IEA Podcast

Institute of Economic Affairs
  • 5.0 (16)
  • News
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Institute of Economic Affairs podcast examines some of the pressing issues of our time. Featuring some of the top minds in Westminster and beyond, the IEA podcast brings you weekly commentary, analysis, and debates. economicaffairs.co.uk

  1. 1d ago

    One in Four Britons Now Claim to Be Disabled | James Bartholomew | IEA Interview

    In this Institute of Economic Affairs podcast, IEA Director General Lord Hannan interviews James Bartholomew, author and leading expert on the UK welfare state, and director of the Museum of Communist Terror. The conversation covers the scale of Britain’s welfare crisis, competing reform proposals, the surge in mental health and disability claims, the minimum wage, school choice, and the case for teaching the history of totalitarianism. James traces the rise and fall of welfare reform since Iain Duncan Smith’s changes in the 2010s, and argues the system has drifted back out of control since. He sets out why he believes sanctions and “tough love” are essential to any serious reform, criticises the effect of a rising minimum wage on youth employment, and discusses what he calls middle class guilt as a driver of welfare failure. The discussion also covers school choice and the case for expanding the private and free school sector, before turning to James’s work memorialising the victims of communism, including the newly unveiled Tank Man statue. The Institute of Economic Affairs is a registered educational charity. It does not endorse or give support for any political party in the UK or elsewhere. Our mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems. The views represented here are those of the speakers alone, not those of the Institute, its Managing Trustees, Academic Advisory Council members or senior staff. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit economicaffairs.co.uk/subscribe

  2. 5d ago

    Why the NHS Isn't the Bargain You Think It Is

    In this Institute of Economic Affairs podcast, IEA Director General Lord Hannan is joined by Kristian Niemietz, Editorial Director and Head of Political Economy, and Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics. The conversation covers Andy Burnham’s proposals to tighten planning rules on vape shops and betting shops, the debate over how Britain should pay for social care, and Vice President J.D. Vance’s recent criticisms of GDP and economic growth. Kristian and Christopher discuss whether Burnham’s high street crackdown is targeting a real problem or conflating legitimate businesses with criminal activity, and what the decline of the traditional high street actually means for housing and town centres. They then turn to social care, weighing up means testing, inheritance, and the case for a compulsory insurance model against the idea of a fully taxpayer funded national care service. The discussion closes with an assessment of J.D. Vance’s recent comments on GDP and economics, and what the growing rift between free market and nationalist conservatives means for the future of the political right. The Institute of Economic Affairs is a registered educational charity. It does not endorse or give support for any political party in the UK or elsewhere. Our mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems. The views represented here are those of the speakers alone, not those of the Institute, its Managing Trustees, Academic Advisory Council members or senior staff. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit economicaffairs.co.uk/subscribe

  3. 6d ago

    Net Zero Is Bankrupting Britain's Economy | David Turver | IEA Interview

    In this Institute of Economic Affairs interview, IEA Energy Analyst Andy Mayer speaks with David Turver, author and independent energy writer, about his chapter in the IEA’s forthcoming book, The Great Stagnation: Why Britain Stopped Growing. The conversation covers why the UK has the most expensive industrial electricity prices in the developed world, how renewable subsidies and grid costs have driven up bills, and why cheap, abundant energy is a fundamental requirement for a prosperous economy. David explains how energy use has declined per capita and in absolute terms since 2008, with the UK now using less energy per person than countries such as Belarus and Uzbekistan. He sets out the various renewable subsidy schemes, including the renewables obligation and contracts for difference, and how ballooning transmission costs are pushing bills higher still. The discussion also covers the practicalities and costs of alternatives such as nuclear power and gas, and how planning delays and regulatory hurdles are driving up the price of new infrastructure across the board. The interview concludes with a look at the wider consequences of high energy costs, including the decline of British steel and fertiliser production and the broader deindustrialisation of the economy. David argues that energy costs are one of the most significant, if underappreciated, drivers of the UK’s growth struggles since 2008. The Institute of Economic Affairs is a registered educational charity. It does not endorse or give support for any political party in the UK or elsewhere. Our mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems. The views represented here are those of the speakers alone, not those of the Institute, its Managing Trustees, Academic Advisory Council members or senior staff. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit economicaffairs.co.uk/subscribe

  4. Aug 10

    How to Win a Trade War, with Soumaya Keynes | IEA Interview

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Win-Trade-War-Economic/dp/103509018X https://x.com/SoumayaKeynes In this Institute of Economic Affairs podcast, IEA Managing Editor Daniel Freeman is joined by Soumaya Keynes, economics columnist at the Financial Times and host of The Economics Show, to discuss her new book How to Win a Trade War. They cover the collapse of the old rules based global trading system, why the US lost faith in the World Trade Organisation’s dispute settlement process, and how the first and second Trump administrations approached trade policy differently. The conversation examines whether tariffs actually reduce a country’s trade deficit, the difference between bilateral and current account imbalances, and why China’s rerouting of supply chains through third countries has complicated efforts to reshore manufacturing. Soumaya sets out the case for and against trade barriers from a UK perspective, including the pressure Britain may face to align with EU trade defences against Chinese imports, and discusses the growing argument for protecting domestic industrial capacity on economic security grounds, drawing on historical examples including Germany’s dye industry before the First World War. The Institute of Economic Affairs is a registered educational charity. It does not endorse or give support for any political party in the UK or elsewhere. Our mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems. The views represented here are those of the speakers alone, not those of the Institute, its Managing Trustees, Academic Advisory Council members or senior staff. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit economicaffairs.co.uk/subscribe

  5. Aug 7

    Is America Really Richer Than Europe? | IEA Podcast

    In this Institute of Economic Affairs podcast, IEA Director General Lord Hannan is joined by Editorial Director Dr Kristian Niemietz and Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon. The conversation covers whether America is genuinely richer than Europe, the Government’s proposed changes to public procurement rules, and a recent case of academic misconduct at Cambridge. On the first topic, Kristian and Chris argue that America’s GDP advantage over Europe is real and widening, and push back on attempts to explain it away through hours worked, lifestyle preferences, or selective social comparisons. They point to lower energy costs, more liberal labour market institutions, and a stronger post-2008 recovery as key drivers of the gap. The discussion then turns to the Government’s “social value” procurement rules, which require companies bidding for public contracts to meet a wide range of non-economic criteria. Chris sets out how these requirements have expanded since 2012 and argues they function as a hidden tax that adds cost without adding value. The conversation closes with a discussion of a recent academic misconduct case, and what it reveals about institutional incentives and groupthink within universities. The Institute of Economic Affairs is a registered educational charity. It does not endorse or give support for any political party in the UK or elsewhere. Our mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems. The views represented here are those of the speakers alone, not those of the Institute, its Managing Trustees, Academic Advisory Council members or senior staff. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit economicaffairs.co.uk/subscribe

  6. Aug 6

    Why Is British Infrastructure So Expensive? | IEA Interview

    In this Institute of Economic Affairs interview, IEA Managing Editor Daniel Freeman speaks with Dr Valentin Boboc, Senior Economist at the IEA, about Britain’s infrastructure problem and why the country has become so slow and expensive at building. The conversation is part of a series accompanying the IEA’s new book, The Great Stagnation: Why Britain Stopped Growing, out on 2nd September, to which Dr Boboc has contributed a chapter. Dr Boboc explains how Britain moved from the rapid railway expansion of the Victorian era to a planning system defined by lengthy approvals, an ever expanding list of statutory consultees, and unpredictable, open ended costs. He argues that a single point of approval sits alongside a near limitless number of bodies able to demand mitigations, driving up costs without anyone weighing them against each other. Using HS2 and the associated “bat tunnel” as examples, he sets out how conservation and amenity demands from local campaigners can add huge sums with little central coordination. He also compares UK costs unfavourably with countries such as Norway, Japan and France, and highlights the Lower Thames Crossing’s approvals bill as an example of money spent before any construction begins. The discussion closes with reflections on how centralising financial risk within the Treasury discourages private investment, and what reforms, such as reducing statutory consultees and diversifying who can promote infrastructure projects, might help. The Institute of Economic Affairs is a registered educational charity. It does not endorse or give support for any political party in the UK or elsewhere. Our mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems. The views represented here are those of the speakers alone, not those of the Institute, its Managing Trustees, Academic Advisory Council members or senior staff. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit economicaffairs.co.uk/subscribe

  7. Jul 31

    A Million Young People Are Not in Work, Education or Training | IEA Podcast

    In this Institute of Economic Affairs podcast, Managing Editor Daniel Freeman is joined by Editorial Director Dr Kristian Niemietz and Head of Lifestyle Economics Dr Christopher Snowdon. The panel discusses New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan for state-owned grocery stores, Andy Burnham’s proposed reforms to secondary school education, and the Reform Party’s decision to report Green Party leader Zack Polanski to the police. The discussion opens with Mamdani’s pledge to sell goods 30% below market price in five city-owned stores, with Niemietz and Snowdon examining why the policy is likely to run into supply and cost problems, and why it functions more as a political message than a workable solution. They contrast this with the economic distinction between subject subsidies, where the state gives people money to spend as they choose, and object subsidies, where the state directly provides or subsidises a good, and explain why most economists favour the former. The conversation then turns to Burnham’s proposal to let 14 year olds pursue technical and vocational pathways in schools, set against the backdrop of NEET numbers passing one million in the UK. Niemietz and Snowdon disagree over whether the underlying problem is one of education supply or labour market demand, touching on youth unemployment, the minimum wage, and the Employment Rights Act. The episode closes with a discussion of the row over a T-shirt referencing violence against Nigel Farage, reported to the police by Reform after Polanski shared an image of it, and what the episode reveals about the state of free speech debate in Britain. The Institute of Economic Affairs is a registered educational charity. It does not endorse or give support for any political party in the UK or elsewhere. Our mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems. The views represented here are those of the speakers alone, not those of the Institute, its Managing Trustees, Academic Advisory Council members or senior staff. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit economicaffairs.co.uk/subscribe

  8. Jul 30

    Is This Why Britain Stopped Growing? | IEA Interviews

    In this Institute of Economic Affairs podcast, IEA Managing Editor Daniel Freeman speaks with Dr Kristian Niemietz, IEA Editorial Director, about his chapter in the forthcoming book The Great Stagnation. The conversation covers why Britain has struggled to build almost anything for decades, from housing to lab space to supermarkets, and how this shortage of building land helps explain the country’s weak economic growth. Kristian explains how the rationing of building land dates back to the nationalisation of development rights in the late 1940s, and how this has left Britain with smaller and fewer homes per person than most of Western Europe, a shortfall he puts at around 5 million houses. He argues this isn’t a problem of physical space, since only around a tenth of land in Britain is developed, but a political failure to release land in the places where growth is happening. The discussion also covers how the same constraints hit commercial and retail space, choking off growth in productive areas like Cambridge, and considers pushback points including why growth held up through the 1980s and 90s despite the same planning laws, and whether recent political enthusiasm for building more will actually be followed through. Kristian ends by rating land use regulation as roughly an eight out of ten barrier to UK economic growth. The Institute of Economic Affairs is a registered educational charity. It does not endorse or give support for any political party in the UK or elsewhere. Our mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems. The views represented here are those of the speakers alone, not those of the Institute, its Managing Trustees, Academic Advisory Council members or senior staff. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit economicaffairs.co.uk/subscribe

See All (391)

5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

The Institute of Economic Affairs podcast examines some of the pressing issues of our time. Featuring some of the top minds in Westminster and beyond, the IEA podcast brings you weekly commentary, analysis, and debates. economicaffairs.co.uk

Information

  • Creator
    Institute of Economic Affairs
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    391
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Institute of Economic Affairs
  • Show Website
    IEA Podcast