By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Following George Osborne's Mansion House speech, and announcement of new bank lending programmes, several think-tanks and campaign groups have reacted to the news. The Institute of Economic Affairs' Editorial Director, Prof Philip Booth said: "The government has got itself into a terrible muddle over this crucial policy area. On the one hand, […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Following the Queen's Speech this morning, several think tanks have reacted to the legislation announced (full details of which can be found here). I've collected them below. 8pm update: Open Europe have given their reaction to the proposed European Union Bill: "The UK government is likely to sell the […]
Professor Philip Booth is Editorial and Programme Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs. The concept of “community-based” solutions to environmental problems should be attractive to both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, given the former’s interest in decentralisation and the latter’s interest in free-markets. What do community-based solutions to environmental problems involve? Professor Elinor Ostrom, the […]
The TaxPayers' Alliance is, on the whole, pleased with the Budget: “There is a lot of good news in the Budget for families who have struggled in the recession. The cuts in corporate and top rate taxes will improve the incentive to invest and innovate, meaning higher wages before tax. Then a higher personal allowance […]
Ruth Porter is Communications Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs The very language of cuts has been markedly austere and depressing. It is now well established that the reductions the government will make to overall spending are actually tiny. Carving it back to around 40% of GDP by 2017 will take it to roughly the […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Following the release of a report by credit rating agency Moody's, which adjusted Britain's credit rating outlook to negative, several think-tanks and campaign groups have reacted to the news. The Institute of Economic Affairs' Editorial Director, Philip Booth, said: "The downgrade threat from Moody’s should come as no surprise. Whilst Moody’s […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Pasted below are some reactions to the GDP growth figures announced this morning. Updated at bottom. Prof Philip Booth, Editorial Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “It is not surprising that the latest economic growth figures are grim given the headwinds from the Eurozone. However, this should […]
Professor Philip Booth is the Editorial and Programme Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Today the Institute of Economic Affairs have published a new study “…and the Pursuit of Happiness: Wellbeing and the Role of Government”. A major policy plank in the re-branding of the Conservative Party has been the adoption of well-being economics – […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Following the Government's approval of the first phase of the HS2 train line from London to Birmingham, several think-tanks and campaign groups have reacted to the news. The Institute of Economic Affairs' Deputy Editorial Director, Dr Richard Wellings, said: “The government is ploughing ahead with a hugely expensive project […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Pasted below are some reactions of centre right thinkers to the Chancellor's statement on banking reform. Tim Ambler, Senior Fellow at the Adam Smith Institute, says: “The Chancellor may be rushing out his 80 page response to the Vickers report to get the Business Secretary off his back rather than […]
By Joseph Willits Follow Joseph on Twitter The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has issued a warning to the Government, suggesting they maintain current plans to reduce the deficit, and resist any temptation to follow a 'Plan B'. Research published by the IEA draws on evidence from other Western governments' stimulus packages which have failed to resolve […]
Dr Eamonn Butler, Director of the Adam Smith Institute: “A £40bn business loan scheme, mortgage guarantees, £5bn of infrastructure spending, 'youth contract' apprenticeships, start-up tax reliefs, new R&D tax credits, extending free child care – these are all Gordon Brown-style tinkering measures that look good in the papers but end up being bureaucratic and wasteful. […]
Professor Philip Booth is the Editorial and Programme Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs Earlier this week, two bits of bleak news were announced. The first was the huge rise in unemployment. The second – apparently technical and mundane – was the release of detailed figures on self-employment and the size of firms. If […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, gave a much-previewed speech on the Coalition's Free Schools today, essentially to try and assuage Liberal Democrat concerns about the policy. In one key passage of the speech, Clegg said: "And, to anyone who is worried that, by expanding the mix of providers […]
Ruth Porter is the Communications Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs. It is hard to be optimistic about our economy at the moment, but if we want to shake the pervading gloom we have to do something about it. Economic growth will not come unless we make it. Despite what the Chancellor says, Britain […]