IEA's new discussion paper "Liberalising Discrimination Law" examines how anti-discrimination legislation in the UK has evolved since the 1960s, with particular focus on the Equality Act 2010. Daniel Freeman, one of the paper's authors, breaks down how the law has shifted from addressing direct discrimination to increasingly complex regulations around indirect discrimination and group outcomes. The discussion explores real-world examples, including the Next retail case where warehouse workers' h...
Feb 10, 2025•29 min
Donald Trump is threatening 25% tariffs on allies - from Canada to Europe. The Bank of England has halved its growth forecasts. And the government is pushing nuclear power forward. We break down what this all means and why it matters. In this episode of the IEA podcast, Director of Communications Callum Price is joined by Editorial Director Kristian Niemietz and Executive Director Tom Clougherty. Kristian Niemietz explains why Trump's protectionist instincts could damage global trade and make ev...
Feb 07, 2025•44 min
In this segment from our longer "Not Invented Here" interview, Dr Christopher Snowdon examines the environmental movement's puzzling resistance to proven climate solutions. He focuses on two key examples: nuclear power and GM foods, where environmental groups consistently oppose technologies that could help achieve their stated goals. The discussion reveals how historical events like Chernobyl shaped anti-nuclear sentiment, despite nuclear power being one of the most effective tools for fighting...
Feb 05, 2025•5 min
In this extract from the IEA Ralph Harris Centenary Lecture, Tyler Goodspeed, former Acting Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, outlines three critical steps to revive UK economic growth. Beginning with the principle of "first, do no harm," Goodspeed argues that Britain must stop undermining sectors where it historically held competitive advantages - particularly in financial services and energy production. His second point focuses on the importance of personnel in policymaking, partic...
Feb 04, 2025•5 min
In this episode, Reem Ibrahim is joined by Tom Clougherty and Dr Kristian Niemietz to analyse Rachel Reeves' recent growth-focused speech and Keir Starmer's commitment to deregulation. The team examines the apparent contradiction between Labour's pro-growth rhetoric and their policies on employment law, environmental regulations, and taxation - drawing interesting parallels with the French economic model. The conversation shifts to reflect on the five-year anniversary of Brexit, evaluating its o...
Jan 31, 2025•31 min
The IEA Ralph Harris Centenary Lecture features an opening address by Brian Kingham, Founder and Chairman of Reliance Security Group, who shares his personal experiences with Ralph Harris and the Institute of Economic Affairs during Britain's turbulent 1970s. As a 25-year-old entrepreneur employing 500 people, Kingham discovered the IEA's innovative market-based solutions while navigating a hostile business environment characterised by trade union power, excessive regulation, and punitive taxati...
Jan 29, 2025•13 min
IEA's Communications Officer Reem Ibrahim discusses the UK's welfare system challenges, noting that 10% of working-age adults receive out-of-work benefits, many citing mental health reasons after the pandemic. The discussion references a documentary where a JobCentre discouraged a benefits claimant from job training, suggesting it could risk their existing benefits. Ibrahim argues that signing people off work for mental health issues may hinder rather than help their recovery. The conversation e...
Jan 27, 2025•10 min
In this IEA podcast, host Callum Price, Director of Communications, joins Executive Director Tom Clougherty and Editorial Director Kristian Niemietz to analyse Labour's potential economic strategy. They examine Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer's rhetoric around supply-side reforms, critically assessing whether the party's current approach can genuinely drive economic growth. The discussion explores the UK's net zero commitments against the backdrop of changing global environmental policies. With t...
Jan 24, 2025•48 min
Join IEA Managing Editor Daniel Freeman as he explores how trade tariffs shaped America with Professor Alexander Klein. In 1870, the US had a massive 45% average tariff on imported goods - compared to just 2% today. Professor Klein breaks down why the US adopted such high tariffs after the Civil War, and what this history tells us about current debates around trade protection. From intense lobbying battles between Northern and Southern states to surprising findings about productivity, this conve...
Jan 21, 2025•41 min
In this GB News interview, Institute of Economic Affairs Executive Director Tom Clougherty discusses Britain's economic challenges and the need for new radical ideas to overcome them. Addressing years of high taxes and low growth, he explains how many young Brits in their twenties and thirties have never experienced real economic growth, with incomes remaining stagnant since 2007. Rather than pointing to a single solution, Clougherty argues that Britain needs hundreds of changes across the econo...
Jan 20, 2025•6 min
In this episode, we explore Ed Davey's proposal for the UK to rejoin the EU customs union. Reem Ibrahim, Tom Clougherty, and Kristian Niemietz demonstrate why this approach would be a backward step even from a Remainer perspective, highlighting how it would give Britain "the worst of all worlds" while restricting its ability to pursue independent trade deals. Their analysis reveals why the customs union was consistently the least beneficial aspect of EU membership for the UK, contrasting with th...
Jan 18, 2025•43 min
In this new interview with libertarian power couple Matt and Terry Kibbe, founders of Free the People, hosted by IEA's Communications Manager, Reem Ibrahim, they explore how storytelling and personal narratives can effectively communicate ideas of liberty and economic freedom. From Terry's experience in the defence industry to Matt's discovery of libertarianism through Rush albums and Austrian economics, their journey showcases innovative approaches to reaching new audiences. The discussion delv...
Jan 15, 2025•53 min
In this episode of IEA Briefing, we explore why a 37-year-old paper on UK housing remains shockingly relevant today. Dr. Kristian Niemietz joins us to discuss the republishing of "No Room! No Room!" - Professor Alan Evans' 1988 analysis of Britain's housing crisis. Despite being written when multiplex cinemas were new and the Berlin Wall still stood, the paper's diagnosis of the UK's housing problems feels like it could have been written last week. The discussion dives into Evans' key insights a...
Jan 14, 2025•16 min
Dr Christopher Snowdon joins us to discuss the "Not Invented Here" syndrome in activist groups and policy campaigns. From weight loss drugs to e-cigarettes, nuclear power to GM foods, Snowdon explores how campaign groups often resist practical solutions that weren't developed by their own organisations - even when these solutions clearly work. Using real-world examples, Snowdon breaks down how activist groups frequently prefer radical societal changes over pragmatic fixes. He examines cases like...
Jan 13, 2025•31 min
In this episode, we dive into the UK's current borrowing challenges and the government's fiscal rules. Tom Clougherty, Executive Director , explains why the situation presents a significant problem for the government as borrowing costs rise and economic growth remains sluggish. The discussion explores how this could force difficult choices between spending cuts and tax increases, with potential implications for the UK's economic future. The conversation then turns to NHS reforms, where Kristian ...
Jan 10, 2025•44 min
Join us for the IEA Ralph Harris Centenary Lecture featuring Tyler Goodspeed, former Acting Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, who delivers his analysis of the UK's economic challenges. Goodspeed reveals that the UK is approximately 40% poorer per person than the US, with British workers producing less in a full year than American workers do by August. He explains how the 2008 financial crisis triggered not just a temporary downturn, but a fundamental change in the UK's growth traject...
Jan 09, 2025•1 hr 13 min
In this episode of the IEA Podcast, host Reem Ibrahim joins Tom Clougherty and Daniel Freeman to reflect on the economic and policy highlights and lowlights of 2024. The discussion kicks off with a critical analysis of the government's October budget and its impact on British businesses, followed by concerns about rising protectionism in America and the concerning trend of outdoor smoking bans and other nanny state interventions. The conversation then shifts to more positive developments, includ...
Jan 09, 2025•58 min
Fraser Nelson, former Editor of The Spectator, joins IEA Communications Manager Reem Ibrahim to discuss his recent Channel 4 documentary "Britain's Benefits Scandal". Nelson explores the concerning rise in long-term sickness benefits claims across the UK, particularly among young adults aged 25-34, where numbers have increased by 65% in just five years. In this conversation, Nelson explains how the current benefits system creates perverse incentives that can trap people in long-term unemployment...
Dec 18, 2024•22 min
In this episode of the IEA Briefing, Editorial Director Dr. Kristian Niemietz discusses Jeremy Corbyn's recent speech in Jamaica about reparations and colonialism. Despite losing the general election five years ago, Corbyn remains influential with 2.6 million Twitter followers - more than the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, and Chancellor combined. Niemietz explains why Corbyn's social media presence continues to shape public debate. The conversation examines Corbyn's claim that Britain's wea...
Dec 16, 2024•14 min
In this episode of the IEA Podcast, we analyse Angela Rayner's new housing proposals, which include redefining "grey belt" land and changing how housing targets are calculated. Director of Communications Callum Price , Editorial Director Kristian Niemietz , and Managing Editor Daniel Freeman discussed why these market-friendly reforms are coming from an unexpected source and whether they'll be enough to tackle Britain's housing crisis. We then dive into economist Tyler Goodspeed's fascinating an...
Dec 13, 2024•45 min
In this week’s episode of the IEA Podcast, Callum Price (Director of Communications), Tom Clougherty (Executive Director) and Kristian Niemietz (Editorial Director) analyse Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's recent "Plan for Change" speech. The speech set out Labour's vision for growth and public services. Whilst the speech contained some positive ambitions, such as building 1.5 million homes , it lacked a clear theory of change for how these goals can actually be achieved in practice. We explore...
Dec 06, 2024•47 min
Join IEA's Communications Manager Reem Ibrahim as she sits down with Andy Mayer, Energy Analyst and COO, to discuss Labour's ambitious 2030 net zero plans and the role of nuclear power in Britain's energy future. Following his recent Telegraph article, Mayer explains why the current target of transitioning from 40% renewable energy to 100% by 2030 faces significant challenges, particularly due to the intermittent nature of renewable sources and the inefficiencies in the current gas backup system...
Dec 05, 2024•11 min
The latest IEA Podcast tackles some of the most pressing issues in British politics today. Hosted by Executive Director Tom Clougherty, this episode dives into the zero-emission vehicle mandate and the broader push towards net zero, questioning the feasibility and costs of these ambitious goals. Joining Tom are Dr. Kristian Niemietz and Dr. Stephen Davies, who provide their insights into the policies shaping Britain's environmental future. The discussion then shifts to the ongoing realignment in...
Nov 29, 2024•57 min
Higher education is in crisis, and Peter Ainsworth, Author of the new IEA Publication 'Shares in Students', has a radical solution. In this podcast, he explains how universities are financially struggling, with graduates earning less and carrying massive debt. His proposal? Tie university funding directly to student employment outcomes. Ainsworth argues that the current system incentivises student recruitment, not student success. By redirecting loan repayments back to universities based on grad...
Nov 28, 2024•21 min
In this eye-opening episode of the IEA Podcast, Professor Len Shackleton dissects the UK government's latest "Get Britain Working" white paper. With the number of working-age people on benefits rising since COVID, the government is proposing initiatives like mental health consultant support, local trailblazer schemes, and youth work guarantees. Shackleton offers a critical perspective, arguing that the current proposals lack the financial muscle of previous New Labour approaches. He highlights c...
Nov 27, 2024•13 min
In this quick-hit episode, IEA's Editorial Director Kristian Niemietz discusses Ludwig von Mises' 1944 book "Bureaucracy" and its relevance to modern government reform efforts. The conversation explores why simply bringing private sector managers into government - like the recent initiative involving Elon Musk - might not be the solution Mises would have recommended. Niemietz explains how Mises saw bureaucracy not as inherently good or bad, but as an inevitable way of organising activity when ec...
Nov 26, 2024•12 min
Join host Callum Price, IEA's Director of Communications, along with Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics, and Kristian Niemietz, Editorial Director, as they explore the recent farmers' protests in Westminster over inheritance tax changes. Our panel dives into the complex debate around taxing agricultural assets, food security, and the broader implications for Britain's countryside. The discussion weighs the principles of fair taxation against the practical challenges faced by family...
Nov 22, 2024•38 min
In this episode of the IEA podcast, we dive into Wes Streeting's proposed NHS reforms, exploring whether league tables and performance metrics can truly improve healthcare efficiency. Our guests Tom Clougherty and Kristian Niemietz discuss alternative healthcare systems from around the world, from the Netherlands' market-driven approach to Singapore's health savings accounts, examining how these models might inform NHS reform. We then turn to Elon Musk's appointment to head the new Department of...
Nov 15, 2024•40 min
In this IEA Book Club event, Sir Vernon Bogdanor discusses his new book "Making The Weather: Six Politicians Who Changed Modern Britain" with IEA Executive Director Tom Clougherty. Bogdanor examines how certain politicians have shaped Britain's political landscape, focusing particularly on three figures: Aneurin Bevan, Enoch Powell, and Keith Joseph. The discussion explores how these individuals challenged the prevailing consensus of their times and influenced British politics far beyond their i...
Nov 13, 2024•57 min
In this episode of the IEA Podcast, we delve into Donald Trump's decisive victory in the 2024 US presidential election and what it means for economic policy. WSJ columnist Joseph Sternberg breaks down why the election was ultimately decided by economic fundamentals rather than cultural issues, exploring Trump's proposed policies on tariffs, taxation, and government spending. The discussion examines why American voters, despite strong GDP numbers, felt economically insecure under the Biden-Harris...
Nov 08, 2024•1 hr 1 min
