Changing the rules: A unilateral approach to non-tariff barriers

From 2023, all EU goods destined for the UK market will need to be certified with a new regulatory customs mark, recognising the regulatory independence of the …

The Case Against Tech Taxes

This paper explains why additional taxes on the turnover of companies with a large digital presence would be disproportionate, discriminatory and damage the European …

On regulation and centralisation, the UK’s record is no better than the EU’s

Those who voted for Brexit in the 2016 referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU rightly complained about the centralised political structures in Brussels. …

Fast Food Outlets and Obesity: What is the evidence?

Several local authorities in Britain have introduced ‘zoning laws’ to restrict fast food outlets within a certain distance of schools. Public Health England, the …

Higher Education and the importance of apprenticeships: United Kingdom & Germany

In 2017, youth unemployment (young people between 15-24, without work or enrolled in education) in the EU as a whole was on average of …

London’s Global Reach and the Half a Trillion Dollars Equity Prize

As the world’s leading international financial centre, London faces fascinating opportunities as well as some significant challenges in coming years. This is as a …

£50bn is too steep for a Brexit divorce bill

The Sunday Times has claimed that the Prime Minister is ready to approve a financial settlement of ‘up to £50bn’ when the UK leaves …

The Nanny State crusade marches on

Today sees the publication of the 2017 edition of the Nanny State Index, a league table of the best and worst places in the …

The EU and Norway: a complex relationship

The EEA Agreement was signed in 1992, and entered into force in 1994. Until now, EEA EFTA countries have been able to enjoy the …

Balancing the economy: The hand of government or the invisible hand?

The past record of industrial policy in the UK is a catalogue of waste and ineffectiveness. By the end of the 1970s it was …

Tariffs & domestic consumers

Repeat after me: tariffs primarily hurt domestic consumers – not foreign exporters
 
Tariffs primarily hurt the consumers of the country imposing them on …

The case against ‘taking back control’ – why the UK should retain free movement of people

Dr Kristian Niemietz, Head of Health and Welfare at the IEA // 21.10.2016
 
I think it was Montesquieu who once said that ‘when …

Death by infrastructure spending

Diego Zuluaga // 13.09.2016
 
Infrastructure investment is often presented by policymakers as a silver bullet in times of recession or sluggish growth. Public …

The Long View on Brexit: Liberalism, Nationalism, and Socialism

Deirdre Nansen McCloskey // 11.07.2016
 
In the past three centuries the European clerisy has had, when it comes to politics and economics, three …

Brexit: a natural experiment for the EU

29 June 2016
Can a country do better after leaving the EU? Indeed, we can perform an even more granular analysis and seek to …

Why the EU27 should not punish the UK for leaving

Matthew Sinclair // 30.06.2016
There has been some talk of the rest of the EU attempting to punish the UK for leaving. The idea …

Blazing Trails in a Post-Brexit Europe

Diego Zuluaga // 22.06.2016
Tomorrow, the British electorate will decide on a question which, more than any other, has divided voters and the political …

Brexit, benefits and the future of the EU

Greta Gietz // 15.12.2015
The European Union has had a challenging year. The Euro crisis, the influx of immigrants through Turkey and the Mediterranean and …

Taxing Problem: The UK’s incoherent tax system

Ryan Bourne, December 2014
The UK tax system is incoherent. Even ignoring benefits styled as tax credits and the withdrawal of child benefit, taxpayers …

Punishing the Majority: Problems with Alcohol Policy in UK

 
John C. Duffy and Christopher Snowdon, June 2014
 
Alcohol policy in Britain and many other countries aims to reduce per capita alcohol …