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IN THIS EDITION...
- TALKING POINT, WITH JULIAN JESSOP
- SMOKING GUN
- ESSENTIAL SCHOLARS
- REALITIES OF SOCIALISM
- IEA DIGITAL
- IN THE MEDIA
- STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
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This week the UK and EU unveiled a new ‘Windsor Framework’ which is being sold as an improvement on the existing ‘Northern Ireland Protocol’. At first sight it does look better.
To recap, the Protocol created a new East-West border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain. This allowed Northern Ireland easier access to the EU’s Single Market for goods, but bound it to the EU’s rules, while splitting the UK.
The Windsor Framework will tackle these challenges in three ways. First, it will replace the border in the Irish Sea with a system of ‘green’ and ‘red’ lanes, where fewer goods will be subject to full EU checks and controls.
Second, it should solve a number of specific problems in areas such as food and horticulture, pet travel, VAT and alcohol duties and medicines.
Third, it will give Northern Ireland more say over any new rules that might otherwise be imposed by the EU, thanks to a ‘Stormont Brake’ which will grant the UK Government a veto.
If this works, great. Fixing the Protocol would remove one of the biggest sources of Brexit uncertainty, benefiting the entire country. But the more I dig into the weeds of this new ‘deal’, the less I like.
The reality is that the EU has not given much away. The checks on trade within the UK will still be a bureaucratic nightmare. The ‘Stormont Brake’ can only be applied in exceptional circumstances, and then with potentially large costs.
Above all, opponents of Brexit will seize any chance to keep the whole of the UK closely aligned with EU rules. Large parts of EU law will continue to apply in Northern Ireland, making it harder for the rest of the UK to diverge without leaving Northern Ireland behind.
My instinct is still to give the Windsor Framework a borderline pass. This has dragged on for long enough. But the ‘deal’ is highly unsatisfactory and the devils in the detail could yet cause it to unravel.
Julian Jessop
Economics Fellow, Institute of Economic Affairs
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SMOKING GUN
The Government wants to achieve a ‘smoke free’ England by 2030. Measures being advocated by public health campaigners include raising the age of sale of tobacco from 18 to 21, or by one year every year until no-one can buy tobacco legally.
Is the ongoing war on smoking justified? Is there an alternative to creeping prohibition and infringing on an adult’s right to choose? And what are the implications for future generations if the state controls our lifestyle choices, be it smoking, eating or drinking?
Chaired by Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ rights group Forest, panellists include Reem Ibrahim, a final year student at the London School of Economics and IEA Communications Officer; Kara Kennedy, Staff Writer at Spectator World and author of ‘An ode to smoking’; and IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon.
The discussion starts at 19:00 and will be preceded by drinks from 18:15.
Spaces are limited and will be given on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Please RSVP to [email protected] or call 020 7799 8900
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ESSENTIAL SCHOLARS
The IEA is steadfast in championing great classical liberal scholars such as John Stuart Mill, Adam Smith, F.A. Hayek, Elinor Ostrom, Milton Friedman and many more.
So we are delighted to announce our newest partnership with The Fraser Institute (Canada) on the Essential Scholars project.
We’ll be working alongside the Foundation for Economic Education (USA) and the Institute of Public Affairs (Australia) to spread the intellectual foundations of the freedom movement.
What is the Essential Scholars project?
Essential Scholars is a multimedia experience that presents the key ideas of some of the most influential thinkers of our movement, whose insights helped to shape the free and prosperous societies that many of us enjoy today.
Essential Scholars provides books that you can read and download for free! You can also listen to new podcasts, download free audiobooks, order physical copies of the books, and watch more than 50 short animated videos that bring to life the ideas of liberal scholars, including Adam Smith, John Locke, F. A. Hayek and Milton Friedman.
John Stuart Mill
This month, we’re focusing on the life and work of John Stuart Mill.
Sandra Peart, author of ‘The Essential John Stuart Mill’ spoke to Essential Scholars host Rosemarie Fike, to discuss his influence on the fields of moral philosophy and economics.
Click here to listen to the podcast, read the book, watch the videos or listen to the podcast.
Be sure to stay tuned for more fascinating content discussing liberalism's greatest thinkers!
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REALITIES OF SOCIALISM
New polling by the Fraser Institute for the Realities of Socialism project shows that a majority of Britons under 35 consider socialism their preferred economic system. However, while Millennials continue to support socialist ideas and policies, there may be some slight hope that the younger demographic are still open to free market ideas.
Commenting on the research, IEA Head of Political Economy Kristian Niemietz and IEA Senior Advisor Sam Collins took different views of what the research showed, with Kristian saying:
“These results show that the Corbyn years were not some freak event, or a one-off aberration. They were just the beginning. Socialism is part of the new normal in 2020s Britain.
“Large numbers of younger people have turned their backs on capitalism, and unlike previous generations, they show no signs of “growing out” of those beliefs as they reach middle age. This should be a wake-up call for those of us who still believe in the market economy.”
While Sam argued:
“While these results show that many young people still consider capitalism a dirty word, there is evidence that amongst the youngest demographic there is a growing appreciation that socialist policies, such as, wealth taxes, greater state involvement in the economy and moving towards a guaranteed minimum income are just not tenable.
“We should feel no surprise that a generation locked out of the housing market by NIMBYs and forced to rack up high student debts thanks to occupational licensing isn’t enamoured with capitalism. Any government wishing to change this mindset needs to introduce the free-market reforms that give young people more opportunities to work, buy a house and improve their own lives.”
The Realities of Socialism is a new multimedia project run by the Fraser Institute in Canada, the IEA, the Institute of Public Affairs in Australia and the Fund for American Studies in the U.S.
IEA Communications Officer Harrison Griffiths discussed these findings with Kristian in this week’s podcast, exploring how young people can be dissuaded from socialism.
Watch here.
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IN THE MEDIA
Road to serfdom... IEA Senior Policy Advisor Sam Collins was published in The Telegraph this week criticising Britain's Net Zero policy agenda. Outlining the trade-offs of the green revolution, Sam commented:
"Until this point, human history has been an impressive arc of discovering ever better and more efficient ways to generate energy. Yet the green revolution will, in order to save the planet, mean our short-term future will be based on less effective production.
"Contrary to what some will say, there are significant trade-offs that will come from this. Many consumers may not particularly notice, either because the "unit cost" of these trade-offs does not have a monetary value or because the costs will appear divorced from the green transition."
Green growth paradox... IEA Energy Analyst Andy Mayer was also featured in The Telegraph. Andy discussed the UK's approach to industrial strategy, arguing that the policy of picking winners and losers has dire consequences for business. Andy wrote:
"We now have a “green growth paradox”. Expensive policies designed to stimulate the green economy make us uncompetitive, attracting imports from places with more attractive fundamentals rather than creating UK exporters."
Doff my cap... Andy was also on GB News discussing plans to lower the Ofgem price cap from April 1st. Commenting on the price cap, Andy said:
“The government is subsidising energy use and that’s the worst possible thing to do when energy prices are so high”
Watch here (from 1:46:10)
The grip of paternalism... In CapX, IEA Policy Advisor Matthew Bowles wrote about Sadiq Khan's free school meal plan and argued that it is one of a series of paternalistic policies dominating the policy landscape. Commenting on Khan's scheme, Matthew wrote:
"A more recent example of Britain’s paternalistic drift is Sadiq Khan’s commitment to give all primary school children in London free school meals. Although younger children already get free meals as standard, by extending this to older cohorts the Mayor of London is moving away from a means-tested system which prioritises those most in need. In most of England, free school meals are a Beveridge style subsistence payment, only available to kids whose parents are in receipt of certain benefits and have an income after tax lower than £7,400."
Cross Question... IEA Communications Officer Reem Ibrahim appeared on LBC's Cross Question to discuss a variety of pressing issues. Commenting on the state of the NHS, Reem said:
"The NHS is a huge bureaucratic black hole and we’re just throwing taxpayer's money at it and it’s not working."
Creeping censorship... IEA Head of Cultural Affairs Marc Glendening wrote for 1828 on the vilification of SNP leadership contender Kate Forbes for her views on marriage. Marc described the postmodern attitude which underlies this and wrote:
"The identity politics prism is now so fanatically adhered to by the latter day left that it can, in particular instances, override another hugely important and totalitarian idea that helps to define them. This being the postmodernist assertion that language is, potentially, a form of actual, coercive power."
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STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
Join the IEA's internship programme!... We are now welcoming applicants. From editorial work to aiding our operations team, there are a variety of opportunities on offer for sixth form and university students. Want to work for the UK's original free-market think tank? Click here to find out more and submit your application.
Our current cohort of talented interns put together a video providing an insight into what you can expect, which you can watch here.
Applications are still open for Camp Vinson, which will now run from 26-30 June at St Antony’s College, Oxford! You can submit applications until Friday 31 March for this exclusive residential programme run in conjunction with the IEA, Initiative for African Trade and Prosperity, Vinson Centre for the Public Understanding of Economics and Entrepreneurship and the Institute of International Monetary Research.
Find out more and apply here.
And a reminder that applications for our Future Thought Leader Programmes for sixth-formers and undergraduates are now open. There will be two weeks for sixth formers in April, and one in July. The undergraduate programmes will take place in July and August.
You can find out more information on the programmes and how to apply here.
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