Adam Smith Institute

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The protectionist commission Adam Smith warned about

Following the Government’s announcement of a Trade and Agricultural Commission our Matt Kilcoyne says:

“In response to the actually unacceptable news of a commission being set up to restrict the scope of trade talks in response to lobbying efforts by the NFU, please find a bit of perfect Adam Smith who dealt with this kind of nonsense in 1776.

‘People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.

‘It is impossible indeed to prevent such meetings, by any law which either could be executed, or would be consistent with liberty and justice. But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies; much less to render them necessary.’

This commission is a kick in the teeth for consumers and it is a conspiracy by a powerful few against the public good.”

To arrange an interview or further comment please contact Matt Kilcoyne on 07904099599 or via email matt@adamsmith.org