Budget: Sugar tax to be extended to milkshake and lattes Retail Pre-packaged milkshakes and lattes are set to be included in the government’s new ‘sugar tax’ as it attempts to tackle obesity in the UK. The labour government is set to end the exemption for milk-based drinks from the tax on sugary drinks, although the move would not include drinks made in cafes and restaurants. Chancellor [...]
Lord Frost to head up IEA think tank Politics David Frost has been made the director general of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in a move the right-leaning think tank has said will herald a “new chapter” for the organisation. Lord Frost, the former cabinet minister best known for spearheading the UK’s Brexit negotiations under Boris Johnson, will be responsible for driving the [...]
Class action boom hampers Britain’s economic expansion Legal The surge in cases could cost the UK economy up to £18bn, diverting resources away from innovation and undermining growth, according to a new Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) report. A report, authored by lawyer Stephen Dnes, warns that the UK’s competition class action system has seen an explosion of speculative lawsuits, with around one [...]
Labour warned gambling levy changes would be ‘irrational’ September 12, 2025 Labour officials have been warned that targeting gambling centres with higher levies would push people to move online where black market websites are “often accessed via VPNs”. The government is widely expected to raise “sin taxes” at this year’s Autumn Budget following calls from former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and ex Labour donor John Caudwell [...]
Rachel Reeves to raise ‘stealth and sin’ taxes to cover black hole August 15, 2025 Rachel Reeves is set to hit British consumers with extra “sin taxes”, leading forecasters have predicted, which are widely seen as regressive taxes that could hit people on lower income. The Chancellor faces having to raise £20bn in taxes at this year’s Autumn Budget to restore her “already paltry” margin of £9.9bn in headroom, according [...]
What’s so bad about a wealth tax? July 7, 2025 That "millionaires don't need all that money" misses the point. Wealth taxes hurt us all, writes Callum Price.
Reform UK: Treasury should intervene on Bank interest rates decisions June 18, 2025 Reform UK has suggested the Treasury should be allowed to contribute to the Bank of England’s interest rates decision in what would represent an intervention on its independence for the first time in nearly 30 years. Deputy leader Richard Tice told The Times ministers should have greater power over the Bank’s key decisions while it [...]
Labour’s EV and heat pump push is paving a path to bankruptcy April 26, 2025 Labour's push for EVs and heat pumps fail to account for a crucial detail - reality, says the IEA's Matthew Bowles.
The Debate: Are growth and net zero incompatible? February 12, 2025 Are growth and net zero really star-crossed lovers, or can they find a happy marriage? We get two writers to hash it out in this week's Debate.
Free market groups welcome nuclear power planning reform February 6, 2025 Free market groups have welcomed the government’s plans to reform planning rules around building nuclear power plants as “excellent news”. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer today announced the overhaul in a bid to slash red tape, fast-track approvals for new reactors and create thousands of highly skilled jobs. Small modular reactors (SMRs) would be built [...]