Category: Capitalism

State aid remains a slippery slope

The Government is delivering on another Brexit pledge. Kwasi Kwarteng’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has unveiled a new subsidy framework which takes back control from Brussels. The UK will break free from the EU’s bureaucratic state aid regime, allowing our government to provide quicker and more flexible support to UK businesses. That, at … Continue reading State aid remains a slippery slope →

Importing is “GREAT”, too

The UK government promotes international trade under the banner ‘Exporting is GREAT’. This is laudable, but the economic benefits of free trade come mainly from what countries import, rather than from what they sell overseas. This is the main message from a paper I wrote recently for the Institute of Economic Affairs. Of course, it is not … Continue reading Importing is “GREAT”, too →

More state intervention is not the answer to reviving our economy

Many people argue that the Covid crisis has demonstrated the need for government to take a bigger role in the economy, in good times as well as bad. When asked to suggest five policies to help the recovery their ‘wish lists’ are therefore full of ways in which the state could do even more. In … Continue reading More state intervention is not the answer to reviving our economy →

No, Observer: ‘free-market think-tanks’ haven’t changed their tune

This Sunday the Observer ran a frontpage story headlined ‘rightwing thinktanks call time on austerity era’. I was quoted in the article, wearing my IEA hat, as were representatives of the Adam Smith Institute, Centre for Policy Studies and Policy Exchange. As it happens, I am happy with the specific comments attributed to me, which … Continue reading No, Observer: ‘free-market think-tanks’ haven’t changed their tune →