IEA Director of Public Policy Matthew Lesh has been quoted in The Daily Telegraph analysing the Labour and Conservative manifestos, pointing out that both would significantly add to the burden of red tape.

The article said:

“In a briefing shared with The Telegraph, the IEA said that the manifestos of the two main parties propose ‘expansive regulatory measures’.

“But while there has been ‘significant public discussion’ about each party’s tax and spending measures, it said there had been ‘a lack of scrutiny regarding the business impact of proposed regulatory changes’.

“According to the think tank’s analysis, Labour has proposed 62 policies that would increase the regulatory burden on businesses and 13 that decrease it.

“Matthew Lesh, the IEA’s director of public policy and communications, who authored the analysis, said: ‘We have heard much about taxation and spending promises in this election campaign, with an expectation that fiscal policies are fully costed. 

“‘However, no party has made any attempt to calculate the impact of their far more numerous regulatory proposals. Britain’s prosperity hinges not just on how the state taxes and spends but also on the myriad ways it controls our lives and restricts business activity.

“‘There are some commendable proposals from both major parties, particularly on reforming the planning system to enable housebuilding and expedite infrastructure delivery’.”

Read the full article here or in The Daily Telegraph (16/06/2024, p.6).