Summary Debanking became a news story in 2023 when Nigel Farage alleged that Coutts had closed his account because its … Continue reading “Debanked: The Economic and Social Consequences of Anti-Money Laundering Regulation”

In September 2022, the IEA published my paper Accounts and Accountability, which argued that the government’s proposals for further regulating … Continue reading “Audit reform: a short-lived victory for economic sense”

The idea of a universal basic income (UBI) has gained many supporters over recent decades. Put simply, UBI is an … Continue reading “Universal Basic Income: a pointless trial of a bad idea”

Summary The failures of BHS in 2016 and Carillion in 2018 prompted the government to launch three inquiries into financial … Continue reading “Accounts and Accountability: The UK Government’s misguided plans to regulate corporate reporting and auditing”

Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, the former King of Bhutan, declared in 1972 that “gross national happiness (GNH) is more important than … Continue reading “Is happiness all that matters?”

Summary: Corporate taxes are inefficient, with much greater deadweight costs than most other taxes. The optimal corporate tax rate is … Continue reading “All at Sea”

Wednesday last week was a happy day here at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). George Monbiot of the Guardian … Continue reading “George Monbiot should study the subject he so often talks about”

Mariana Mazzucato is a professor of economics at University College London. She came to prominence following the publication of her … Continue reading “‘The Value of Everything’ adds up to nothing”

You must buy most things you want. But not healthcare. Healthcare is supplied at no charge by the state, funded … Continue reading “How the NHS hurts the poor”