From Institute of Economic Affairs <[email protected]>
Subject Vaccine Victory
Date December 6, 2020 8:59 AM
  Links have been removed from this email. Learn more in the FAQ.
  Links have been removed from this email. Learn more in the FAQ.
**
------------------------------------------------------------
* TALKING POINT, BY GLYNN BRAILSFORD
* VACCINE VICTORY
* IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
* BACK TO THE FUTURE
* YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
* YOU'RE INVITED

It seems an age ago now, but back in late 2019BC (Before Coronavirus) one of the questions we were asking ourselves at the IEA was “What should the topic be for our next Richard Koch Breakthrough Prize?”

It’s one of the biggest economics competitions in the UK – with a £50,000 first prize - and in past years we’ve addressed important issues such as the housing crisis, economic freedom or how people can succeed on their own merit.

In fairly short order, we decided that “left-behind Britain” was the key topic. There are swathes of towns across the country – predominantly in my native north – with deep-seated problems such as failing businesses, high unemployment and poor housing. Then the pandemic intruded, and we had to press pause for a while.

But, when the time came to reconsider, it quickly became clear that the problems facing these areas have only grown more acute because of the coronavirus.

So this week, we launched the delayed - but now doubly pertinent - Breakthrough Prize 20/21. It attracted coverage from City AM ([link removed]) and The Times ([link removed]) in London to the Yorkshire Post in Leeds.

Our Director General Mark Littlewood also highlighted the competition in his regular Times column ([link removed]) and on Wednesday he hosted a Live with Littlewood Breakthrough Prize Special on our YouTube channel ([link removed]) .

[link removed]

The show featured the prize sponsor, author and businessman Richard Koch, and Conservative MP Dehenna Davison, who represents the ‘Red Wall’ seat of Bishop Auckland and is this year's guest judge.

If you’d like to join in, you can find out more at www.breakthroughprize.org.uk

We’re seeking answers to this question: “In the current severe economic climate, what pro-market, pro-enterprise policy would be the best way of supercharging growth, employment and living standards in left-behind Britain?”

Maybe your ideas could give these impoverished areas a new lease of life in 2021AD (After the Disease)?

Glynn Brailsford
Managing Director, Institute of Economic Affairs
VACCINE VICTORY

The good news this week is that the UK has become the first country in the world to approve a Covid vaccine for widespread use.

Writing for the IEA blog ([link removed]) , Dr Roger Bate, a member of the IEA's Academic Advisory Council, wrote about some of the challenges the government will face rolling out the vaccine. Roger argued that a black market for Covid vaccines may develop, as is the case with other medicines and drugs; and, therefore, the government should think about creating the framework under which a legitimate market for Covid vaccines can function.

Roger added that there is a case for creating a parallel "fast-lane" for the most impatient people, who might otherwise be driven to less trusthworthy sources.

[link removed]

The bad news is that the tier system looks set to continue into the Spring. New IEA research ([link removed]) , authored by IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon, reveals that the evidence used by SAGE to justify hospitality closures is "tenuous". You can read the updated briefing paper 'Pubs and COVID-19: Flawed claims and faulty reasoning' here ([link removed]) .

Christopher revealed that "none of the studies suggest that pubs and bars are uniquely dangerous, many of them don’t mention pubs or bars at all, and most of them involve outbreaks in Asia in the early days of the pandemic when there was little or no social distancing."

Writing for The Telegraph ([link removed]) , Christopher flagged that the government's cost-benefit analysis, published this week, makes "no serious attempt" to evaluate the costs to well-being or mental health, and no attempt to weight the costs of one course of action against another.

Peer and acclaimed author Matt Ridley cited the paper's findings in a speech in the House of Lords, which you can watch here ([link removed]) .
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Ahead of the parliamentary vote on the government's new tier system of Covid restrictions, IEA Director General Mark Littlewood hosted Sir Graham Brady, Member of Parliament for Altrincham and Sale West, Chair of the influential 1922 Committee. The discussion was livestreamed on our YouTube channel ([link removed]) .

[link removed]

Sir Graham revealed that he would be voting against the government on the new tier system of restrictions due to his "concerns about the impact on civil liberties and fundamental human rights" and because he believes his own constituency has been put in the wrong tier "without good justification". His comments were featured on Sky News and across the regional press.
BACK TO THE FUTURE

Our Hayek Memorial Lecture has been one of the highlights of the IEA calendar since 1988…and we didn’t want to let the pandemic stand in the way of this marquee event!

[link removed]

So this year we’ll be mounting a VIRTUAL Hayek Lecture – and we’ll be honouring one of our own.

Acclaimed author and historian – and the IEA’s Head of Education – Dr Stephen Davies will deliver the lecture on our YouTube channel at 6pm on Thursday,17th December.

Dr Davies, who has presented some of our most watched films of the year, will analyse the global and domestic response to the coronavirus outbreak and reflect on the lessons we can learn from history as he discusses ‘The World after the Pandemic’.

Stephen was previously program officer at the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University in Virginia. Before that he was Senior Lecturer in the Department of History and Economic History at Manchester Metropolitan University and he’s also been a Visiting Scholar at the Social Philosophy and Policy Center at Bowling Green State University, Ohio.

You’ll be able to watch the lecture here ([link removed]) .

Be sure to save the date!
CALLING ALL STUDENTS!

Thanks to a generous endowment from the Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Ronald Coase, the University of Buckingham is offering new scholarships to study a range of Economics courses from September 2021.

[link removed]

The Coase Scholarships have a value of £11,000 for a two year degree. When combined with a UK government student loan this means that you will be able to cover your chosen tuition fees.

Up to 14 scholarships are available per academic year and cover a range of economics programmes starting in January and September each year.

For more details, and how to apply, click here ([link removed]) .

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

*The Future of European Tax Competition Prize

Would you like to win €3000? Then enter The Future of European Tax Essay Competition to be in with the chance of nabbing the grand prize!

[link removed]

EPICENTER – the IEA’s network of European think tanks – is looking for new, innovative ideas on how tax regimes across Europe can become more competitive and driven by key liberal values of efficiency, neutrality, and fairness. Participants should answer one of the following questions:

1. What post-pandemic tax reforms should be implemented in the EU and across member states to encourage economic growth?

2. What are the building blocks of a successful tax policy that could be adopted by European countries? Explain what taxes should be determined on an EU level and why?

The competition deadline is 18th December and interested participants can register here ([link removed]) .

For more details, head to EPICENTER’s website ([link removed]) . Please address any queries to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

* The Budget Challenge and Monetary Policy Essay Prize

[link removed]

The Budget Challenge ([link removed])

Teams of up to four A-level students can submit a Budget with taxation and spending policy for the UK in the coming financial year, as well as a brief analysis of the macroeconomic conditions with a broad policy and strategy response. There is a prize of £1,000 for the winning team and their school.
Deadline: Friday 29^th January 2021; please submit to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Monetary Policy Essay Prize ([link removed])

Will the pandemic be inflationary or disinflationary? The understanding of how central banks make policy decisions is key to analyse a modern economy, particularly since the outbreak of the Global Financial Crisis in 2008/09.

This competition offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the better understanding of money and its role in the making of monetary policy. The Essay Prize is open to current Year 12 and Year 13 students as well as all Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students at UK universities. There are prizes up to £500.
Deadline: Monday 18^th January 2021; please submit to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
YOU'RE INVITED

* In Conversation with Linda Whetsone

[link removed]

On Tuesday 8th December at 6.30pm, the IEA will host Linda Whetstone for the next in our In Conversation series, livestreamed on the IEA YouTube channel ([link removed]) .
Linda Whetstone is Chairman of Network for a Free Society and Chair of the Atlas Network, an international association of free-market think tanks. She is a member of the board of the Institute of Economic Affairs and, through her international networks, leads on translating the IEA’s publications into multiple languages, making the academic and intellectual underpinning of free markets and free people available to all. As the daughter of Sir Antony Fisher, the co-founder of the Institute of Economic Affairs, the liberty movement has been a life-long labour of love.

The conversation will shed light on Linda’s work promoting freedom across the globe, as well as getting her perspective on the outlook for the future of freedom in these uncertain times.

Our line-up for the new year will include Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, Douglas Carswell, Baroness Nicky Morgan, Kwasi Kwarteng MP, and David Davis MP.

* IEA Book Launch: After Brexit, What Next? Trade, Regulation and Economic Growth

[link removed]

On Thursday 10th December from 1-2pm, the IEA will host Professor Patrick Minford for the launch of his forthcoming book “After Brexit, What Next? Trade, Regulation and Economic Growth”, co-authored by Dr David Meenagh.

As the UK reaches crunch time on its relationship with the rest of the world, the timely book sets out a comprehensive policy programme, for both ‘microeconomic’ supply-side settings of tax and regulatory systems, and ‘macroeconomic’ policies for fiscal and monetary policies to regulate demand and support the supply-side growth agenda.

IEA Head of Education Dr Stephen Davies will also join the discussion, which will be chaired by IEA Academic and Research Director Professor Syed Kamall.

IEA Book Club Members will have exclusive access to the Zoom Webinar, and therefore the Q&A. For the public, this webinar will be livestreamed on our Youtube channel, which can be found here ([link removed]) .

To find out more about the IEA Book Club, please visit the link here ([link removed]) or contact us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

============================================================

With a little help from our friends...

These are difficult times for every individual and organisation, including the IEA. Understandably, your priorities will be to look after your loved ones, your family, your work or your business.

** ([link removed])

But if you do have a little extra cash available to help the IEA during these uncertain times, your contribution – no matter how small – would be deeply appreciated.

As an educational charity, the work we do work is entirely funded by donations. If you are able to help please click ** here ([link removed])
or contact ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?body=Dear%20Angela%2C)
. Thank you.

And why not get Amazon to donate too? All you have to do is to start shopping on ** [link removed] ([link removed])
and pick the IEA as your chosen charity. The IEA will then receive 0.5% of your spending on most items. Everything else remains the same (and at no additional cost to you).
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** LinkedIn ([link removed])

You are receiving this email from the Institute of Economic Affairs
** Unsubscribe ([link removed])
from this list.

© 2020 Institute of Economic Affairs
Institute of Economic Affairs 2 Lord North Street London, London SW1P 3LB United Kingdom

Registered in England 755502, Charity No. CC/235 351, Limited by Guarantee

** Forward ([link removed])
this email to a friend

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
Institute of Economic Affairs . 2 Lord North Street . London, London SW1P 3LB . United Kingdom
Screenshot of the email generated on import

Message Analysis