“Boris Johnson’s sluggish timetable will do unnecessary damage to businesses and livelihoods”, says IEA expert

22 February 2021
Regulation

“Boris Johnson’s sluggish timetable will do unnecessary damage to businesses and livelihoods”, says IEA expert

Responding to Boris Johnson's roadmap to lift lockdown measures in England, Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:  "Boris Johnson’s sluggish timetable will do unnecessary damage to businesses and livelihoods. By Easter, everybody who has more than a remote chance of dying from Covid-19 will have ... Continue reading
22 February 2021
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‘Nannying regulators’ are wrong to clamp down on Buy Now Pay Later providers

3 February 2021
Regulation

‘Nannying regulators’ are wrong to clamp down on Buy Now Pay Later providers

Emma Revell writes for The Telegraph

A debate has emerged over whether the Financial Conduct Authority is right to regulate Buy Now Pay later providers (BNPL). In a debate column for The Telegraph, Emma Revell, Head of Public Affairs at the IEA argued that "society shouldn’t seek to regulate risk out of our lives" and that there is a risk customers ... Continue reading
3 February 2021
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Heavy-handed regulation of Buy Now Pay Later services would be a mistake, says IEA expert

2 February 2021
Regulation

Heavy-handed regulation of Buy Now Pay Later services would be a mistake, says IEA expert

Responding to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) review recommending regulation of Buy Now Pay Later services, such as Klarna, Victoria Hewson, Head of Regulatory Affairs at the free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:  "While the removal of regulatory barriers that deter the provision of credit in 'non-prime' markets by mainstream lenders is a welcome recommendation, extending ... Continue reading
2 February 2021
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Regulation of Buy Now Pay Later services “threatens competition and innovation”

2 February 2021
Regulation

Regulation of Buy Now Pay Later services “threatens competition and innovation”

Victoria Hewson quoted in the Financial Times

The Financial Conduct Authority  has suggested Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) providers offered by online retailers such as PayPal and Klarna should be regulated to prevent people from getting into financial difficulty. Reacting to the news, Victoria Hewson Head of Regulatory Affairs at the IEA said: “Extending new barriers to BNPL providers threatens competition and ... Continue reading
2 February 2021
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Ban on gambling sponsorships in sport would be “gratuitously sadistic”

1 February 2021
Regulation

Ban on gambling sponsorships in sport would be “gratuitously sadistic”

Christopher Snowdon writes for CapX

Government Ministers are supposedly  considering a ban on gambling sponsorships in sport, putting many sports at risk of losing huge financial investment. Writing for CapX, IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon said: "The financial damage that will be done to sport by having an entire sector excluded from sponsorship will be enormous". Although big ... Continue reading
1 February 2021
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The lockdown is necessary but we must ensure our liberty is restored swiftly

11 January 2021
Regulation

The lockdown is necessary but we must ensure our liberty is restored swiftly

Annabel Denham writes for The Times Red Box

With a new variant strain of the virus, the NHS under even greater pressure than in March, and the vaccination roll-out underway, a third lockdown is not only necessary but proportionate, writes the IEA's Director of Communications Annabel Denham. However, as Annabel argues in a comment piece for The Times Red Box, a new frontier ... Continue reading
11 January 2021
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Relax occupational licensing laws to speed up the post-Covid recovery

Len Shackleton
6 January 2021
Regulation

Relax occupational licensing laws to speed up the post-Covid recovery

Faced with the twin problems of NHS staff shortages and slow vaccine rollout, the fact that 50,000 retired medics have volunteered their services should be a boon. Yet so far, very few of them have actually been used. A major problem, highlighted in a letter to the Daily Telegraph, is the perennial bugbear of ‘red tape’; once medics ... Continue reading
Len Shackleton
6 January 2021
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NHS staff shortages show need to liberalise occupational licensing

5 January 2021
Labour Market

NHS staff shortages show need to liberalise occupational licensing

Professor Len Shackleton writes for CapX

The twin problems of NHS staff shortages and slow vaccine rollout show the urgent need to reform occupational licensing, argues the IEA's Editorial and Research Fellow Professor Len Shackleton. Writing for CapX, Len flags that medicine is not the only area where these rules presents problems - the "profusion of licensing" makes it much more ... Continue reading
5 January 2021
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New national lockdown could cost the UK “10 per cent of GDP” per month

5 January 2021
Regulation

New national lockdown could cost the UK “10 per cent of GDP” per month

Julian Jessop quoted by Reuters UK

The new national lockdown announced yesterday by the Prime Minister could cost the UK economy about "10 per cent of GDP" per month, according to analysis by IEA Economics Fellow Julian Jessop. Julian's calculation was featured by Reuters UK in their write-up of the announcement. Read the full article here.... Continue reading
5 January 2021
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Cost to economy of lockdown could be “price worth paying”

5 January 2021
Regulation

Cost to economy of lockdown could be “price worth paying”

Julian Jessop quoted by The Times

Responding to the Prime Minister's announcement of new national lockdown, IEA Economics Fellow Julian Jessop estimated that the cost to the UK economy could be 10 percent of GDP, or £18 billion every month. Quoted by The Times, Julian Jessop added that “on balance this could be a price worth paying” to prevent tens of ... Continue reading
5 January 2021
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