The Truth About Britain's Welfare State & Peak Woke? | IEA Podcast

In this episode of the IEA Podcast, Communications Manager Reem Ibrahim is joined by Tom Clougherty, Executive Director, and Dr. Kristian Niemietz, Editorial Director at the Institute for Economic Affairs. The team discusses whether the left has turned against woke ideology, examining how socialist figures are now distancing themselves from identity politics to refocus on class struggle. The conversation shifts to Kemi Badenoch's recent speech rejecting net zero targets, with Tom arguing that while abandoning the 2050 goal is sensible, the issue isn't that net zero is impossible but rather that it's undesirable at the necessary cost. The panel explores how nuclear energy could play a larger role in Britain's energy mix if planning reforms were implemented. The podcast concludes with an analysis of the government's new welfare benefit reforms, addressing the concerning rise in long-term sickness benefits. Tom notes that Britain is uniquely experiencing this trend and discusses how pandemic-era policies, remote assessments, and changing attitudes toward state support have contributed to 2.8 million people now claiming these benefits. 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