DEBATE: Should the EU have an army?

Adam Bartha and Darren Grimes
20 November 2018
Government and Institutions

DEBATE: Should the EU have an army?

When Britain leaves the European Union, it will herald the departure of one of the bloc’s major defence spenders, and its keenest opponent of military integration. Almost 25% of current EU military expenditure comes from the UK. Britain has long maintained its preference for NATO, blocking any moves towards an integrated defence force. But could ... Continue reading
Adam Bartha and Darren Grimes
20 November 2018
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Yesterday’s Dyson ruling – a rare victory against the EU’s crony capitalist regulatory agenda

Matt Ridley
9 November 2018
Regulation

Yesterday’s Dyson ruling – a rare victory against the EU’s crony capitalist regulatory agenda

My biggest beef with the European Union has always been the way it stifles consumer-friendly innovation in the interests of incumbent businesses and organisations. Yesterday’s victory for Sir James Dyson at the European General Court lays bare an especially shocking example. Dyson’s case, which has taken five years in the courts, reveals just how corrupt ... Continue reading
Matt Ridley
9 November 2018
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Turbo-charging the Nigerian economy (Part 2)

Keith Boyfield
2 November 2018
Trade, Development, and Immigration

Turbo-charging the Nigerian economy (Part 2)

Continued from Part 1 here.  One potential growth sector is hotels and leisure. With a growing middle class, and a surge in the demand for air travel, Africa is likely to see a boom in hotels. The Hilton Group has just opened its first hotel in Nigeria for 30 years – the Legend Hotel, part ... Continue reading
Keith Boyfield
2 November 2018
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Turbo-charging the Nigerian economy (Part 1)

Keith Boyfield
1 November 2018
Regulation

Turbo-charging the Nigerian economy (Part 1)

Why has Nigeria failed to fulfil its huge potential for wealth creation and economic growth? In a recent presentation to policy-makers at the Nigerian Bar Association's Annual Conference, I made the case for diversifying the economy away from oil – concentrating instead on the pivotal tasks of ensuring a stable and adequate power supply; addressing ... Continue reading
Keith Boyfield
1 November 2018
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Free movement after Brexit: a lost cause?

Kristian Niemietz
31 October 2018
Trade, Development, and Immigration

Free movement after Brexit: a lost cause?

If it were up to me, I would keep freedom of movement after Brexit. Not just for a transition period, but indefinitely. Migration from the European Economic Area (EEA) has been unequivocally beneficial for the UK. The average Eastern European migrant contributes about £1,000 more to the UK’s public finances per annum than the average ... Continue reading
Kristian Niemietz
31 October 2018
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The fraught Brexit debate badly needs a dose of Bastiat

Madeline Grant
30 October 2018
Government and Institutions

The fraught Brexit debate badly needs a dose of Bastiat

In a now-famous essay, “What is Seen and What Is Not Seen”, the great economist Frederic Bastiat warned against judging the value of any activity in a vacuum. Bastiat’s “broken window fallacy” brilliantly exposes a common tendency to focus on the visible, tangible benefits of an action – the “seen” – while neglecting the “unseen” penalties and ... Continue reading
Madeline Grant
30 October 2018
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Will women be disproportionately affected by Brexit?

Julian Jessop
9 October 2018
Government and Institutions

Will women be disproportionately affected by Brexit?

I’m still sceptical that the UK’s departure from the EU is a gender issue, despite what high-profile critics like Baroness Kennedy may say. Women might be more vulnerable in some respects, if Brexit is done badly, for example, because they are more likely to have caring responsibilities. Nonetheless, it seems odd to make sweeping statements ... Continue reading
Julian Jessop
9 October 2018
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A response to Christopher Cook

Julian Jessop
27 September 2018
Trade, Development, and Immigration

A response to Christopher Cook

On Monday, the IEA launched a substantial discussion paper making a set of practical proposals (“Plan A+”) to break the current deadlock in the talks between the UK and the EU. Consistent with our intellectual philosophy and educational purpose, it also made the case for shifting Brexit in a more free-market and outward-looking direction. As ... Continue reading
Julian Jessop
27 September 2018
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In praise of the EU migration and employment “customs union”

Professor Philip Booth
24 September 2018
Government and Institutions

In praise of the EU migration and employment “customs union”

In many ways the EU acts like a customs union when it comes to migration that leads to employment. It is very easy to come to the UK from other EU countries to get a job. Indeed, there are no government-imposed barriers at all. However, if you wish to come from outside the EU to ... Continue reading
Professor Philip Booth
24 September 2018
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Estimating the fiscal benefits of a UK export boost

Julian Jessop
6 September 2018
Trade, Development, and Immigration

Estimating the fiscal benefits of a UK export boost

Last month the Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, launched an ambitious new Export Strategy, with the aim of raising UK exports as a percentage of GDP from 30% to 35%. Most economists would agree that increased openness to trade (both exports and imports) is a ‘good thing’; it allows countries to benefit ... Continue reading
Julian Jessop
6 September 2018
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