Analysing Reeves' Growth Strategy and Brexit's Legacy | IEA Podcast

In this episode, Reem Ibrahim is joined by Tom Clougherty and Dr Kristian Niemietz to analyse Rachel Reeves' recent growth-focused speech and Keir Starmer's commitment to deregulation. The team examines the apparent contradiction between Labour's pro-growth rhetoric and their policies on employment law, environmental regulations, and taxation - drawing interesting parallels with the French economic model. The conversation shifts to reflect on the five-year anniversary of Brexit, evaluating its outcomes against the original promises and aspirations. While Britain has technically "taken back control," the panel discusses how regulatory power has often simply shifted from Brussels bureaucrats to UK quangos, with limited progress on promised deregulation. They explore the surprising dynamics of post-Brexit immigration and consider what opportunities may have been missed during years of Brexit-dominated politics. Looking back at the IEA's history, the discussion turns to how economic challenges have evolved since the organisation's early days. While the Institute once focused on combating clear ideological opponents like Keynesianism and Marxism, today's barriers to growth - such as the planning system and infrastructure bottlenecks - often stem from complex institutional structures and interest groups rather than pure ideology. We bring you a public affairs podcast with a difference. We want to get beyond the headlines and instead focus on the big ideas and foundational principles that matter to classical liberals.The Institute of Economic Affairs is an 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. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insider.iea.org.uk/subscribe