This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs provides a list and numerical count of regulatory measures across the six largest parties by vote share. The general election campaign has focused on tax and spending promises, with much less attention paid to proposed regulatory measures. Regulations often have well-intentioned goals, including protecting...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs emphasises the importance of a broadly defined money aggregate in the determination of nominal national income and wealth. The overwhelming majority of economists were wrong in their forecasts about the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. They believed that it would result in years of...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs offers a fresh perspective on the George Orwell classic dystopia 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the UK publication of George Orwell’s classic dystopia Nineteen Eighty-Four (8 June 2024), the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is republishing the novel with a new...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs examines the economic and social consequences of anti-money laundering regulation. Debanking became a news story in 2023 when Nigel Farage alleged that Coutts had closed his account because its executives disapproved of his political opinions. A study by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs offers a cost–benefit analysis of western colonialism. In recent years, we have seen a renewed interest in Britain’s imperialist past: the British Empire, the slave trade and the Caribbean slave labour plantations. More precisely, we have seen a revival of the idea that the...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs discusses a future scenario where Britain has solved its housing crisis. This paper is written in the style of a report from the future (the year 2035), or more precisely, from a possible future, in which Britain has successfully solved its housing crisis. Looking...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs looks at how to boost income mobility in the UK. Many argue that income mobility is declining. This applies to all types of income mobility (relative and absolute; intergenerational and intragenerational). As remedies, those who worry and others who want to improve mobility tend...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs looks at how red tape is fuelling the cost of living crisis. Red tape significantly contributes to the higher cost of living in the United Kingdom. The Consumer Price Index increased by 80% between 2000 and 2023. However, there is significant price variability across...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs looks at a banking system in which banks issue their own notes under competitive conditions. Free banking is a banking system in which banks issue their own notes under competitive conditions while typically operating on a commodity standard, in the absence of a central...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Economic Affairs critiques the generational tobacco ban. The UK government is proposing a generational ban on tobacco sales to anyone born after 2008, overturning the fundamental principle that adults should have autonomy over their own bodies. The generational ban will create absurd situations, such as a...