In this report, Dominique Lazanski calls on the government to commit to a 'Digital Freedom Charter' ahead of the Communications Bill. The report argues that the Internet is currently under threat from an increasing regulatory burden and that we need a charter committed to now in the UK to set out principles to ensure competition, innovation and growth in and around digital communications and the Internet.
The Limits of Wind Power
A new study by the Reason Foundation evaluates wind power and finds that wind power is limited in practice due to the increased need for power storage, the decrease in grid reliability, and the increased operating costs.
Britain and the EU: a negotiator's guide
As Britain prepares to re-negotiate its position in the European Union, with the possibility of a full withdrawal if negotiations are unsuccessful, we outline some of the key points for negotiators to focus on. Paradoxically, the UK might well end up with a better deal if it is willing to contemplate life ‘out’, as EU negotiators are likely to stick to their guns if the UK is determined to stay ‘in’.
The Minimal Evidence for Minimum Pricing
Statistician John C. Duffy and ASI fellow Christopher Snowdon assess the Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model, used as the basis for the British and Scottish governments' calls for minimum alcohol pricing. They find that the model is deeply flawed, based on faulty premises and used to justify policy far beyond what it actually proves.
Just Rewards
Sam Bowman argues that a 'living wage' can be secured by taking the poor out of tax, not by raising the minimum wage and risking creating unemployment.
Strangled at birth: Why the Financial Conduct Authority is not fit for purpose
Why the Financial Conduct Authority will not be fit for purpose and should be scrapped in favour of a strengthened consumer ombudsman.
Unburdening Enterprise
Vuk Vukovic outlines the key deregulations that need to be made to kick-start small and medium business employment and spur on a jobs-led recovery.
Market-Based Bank Regulation
Mikko Arevuo calls for a market-based alternative to bank regulation that puts executives on the line for bank failures by giving them a special class of share that makes them more liable for losses. By re-aligning incentives, other forms of bank regulation could be removed and a more stable financial system cultivated.
Britons say no to Nanny!
A new Adam Smith Institute briefing paper based on a YouGov poll commissioned by the Institute reveals that large majorities of the British public reject many aspects of the nanny state and prefer to make their own decisions.
Simple Rules for Complex Systems: Streamlining the UK's Financial Regulation Regime
Tim Ambler and Eamonn Butler review the government's plans to reform financial regulation, and argue for a more streamlined approach that does not inhibit competition by smothering new market entrants with costly regulatory requirements.