One of the challenges for free traders is that whenever trade barriers are lowered, while consumers gain from lower prices … Continue reading “Ignore the lobbyists – free trade with Australia would be a boon for consumers”

Boris Johnson will be disappointed at having to postpone his visit to India, which was scheduled for this week. Not … Continue reading “How realistic are the prospects for a UK-India free trade agreement?”

In April, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) published its latest trade forecast predicting global trade in goods would fall by … Continue reading “How will Covid-19 affect global trade?”

Apart from concerns for our neighbours, friends, families and mankind, it goes without saying that the current pandemic and the … Continue reading “Some classical liberal thoughts on the coronavirus pandemic”

The BBC headline announced the sad news as “Roger Scruton: Conservative thinker dies at 75”.  Many who have heard him … Continue reading “Obituary: Roger Scruton (1944-2020)”

2020 marks the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Economic Affairs, often referred to as the grandfather … Continue reading “What can classical liberals expect from UK political parties in 2020?”

When I was a PhD student in the early 1990s, Francis Fukuyama published The End of History and the Last … Continue reading “The battle of ideas is NEVER over – and it is currently “less over” than ever”

In 1850, the merchants, bankers and traders of the City of London held a crisis meeting. The original private contract … Continue reading “How crowdfunding could make public finance more democratic”