Grounds for concern: Leasehold reform and the future of home ownership

Dr Kristian Niemietz
7 January 2021
Research

Grounds for concern: Leasehold reform and the future of home ownership

Summary Home ownership in the UK comes in two main varieties: freehold and leasehold. ‘Freehold’ is ‘home ownership’ in the way most people probably understand that term: undivided, unconditional and permanent ownership. ‘Leasehold’ denotes a more limited form of ownership, which is not permanent (although typically very long-term), and which is shared with an ‘ultimate ... Continue reading
Dr Kristian Niemietz
7 January 2021
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Turning a blind eye: Have economists been ignored during the pandemic?

Professor Paul Ormerod
23 December 2020
Research

Turning a blind eye: Have economists been ignored during the pandemic?

Summary Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, governments have relied heavily on the advice of epidemiologists and health professionals. Unusually, the economics profession has been conspicuous by its low profile in the policy making process. In an IEA paper published in May 2020, I argued that economic advice was an absolutely essential input into successful policy making ... Continue reading
Professor Paul Ormerod
23 December 2020
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PRESS RELEASE

Being Your Own Boss

J. R. Shackleton
15 December 2020
Research

Being Your Own Boss

Should the government care?

Summary Self-employed workers have lost out badly during the pandemic. Their numbers have so far fallen more sharply than the numbers of employees. There is evidence that government assistance has been poorly targeted: over half of the self-employed have received no help. The Chancellor has hinted that, in return for the assistance the government has ... Continue reading
J. R. Shackleton
15 December 2020
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A briefing on the public finances: How deep a hole are we in?

9 December 2020
Research

A briefing on the public finances: How deep a hole are we in?

Summary This briefing looks at the impact of the pandemic on the UK’s public finances and assesses the scale of the fiscal crisis. Some of the most common concerns are exaggerated. Others are not. The good news is that the increase in borrowing to pay for Covid does not itself have to be repaid; provided ... Continue reading
9 December 2020
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Is there a doctor in the house?

Mark Tovey
27 October 2020
Research

Is there a doctor in the house?

Averting a post-pandemic staffing crisis in the NHS

Summary Shortages of PPE and ventilators have overshadowed shortages of doctors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet when normality returns and the NHS is swamped by a backlog of cases, the latter could be thrust to the forefront of public debate. The UK ranks 27th out of 36 OECD countries for number of physicians. Around 30 ... Continue reading
Mark Tovey
27 October 2020
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An Introduction to Entrepreneurship

Dr Eamonn Butler
21 October 2020
Research

An Introduction to Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in boosting progress, productivity and prosperity. They drive economic growth and create new opportunities. Their innovations transform people’s lives. Yet their enormous contribution is not widely understood – and is often completely overlooked in economics textbooks. Here, author Eamonn Butler sets the record straight – explaining the vital role of ... Continue reading
Dr Eamonn Butler
21 October 2020
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Pubs and COVID-19: Flawed claims and faulty reasoning

9 October 2020
Research

Pubs and COVID-19: Flawed claims and faulty reasoning

Updated 29th November 2020.   Summary Most COVID-19 infections appear to take place in private households. Less than five per cent of infected individuals contacted by NHS Test and Trace say that they have had close contact with another person in a hospitality venue. Enforced pub closures in Bolton and Leicester have not been associated ... Continue reading
9 October 2020
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How to create new jobs

Professor Len Shackleton
8 October 2020
Research

How to create new jobs

Summary Following the Covid-19 lockdown, the UK labour market faces much higher unemployment and reductions in labour force participation as some groups withdraw from the labour market. Measures such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-employment Income Support Scheme served a useful purpose, but governments cannot keep businesses on life support indefinitely. Job ... Continue reading
Professor Len Shackleton
8 October 2020
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The Chancellor’s Post-Pandemic Choices

Neil Record
5 October 2020
Research

The Chancellor’s Post-Pandemic Choices

Conditions for growth are not a mystery – we have seen them in the UK in the recent past. This paper examines the UK’s historical record, and identifies the best-performing periods in the past 40 years under two criteria: rising real government revenue and rising labour productivity. It then reviews the economic policies which facilitated ... Continue reading
Neil Record
5 October 2020
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PRESS RELEASE

You had one job: The shortcomings of Public Health England and the World Health Organization during the Covid-19 pandemic

Christopher Snowdon
4 September 2020
Research

You had one job: The shortcomings of Public Health England and the World Health Organization during the Covid-19 pandemic

Summary The World Health Organization (WHO) and Public Health England (PHE) have been widely criticised for their response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Serious questions have been asked regarding their competence. As a result, the US government has withdrawn its funding from WHO and the UK government has announced that Public Health England will be disbanded. ... Continue reading
Christopher Snowdon
4 September 2020
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