Welcome to the IEA Weekend Newsletter

• A sour taste... 
• Driven to distraction
• i on the Media
• A taxing issue
• Media matters
• We're Hiring!
• You're invited!

A sour taste...

On Friday, the IEA released a new report, ‘Cooking for Bureaucrats: Why the policy of food reformulation is hard to stomach’, exposing the absurdities of the government’s agenda to reduce the per capita consumption of sugar, salt, and calories by encouraging food companies to redesign their recipes. 

Denouncing the ‘reformulation’ plans as “the largest extension of state control over the British diet since rationing”, the report reveals why these policies are regressive, overly bureaucratic, and threaten to detach the food market from the tastes, preferences and nutritional goals of consumers. 

Commenting on the government’s new food reformulation plans, author Josie Appleton noted: “there is a shocking lack of evidence behind them, it seems the main motivation for the changes is a belief the public are too infantile to make informed choices about their own diet so ‘improvements’ must be made for them”. 

The report’s findings were widely covered across the press. On Thursday, the Telegraph ran a page three exclusive on why the war on sugar could see the death of some of Britain's best loved sweets. The report was also prominently featured in The Daily Mail, The Times, The Daily Star and The Sun (and was picked up on Twitter by the Trade Secretary!). 

Josie also wrote an accompanying comment piece for the Telegraph detailing how these “Orwellian” health policies could drive our favourite treats off the shelves. 

And IEA Intern Blythe Edwards wrote for CapX, discussing how these zealous initiatives are ultimately symptomatic of a disturbing broader impulse for nanny-state intervention.

Driven to distraction...

This week, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) used its new powers to ban TV advertisements produced by Volkswagen and Philadelphia cream cheese due to their supposed promotion of “harmful” gender stereotypes on the basis of recently issued regulations issued by the Committees of Advertising Practice.

The IEA’s Associate Director Kate Andrews warned against these measures when they were first announced in 2017, arguing at the time that crackdowns on adverts are often veiled attacks on free speech. 

In her weekly City A.M. column Kate argues that these concerns have played out in a spectacular way, denouncing the ASA’s bans as a flagrant assault on free speech. 

She writes that no free society can be in the business of banning mainstream adverts. For all our sakes, she says, this new wave of paternalistic censorship must be stopped in its tracks.

Also reacting to this intervention, IEA Editorial and Research Fellow, Professor Len Shackleton wrote for CapX criticising the ASA for going beyond their remit and seeking to police the advertising on spurious grounds.

He also warns that this non-statutory censorship will likely spread into other areas such as political advertising. 

In other gender-related news, Mark Littlewood, IEA Director-General, wrote his fortnightly column for The Times on the start of the football season and why it's perfectly reasonable to pay male and female footballers unequally.

i on the Media

BoJo: Lost mojo?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson should re-discover his radicalism on immigration, said the IEA's Head of Education and Programmes Ralph Buckle for CapX last week. 

Writing for the online outlet, Ralph welcomed comments from the PM on making it easier for scientists to come to live and work in the UK post-Brexit.

But he points out that the PM has made significantly more radical proposals in the past which would make it easier for more people to enjoy these freedoms and bring benefits to the UK economy and society.

Steel reinforcement

As rumours of a buyer for British Steel emerged, Emma Revell, the IEA’s Communications Manager, spoke to Sky News and ITV Yorkshire. 

Emma said the news should be welcomed, but urged caution and spoke against news the government was considering a £300 million support package to enable the sale to go ahead.

Emma also speculated on the future of the Northern Powerhouse in a column for City A.M. . 

Beef encounter

Emma appeared on BBC News to debate the move by Goldsmiths University to ban the sale of beef on campus, one of a series of measures to make the university carbon-neutral by 2025. 

She pointed out the limited impact this would have, while placing a restriction on the freedom of Goldsmiths students.

Harry kaned

IEA Economics Fellow Julian Jessop wrote for The Telegraph following Prince Harry's announcement he would only have two children because of the impact on the planet. 

Julian points out alarmists have often pointed towards population growth destroying the planet, only to be proved wrong when human ingenuity creates technological solutions. 

If anything, Julian argues, we need more children, not fewer, to support our ageing populations.

Striking view

Christopher Snowdon, the IEA's Head of Lifestyle Economics, was quoted in The Sun dismissing calls for a 30-minute strike to call attention to climate change. 

The TUC debated the strike, following calls by climate activist Greta Thunberg for students to strike from school, but Chris said the climate debate needed to focus on "serious policies, not empty gestures".

Chris and Spiked!’s Tom Slater also hosted Julia Hartley-Brewer on the 'Last Orders' podcast. Chris and Tom quizzed Julia on her views on cannabis legalisation, the former government's prohibition legacy, and how the sugar tax ruined Scotland's favourite sugary drink. 

Final straw

This week, McDonald's announced that their paper straws - which replaced plastic ones in their restaurants earlier this year following concern about single-use plastics - are not actually recyclable. 

In a piece for Spiked! Emma criticised the swap, labelling it a perfect example of virtue signalling on green issues without thinking through the consequences.

News in brief

As the quarterly GDP figures were released this week, Mark Littlewood spoke to BBC Radio 4's Today programme and Julian Jessop was quoted in The Times, saying uncertainty around Brexit had probably contributed to a 1 to 1.5 per cent slowdown in growth.

Associate Director Kate Andrews wrote her weekly City A.M. column on the road to the 2020 US presidential election, arguing the Democratic candidates in the United States are reacting to growing populism by veering to the left.

Len Shackleton, Editorial and Research Fellow, was interviewed on TalkRadio on figures showing wage growth is at an eleven-year high and the causes behind this.

Victoria Hewson, Head of Regulatory Affairs, was quoted in the Daily Express and Yahoo Finance and spoke to Sky News speaking about Brexit and the potential for a UK-US trade deal. 

IEA staff appeared on the number of paper reviews - Victoria reviewed the weekend's headlines on Sky News' 'Sophy Ridge on Sunday' and Emma appeared on two TalkRadio shows to discuss the day's top stories with Julia Hartley-Brewer and Jon Craig. Kate appeared on the Sky and BBC paper reviews as well.

A taxing issue

On our podcast this week, our Digital Manager Darren Grimes joined IEA Economics Fellow Julian Jessop and Head of Regulatory Affairs and Research Associate Victoria Hewson to discuss the prospective digital services tax on American technology firms like Apple, Google, and Facebook. 

Julian and Victoria challenged the views of those such as former Chancellor Philip Hammond who advocate in favour of the tax, saying “these global giants with profitable businesses in the UK pay their fair share”. 

The trio examine the broader economic and social implications of targeting the cutting edge sector - warning it could drive up consumer costs, shore up the dominance of current tech giants by raising barriers to market entry and open up the possibility of American retaliation. 

They also reflect on the dangers of designing policy in an attempt to deliver wanted outcomes rather than applying the law as it stands. 

To listen to their fascinating conversation, click here.

And to subscribe to our podcast, IEA Conversations, click here.

Media matters

On our blog this week, IEA Epicenter Intern, Matteo Baccaglini writes on media pluralism. 

The piece was originally posted on the Epicenter blog titled ‘How government subsidies to the media undermine editorial independence’.

Matteo notes that “Europeans should worry that instead of encouraging media pluralism, any selective subsidy – that is, a payment to chosen media outlets – will only exacerbate the industry’s problems at the taxpayer’s expense.”

It is not an uncommon phenomenon for European governments to award selective subsidies. There are cases of this existing in Sweden, Austria, Greece and Bulgaria among others.

“In turn, editors and journalists temper their articles in their bid to be chosen. Far from encouraging a diverse array of views, this political influence brings the media to heel.”

Read the full piece here.

We're Hiring!

Interested in working for the UK’s original free-market think tank? This is your chance!

The IEA is currently looking for two Communications staff members.

One role will focus on both traditional and new media, and the other will focus on parliamentary outreach (specifically the IEA’s FREER initiative). The roles report to the Associate Director, and sit within the IEA’s Media Centre.

Job titles, remuneration and specific duties will be determined based on the right candidate’s background and experience.

Qualified candidates should submit a CV and a cover letter to [email protected] with attention to Kate Andrews, Associate Director.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. The final deadline is 17.00, 30th August 2019.

You're Invited!

Canvassing ideas...

On Saturday, August 31st the Big Tent Ideas Festival is taking place. 

Big Tent is “united by a desire to see this political crisis resolved through the broad engagement of multiple actors of all political persuasions and none.”

Shanker Singham, Director of the IEA's International Trade and Competition Unit, and Christopher Snowdon, our Head of Lifestyle Economics, are both scheduled to speak on panels in two of the eight tents.

The IEA is also co-hosting the Economy Tent, where we will be hosting the first session - a head-to-head debate on the merits of capitalism! 

Get further information about the festival, and your ticket, here.

Enlightening choice…

EPICENTER – our network of European think tanks – would like to welcome you to the 2019 edition of the Nanny State Index Conference, taking place in Brussels on the 11th September.

Our Index, measuring lifestyle regulations in all 28 EU member states, gives the opportunity for policymakers to reflect on paternalistic regulations that curb consumer’s freedom of choice.

The annual conference features leading policy experts and politicians who discuss how the nanny state can be curbed all across Europe.

View the programme of the conference here or get your complimentary tickets here.