not ... Continue reading
Philip Booth
2 April 2020
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Government jobs scheme gives business “wrong incentives”

2 April 2020
Labour Market

Government jobs scheme gives business “wrong incentives”

IEA responds to figures from the British Chambers of Commerce

Responding to figures from the British Chambers of Commerce which suggest nearly half of businesses plan to furlough at least half of their staff under the government's wage scheme, Andy Mayer, Chief Operating Officer at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “The figures in the BCC survey are disappointing but not surprising. “The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was designed ... Continue reading
2 April 2020
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How should we pay for all this extra government spending?

2 April 2020
Tax and Fiscal Policy

How should we pay for all this extra government spending?

Professor Philip Booth writes for CapX

Free marketeers are reluctant to consider higher taxes to pay for the government's current corona-related spending but they should be "more allergic to the narrative of fiscal stimulus, with its subliminal message that we are getting something for nothing", says Professor Philip Booth, Senior Academic Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Writing for CapX, ... Continue reading
2 April 2020
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National Minimum Wage hikes could prove “unsupportable,” says IEA expert

1 April 2020
Labour Market

National Minimum Wage hikes could prove “unsupportable,” says IEA expert

Professor Len Shackleton, Editorial and Research Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “The decision to raise the National Living Wage by an unprecedented 6.2%, and other minimum wages by significant amounts, always risked scuppering employment growth, particularly in poorer regions where arbitrary wage hikes could offset the government’s plans to boost investment and ... Continue reading
1 April 2020
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Radical Uncertainty: Decision-making for an unknowable future (book review)

Mikko Arevuo
1 April 2020
Economic Theory

Radical Uncertainty: Decision-making for an unknowable future (book review)

We don’t know what the future holds, but we still need to make far reaching decisions.  Unlike F. A. Hayek, who said the he preferred true but imperfect knowledge to a pretence of exact knowledge that is likely to be false, we seek certainties that don’t exist and invent knowledge that we can’t have to ... Continue reading
Mikko Arevuo
1 April 2020
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A home working revolution? Not so fast

1 April 2020
Labour Market

A home working revolution? Not so fast

Emma Revell writes for City A.M.

Studies show working from home can have a positive effect on productivity and lead to a reduction in sick leave but we shouldn't expect coronavirus to revolutionise our working lives, says Emma Revell, Head of Communications at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Writing for City A.M., Emma argues that those suggesting we may never return ... Continue reading
1 April 2020
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Coronavirus will only ‘revolutionise’ working habits of the privileged

31 March 2020
Society and Culture

Coronavirus will only ‘revolutionise’ working habits of the privileged

Len Shackleton writes for The Telegraph

For the "great majority" of those locked-down at home, normal working is impossible, writes IEA Editorial and Research Fellow Prof Len Shackleton for The Telegraph. We should be looking at "incentivising and acommodating" people into different sectors of the economy, where there are vacancies such as farming or in the NHS. Read the full article ... Continue reading
31 March 2020
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Why working at home just won’t work out

31 March 2020
Society and Culture

Why working at home just won’t work out

Prof Len Shackleton quoted in The Times

"We shouldn't expect a boom in working from home once the current restrictions are lifted" said the IEA's Editorial and Research Fellow Prof Len Shackleton following the release of his new IEA report, 'Pass the Romote: Why we can't all work from home'. Quoted by The Times, Len said "we should be clear that, for ... Continue reading
31 March 2020
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The costs and benefits of coronavirus policies need to be weighed

Richard Teather
31 March 2020
Healthcare

The costs and benefits of coronavirus policies need to be weighed

The government has said it will “do whatever it takes” over the coronavirus outbreak. That might have been thought to be mere rhetoric but the government’s unprecedented actions – amounting almost to a national house arrest – suggest that they actually mean it. But is this the right approach? I don’t mean has the government ... Continue reading
Richard Teather
31 March 2020
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