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* TALKING POINT, WITH GLYNN BRAILSFORD
* FREEDOM WEEK
* iN THE MEDIA
* IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
* YOU'RE INVITED

I’m increasingly tempted to get an electric car.

Not on environmental grounds, particularly. I just like the idea of the swift and near-silent performance they promise. And the £3,000 discount the Government promises too.

But something’s stopping me taking the plunge. Why?  It could be because I recall Tony Blair and Gordon Brown driving us all to diesel. And we all know how that turned out. Or maybe because I remember catalytic converters being hailed as the answer to car pollution, rather than a gold-plated (or should that be rhodium-plated?) opportunity for jack-wielding thieves everywhere.

But it’s not just me and some of my IEA colleagues who wonder whether electricity is the answer. Many industry experts are voicing concern too.

Jeremy Clarkson, the big wheel of motoring journalism, recently bemoaned the “headlong rush” to get rid of the internal combustion engine. He’s not being Luddite – he recognises something needs to be done. But he thinks politicians are looking for “flattering headlines now” rather than looking for long term solutions. And he quotes Carlos Tavares, CEO of Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and Vauxhall, who wonders “who is taking the 360-degree view”.

That’s echoed by veteran Autocar scribe Steve Cropley, who says it’s “intolerably ham-fisted” of governments (here and in the EU) to think the only solution to the zero-carbon problem is full electrification. What, he asks, about other technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, hybrids, or e-fuels?

And can our infrastructure cope with the rapid acceleration in the sale of electrified vehicles?

Vehicle manufacturers are charged with (pun intended) making all new cars and vans zero emissions by 2035. But Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, fears the power sector isn’t keeping pace. Investment in renewable energy appears to be stalling, he says, whilst sales of electric vehicles are booming.

Unless they catch up, he warns, drivers could be “fuelling their green cars with brown electricity”. Meanwhile, Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw points out that small cars are effectively being killed off – because manufacturers can’t make low-emissions technology affordable.

The upshot? Low-income motorists are in danger of being priced off the road.  Or being forced to buy used cars – which are invariably more polluting. Unintended consequences anyone? 

For the final word, back to Steve Cropley: Politicians, he says, should stick to setting targets - but they’re “the very last who should be picking technological winners”.

Amen to that. Now, where did I put my car keys?

Glynn Brailsford
Chief Marketing & Creative Officer, Institute of Economic Affairs
FREEDOM WEEK

This week the IEA joined forces with the Adam Smith Institute to host our annual Freedom Week in Cambridge.

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IEA staff spent the week with dozens of freedom-minded university students, who enjoyed a jam-packed schedule of lectures, discussion groups, pub quizzes, and dinner and drinks every night. And no trip to Cambridge would be complete without a spot of punting!

Top economists and classical liberal thinkers led discussions on a number of challenging topics, including on how to protect free speech online, competition and big tech, the housing crisis, law and order, and the economics of immigration.

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Freedom week is an entirely free programme, which offers participants the chance to receive lectures and instruction from the crème de la crème of classical liberal academia as well as staff from the two leading free market think tanks in Westminster. And, not least, the chance to meet like-minded students also interested in liberal perspectives on economics, political science, history and society. You can find out more here ([link removed]) .
iN THE MEDIA

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Wealth divide... Tackling inequality has become the cause célèbre of our times, but is it the right target for progress?

In his column this week for The Times ([link removed]) , IEA Director General Mark Littlewood argued that firstly, inequality is misunderstood – the trajectory is to a more, not less, equal world; and secondly, that the focus on inequality has led to an obsession with the affluence of the wealthiest rather than the plight of the poorer.

Mark argued that we would be better advised "to work out what medicine has led to the economic global miracle of the past few decades and prescribe more of it".

Mark also appeared on Times Radio ([link removed]) to discuss his column. You can listen to a clip of the interview here ([link removed]) .

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Freedom's Champion... The IEA took centre stage in the Atlas Network's summer edition of Freedom's Champion ([link removed]) .

IEA Director General Mark Littlewood wrote an extended article, detailing the IEA's activities during the years that followed the UK's vote to leave the European Union.

This included the establishment of the International Trade & Competition Unit (ITCU), which saw the publication of Plan A+ ([link removed]) , a paper which argued strongly that in order to create a prosperous UK post-Brexit, the UK must regain control of both its tariff schedule and its regulatory rulebook.

You can read Mark's article here ([link removed]) . To learn more about how the IEA shifted the terms of the debate on trade, you can download 'The New Trade Route' by IEA Fellow Radomir Tylecote here ([link removed]) .

Sky papers... On Sunday night, IEA Director of Communications Annabel Denham appeared on Sky News alongside Guardian columnist Zoe Williams to review Monday's front pages.

The panel discussed the latest on the crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, new research that shows female board members at FTSE 100 companies are paid 40 per cent less than men, and Labour's pledge to shake-up Universal Credit as part of a wider 'new deal' for working people. You can find a clip here ([link removed]) .

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In her column for The Spectator ([link removed]) this week, Annabel argued that the pandemic may spark a renewed debate about the state of our welfare system, which has been thrown under the spotlight over the past 18 months.

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Taxing times... Public borrowing may have fallen in July but there continue to be endless demands on the public purse.

In a column for The Telegraph ([link removed]) , IEA Editorial and Research Fellow Professor Len Shackleton warned against raising taxes to pay down the debt, which he argued would scupper our economic recovery by deterring enterprise, investment and innovation.

The government should instead, Len suggested, "radically simplify taxes and make renewed attempts to cut public spending, which continues to grow as ever more special interests make claims on the public purse".

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Covid's a drag... A study undertaken by researchers at University College London has claimed that more than half a million young people, aged between 18 and 34, took up smoking during lockdown – an increase of 25 per cent since before lockdown.

IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon appeared on GB News to discuss the findings. Christopher argued that instead of reaching for ever-more regulation, taxes and tighter restrictions on smoking, the government and public health lobby should focus on debunking some of the myths around less harmful alternatives like e-cigarettes and vaping. You can watch a clip here ([link removed]) .

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On the blog... With COP26 coming up and Extinction Rebellion back protesting on our streets, historian, sociologist, and author of The Power of Capitalism ([link removed]) Dr Rainer Zitelmann debunked the myth that capitalism is to blame for climate change and environmental degradation on the IEA blog.

Citing numerous studies, Rainer argues that capitalism is not the problem, rather it is the solution – both economically and environmentally. You can read the full blog post here ([link removed]) .

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Path to freedom... Last Monday the IEA received an unusual request. Staff at one of our partner think tanks, the Afghanistan Economic and Legal Studies Organisation (AELSO), were trapped in Afghanistan as the Taliban regained control of the area, and urgently needed help.

On the IEA blog ([link removed]) , IEA Chief Operating Officer Andy Mayer recounts how the IEA, with help from MPs, staff and trustees managed to find them a route to safety.
IEA PATREON

Thank you to all of you who have already signed up to become an IEA Online Patron. Becoming a Patron grants you VIP access to our latest videos, priority invites to our virtual events, and the opportunity to engage directly with IEA Director General Mark Littlewood and the IEA team. For just a small donation you can get all these benefits and more.

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To visit the page and find out more about the IEA’s Patreon, follow the link here ([link removed]) or watch our trailer here ([link removed]) .
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

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On this week's episode, IEA Communications and Marketing Assistant Kieran Neild-Ali spoke to Head of Political Economy Dr Kristian Niemietz and Head of Media Emily Carver to discuss the Extinction Rebellion (XR) protests taking place in London.

The three talked about whether XR is a force for good in the 'green revolution', whether their aims are compatible with liberal democracy, and whether capitalism is inherently bad for the environment. You can listen here ([link removed]) .

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In the latest episode of the IEA's free speech series, Head of Cultural Affairs Marc Glendening spoke to Dennis Hayes about his chapter in the IEA's new book Having Your Say ([link removed]) .

Dennis is an emeritus professor of education at the University of Derby and sits on the advisory board of The Free Speech Union. In 2006–7 he was the first (joint) president of the University and College Union (UCU). Among his many publications is the controversial and best-selling book, co-authored with Kathryn Ecclestone: The Dangerous Rise of Therapeutic Education ([link removed]) .

Dennis argues that trade unions, which were once among the fiercest proponents of free speech, have shifted their focus to a ‘therapeutic’ role which requires them to protect members from speech that is felt to threaten 'harm' or ‘offence’. You can watch on the IEA YouTube channel here ([link removed]) .

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