Welcome to the IEA Weekend Newsletter!

• Unintended consequences
• ...and intended consequences
• i on the media
• A taste of Freedom
• W(h)ine of the times...
• Last chance!

Unintended consequences...

What did policies to tackle both cobras and rats have in common? They both had unintended consequences. Next time a government announces new policies, let’s hope they have thought through the consequences – intended and unintended.

The IEA's Academic and Research Director Professor Syed Kamall explains in a video here.



...and intended consequences

Our film was based on ‘Sting in the tail’, an article written by Syed in the latest edition of our student magazine, EA.

Although primarily aimed at A level students, EA contains eclectic and intriguing articles by leading writers on economics.



In this edition, we look at the economics of the music business, examine the policy implications posed by the emergence of driverless cars  and review ‘Daylight Robbery’ – a fascinating look at taxation and its consequences by financial writer (and stand-up comedian!) Dominic Frisby.  



We’ve also recorded a podcast with Dominic – you can hear it here. And you can download EA for free here.

You can subscribe to our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Podbean.

i on the media

Where’s BoJo’s economic mojo?

With the Budget less than a week away, Boris Johnson’s administration “has yet to settle on a long-term economic strategy”, wrote Mark Littlewood for the Sunday Telegraph. 

He added that the government risks “squandering a historic opportunity” if a more market-oriented approach isn’t adopted soon. 



Mark also appeared on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme to debate the nation's finances. 

He reminded listeners that in the name of so-called austerity, we added to the national debt.



You can watch a clip here or catch up on the full programme here. 

No Khan do...

This week, the IEA responded to Sadiq Khan’s vow to make the London mayoral election into a ‘referendum on rent controls’. 



Dr Kristian Niemietz, our Head of Political Economy, pointed out that “rent controls have never worked anywhere” and that if the mayor “had any interest in solving London’s housing crisis, he would focus on the supply side.”

Kristian’s comments were featured on the front page of City AM and also in the Daily Express and Independent, whilst Academic and Research Director Syed Kamall wrote an opinion piece for City AM.

Meanwhile, IEA Senior Academic Fellow Prof Philip Booth argued in ConservativeHome that the planning system can be liberalised in a small-c conservative way.

Land of opportunity...

As the government published its objectives for a UK-US Free Trade Agreement, IEA Director General Mark Littlewood told City AM that “a trade deal with the United States may well have considerably greater benefits than are imagined” but he warned that the “government will need to continually tackle domestic interests demanding protectionism”. 



You can read the IEA’s full response here. 

The real red herring...

Elsewhere, our Head of Regulatory Affairs Victoria Hewson responded to a poll showing just one in ten Britons wants to scrap EU regulations on environment, food and jobs. 

Quoted by iNews, Victoria said the poll was “misleading” and that “the real red herring is the EU’s insistence that its rules and standards must be adhered to to prevent unfair competition.”

In other n(EU)ws, Mark told the Daily Express he is “supremely confident” of a positive outcome from the ongoing Brexit negotiations and that the three most likely options – a Canada-style deal, a piecemeal deal covering key areas, or a deal agreed in the year or two after the current deadline – would all be “broadly acceptable”.

W(h)ine of the times...

Christopher Snowdon, our Head of Lifestyle Economics, weighed in on the latest nanny-state intervention to limit the size of wine glasses in restaurants in a bid to limit binge drinking. 

Quoted in the Daily Telegraph and The Sun, Christopher said “it is a sign of how out of touch public health campaigners have become that they think the size of wine glasses is a pressing issue that requires government action.”

Woman's hour...

Last Sunday, our Head of Communications Emma Revell made her debut on BBC One’s The Big Questions, where she explained the flaws in the government’s mandatory gender pay gap reporting. Watch a clip here. 



And Media Manager Emily Carver took part in a debate column for City AM, in which she argued that “the excesses of #MeToo have inadvertently set workplace relations backwards”, and in an article for Free Market Conservatives she argued that the modern feminist movement has alienated women with its preoccupation with the concerns of elite, metropolitan women. 

Sweet truth...

Obesity is often used as the justification for increasing taxes on sugary drinks, but does the evidence actually back this up? 



Writing for our blog this week, Head of Lifestyle Economics, Christopher Snowdon argues that taxes rarely change consumer behaviour in the way desired by health campaigners. 

A taste of Freedom...

Do you know a young person or student who has an interest in freedom and classical liberal ideas? 

If so, Freedom Week 2020 may just be the thing for them! The one-week seminar is a unique - and entirely free - opportunity for students to meet dozens of like-minded young people who share their interest in liberal perspectives on economics, political science, history and society. 

They’ll receive lectures and instruction from the crème de la crème of classical liberal academia as well as staff of the two leading free market think tanks in Westminster.

The event will take place in beautiful Cambridge from Monday 17th August to Saturday 22nd August 2020.

For more details and to apply, click here.

Internships...

Internships are also available in the IEA’s Westminster office. 

We have a wide range of programmes - from week-long internships for Sixth Formers to longer-term general internships. 

All these programmes provide interns with an introduction to free market ideas and expand their knowledge of free markets and free society.

Click here for more details on how to apply  - or please pass on the details to anyone you know who might be interested.

You're invited!

Last Chance! In conversation with John Humphrys 

Former BBC veteran John Humphrys will be our special guest this Monday.

John – who hosted Radio 4’s Today programme from 1987 until last year – will join us to discuss his fascinating memoir, A Day Like Today, in which he looks back at his remarkable career, reflects on the politicians he interrogated and weighs in on the role of the BBC.

The event will take place from 6 to 8pm on Monday, 9th March here at the IEA.

Places are fast running out.  If you would like to attend please email [email protected] 

You can also find out all about the IEA Book Club – which brings you year-round invites to exclusive events with top authors - here.

New Vision? The Future of the BBC

Meanwhile, the BBC will also be the subject of a forthcoming panel discussion at the IEA. 



The UK Government has launched a public consultation on whether non-payment of the TV licence fee should remain a criminal offence. This marks a significant opportunity for the BBC, and its funding model, to change. But should we go further?

The IEA recently published ‘New Vision: Liberating the BBC from the licence fee’ which sets out a proposal for a subscriber-owned mutual, along the lines of the National Trust.



Join us and our panel on 16th March, 6-8pm for a lively discussion about the potential routes the BBC may embark upon, including that proposed in ‘New Vision’.

To ensure your spot, please email [email protected].