Cutting Through Red Tape | IEA Podcast

On this IEA Podcast episode, host Matthew Lesh engages Tom Clougherty, the Institute of Economic Affairs' Executive Director, in a thought-provoking discussion centered around the government's recent efforts to cut red tape. They dive deep into the 10-point plan announced, which includes measures like issuing new regulations only when "absolutely necessary" and imposing stronger growth duties on regulators. While acknowledging these as positive steps, Clougherty argues that they fail to truly reshape Britain's regulatory landscape fundamentally. The conversation explores the origins of the modern regulatory state, the institutional and cultural forces driving over-regulation, and the structural reforms needed, such as mandatory sunset clauses and a senior government figure spearheading deregulation, to counterbalance these pressures effectively.