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The Institute of Economic Affairs is an educational charity. We exist to teach free market economics and classical liberal thinking to any and all who are interested. While you may see our spokespeople on TV or read our peer reviewed research, one of our most important areas of activity is our student and academic programme. Considering research showing support amongst the young for socialism is at worryingly high levels, teaching the next generation about the impact of taxes, spending and regulation on the economy is vital for the continuation of our free society.


I am pleased to say our work received an incredible boost this week. I, alongside other representatives from the IEA, the University of Buckingham and Lord Nigel Vinson of Roddam Dene, held an event to celebrate Lord Vinson’s decision to expand and deepen his already incredibly generous support for the Vinson Centre for Economics and Entrepreneurship.


In November 2018, Lord Vinson provided the funds to facilitate the founding of the Vinson Centre ([link removed]) . This, alongside giving Buckingham students the opportunity to study under some of Britain’s economists, gave the IEA a base at Buckingham for research, conferences and most importantly educational outreach. Thanks to the new programme we can commence with Lord Vinson’s renewed support this week, we expect to double the current 5,000 students that we support. When including our planned future online digital educational output, the sky truly is the limit.

The Vinson Centre, much like the IEA, works with students and scholars of economics of all ages to promote a far wider understanding of how free-markets and an environment conducive to entrepreneurship promotes welfare.


As a result of Lord Vinson’s generosity and vision, we are now able to expand our goals and be far more ambitious in our plans to bring market-orientated thinking to students across the UK. Educating the next generation is a fundamental part of the IEA’s goal, and all of us here at the IEA see this as a real opportunity to help spread classical liberal ideals. All of us are enormously grateful to Lord Vinson for his lifelong support of freedom and opportunity and, especially, for this latest expression of it.

Mark Littlewood

Director General

Institute of Economic Affairs
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** Hope for housing reform?
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Labour leader Keir Starmer promised to be “with the builders, not the blockers” while Conservative backbenches are agitating for pro-housing policies.
* The housing policy debate has reignited, with politicians from across the political spectrum highlighting the need to reform England’s broken planning system to increase supply, reduce prices and boost productivity.
* IEA research has repeatedly highlighted this problem for many decades — in 1988, the IEA published No Room! No Room! The Costs of the British Town and Country Planning System ([link removed]) .
* Details of Labour’s reforms remain scant, and opposition to housebuilding remains strong across the political spectrum.
* Meanwhile, the Government has introduced renters reform legislation that bans no-fault evictions and requires higher housing standards. But could these nice-sounding policies backfire by encouraging landlords to increase rents or exit the market?

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Writing for The Daily Telegraph ([link removed]) , IEA Head of Political Economy Kristian Niemietz criticised the Renters Reform Bill and highlighted the government’s stimulation of housing demand while not addressing pressing supply-side issues.

IEA Communications Officer Harrison Griffiths argued in CapX ([link removed]) that the government’s rental reform risk higher rents and more discrimination.
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IEA Director of Public Policy and Communications Matthew Lesh’s comment regarding the rental reform bill was covered by The Independent ([link removed]) , The Daily Mail ([link removed]) , Politico ([link removed]) and various other outlets.

IEA podcast… Matthew Lesh interviewed ([link removed]) Samuel Hughes, Head of Housing at the Centre for Policy Studies, to discuss gentle density, beautiful housing and proposed reforms.
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IEA Latest.
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** Rather than making lenders ‘safe’, we should make their failure safe ([link removed])
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Mark Littlewood, The Times

In defence of failure... Guaranteeing bank deposits leads to systemic risk. Allowing banks to rise and fall organically could improve banking standards and provide greater choice for depositors.
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** Malaise in the labour market ([link removed])
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Editorial and Research Fellow Professor Len Shackleton,
The Daily Express

Labour market losses… the labour market is showing early signs of a downturn, with a slight uptick in unemployment, declining vacancies, and fewer payrolled employees. Meanwhile, far too many working-age Brits are sitting it out on the touchline, claiming long-term sickness. Len’s comment ([link removed]) was also covered by i News ([link removed]) .
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** Sick Note Britain ([link removed])
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Mark Littlewood, TalkTV

Sick man of Europe... 2.5m Brits are currently off work with long-term sickness. While many claims will be legitimate, more has to be done to incentive people to re-join the workforce.
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** Keir Starmer: Our next nanny-in-chief? ([link removed])
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Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon, Spiked!

Needless nannying... Labour’s plan to ban smoking is illiberal and impractical. Prohibition is a proven failure, and Wes Streeting’s plan to imitate New Zealand’s anti-tobacco strategy will just boost black markets and reduce choice.
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** China won’t beat the West as it ignores problems on its home turf ([link removed])
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Matthew Lesh, CityAM

Big trouble… China’s move in an authoritarian and isolationist direction, suppressing entrepreneurs and embracing cronyism, is seriously unlikely to surpass the West.
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** Ultra-processed health scares ([link removed])
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Christopher Snowdon, The Critic

Confected panic... The growing outrage over so-called ‘ultra-processed food’ is driven by culinary snobbery and classism. Cheap food is vital to many, and consumers must be given a choice over what they buy.
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** From inflation to wokery ([link removed])
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Kristian Niemietz, TalkTV

The liberal take... Inflation distorts the price of food in supermarkets, and the woke left is using progressive stances to signal their virtue.

IEA Insider.
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** IEA Panel Discussion: “The Road to Serfdom: Was Hayek Right?” ([link removed])
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Date: Monday, 22 May | Time: 6.00pm — 8.15pm | Location: 2 Lord North Street, SW1P 3LB

Was Friedrich Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom valid when it was written or did it express an exaggerated fear? Is there a threat to our fundamental political liberties today and, if so, from where precisely does it emanate?

Panellists:
* James Forder, IEA Academic and Research Director (Chair)
* Dr Mark Pennington, Professor of Political Economy and Public Policy at Kings College London.
* Inaya Folarin Iman, journalist, television presenter and Director of the Equiano Project.
* Dr Kristian Niemietz, IEA Head of Political Economy.
* Sherelle Jacobs, journalist and columnist at the Daily Telegraph.

If you would like to attend, please contact Daniel Freeman: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=null&body=null) .


** IEA Book Club
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** IEA Book Club with Paul Johnson ([link removed])
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Date: Wednesday, 7 June

Time: 5.30pm — 7.30pm

Location: 2 Lord North Street, SW1P 3LB

The IEA Book Club will host Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Paul Johnson on his latest book, 'Follow the Money: How Much Does Britain Cost'. Matthew Lesh will chair this event.

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** IEA Book Club with Ross Clark ([link removed])
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Date: Tuesday, 13 June

Time: 17:30 – 19:30

Location: 2 Lord North Street, SW1P 3LB

The IEA Book Club will host journalist Ross Clark on his latest book, 'Not Zero: How an Irrational Target Will Impoverish You, Help China (and Won’t Even Save the Planet)'. IEA Energy Analyst Andy Mayer will chair the event.

Find out more about how to join the Book Club ([link removed])
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