Madsen Pirie

Contributor at City A.M.

President of the Adam Smith Institute, author, logician, rocket boy.

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Articles

A UK statute of limitations — Adam Smith Institute

1 day ago | adamsmith.org | Madsen Pirie

Most legal systems worldwide, including those of the US and EU member states, have well-established statutes of limitations for many criminal and civil matters. There are sound reasons why other jurisdictions do this, and the UK should take note of them and follow suit. Introducing such measures in the UK would align us more closely with international legal norms, potentially simplifying cross-border legal cooperation.
The sharpest nettle is the Town and Country Planning Act. — Adam Smith Institute

2 days ago | adamsmith.org | Madsen Pirie

Replacing the UK’s Town and Country Planning Acts with a more liberalised, market-led zoning system would represent a radical shift - probably the biggest planning reform since the 1947 Act itself. It would move the UK from a discretionary system (where every application is judged on its individual merits) to a rule-based or zoning system (where what you can do is largely predetermined by land use zones).
Taking Birmingham private — Adam Smith Institute

1 week ago | adamsmith.org | Madsen Pirie

It has been enthralling in a ghoulish way to watch Birmingham descend into a chaos of rat-riddled rubbish. Two questions spring to mind. Why does the city hire bin-men to collect its garbage, and why doesn’t it hire outsiders to do it? The case for having Birmingham’s bin collection performed by private contractors instead of being delivered in-house by the city council revolves around arguments concerning efficiency, cost savings, service quality, and flexibility.
Unilateral free trade — Adam Smith Institute

2 weeks ago | adamsmith.org | Madsen Pirie

The old order has been swept away. Let us try something new. If we did unilateral free trade, we’d get flooded with cheap goods people can’t now sell to the US. This would make us much richer and trigger an economic miracle of our own. This would be especially true of the Chinese goods they cannot sell to the US, and of US goods they cannot sell to China. It would include EU goods tariffed out of the USA. It would turn us once again into a nation of shopkeepers instead of a nation of shoplifters.
The never-ending battle for liberty — Adam Smith Institute

2 weeks ago | adamsmith.org | Madsen Pirie

There are no permanent victories in the battle for liberty and the economic prosperity that it engenders. Darkness can only be held off for a generation until it has to be fought again. “Always after a defeat and a respite," said Gandalf, "Socialism takes another shape and grows again." “I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide.
After shrinkflation comes drinkflation — Adam Smith Institute

2 weeks ago | adamsmith.org | Madsen Pirie

We have all encountered the practice of shrinkflation, where producers reduce the size or weight of their product to avoid having to increase its price. Probably the most famous was the short-lived attempt by Toblerone to increase the distance between its distinctive triangles. Then there was the move by Waitrose to slim down its toilet paper rolls to ones that weighed 40% less.
Tariffs and the European Union — Adam Smith Institute

2 weeks ago | adamsmith.org | Madsen Pirie

Tariffs are a counter-productive policy, both misconceived and damaging to those who impose them. The new tariffs imposed by President Trump will make US goods more expensive for US consumers. They are contrived to make foreign goods more expensive in the US so that US producers can compete against them in their domestic market. They will not help US producers to sell abroad, however, because they will not face the competition at home that works to keep them lean and innovative.
Luxury paratransit commuting — Adam Smith Institute

3 weeks ago | adamsmith.org | Madsen Pirie

Many years ago I published a paper entitled ‘The Paratransit Light Vehicle.’ It examined ride-sharing schemes in several world cities. These included the Philippine jeepneys, the Argentine colectivos, the Turkey dolmus, the Israeli sheruts and others. My proposal was that a luxury version of this might do much to alleviate congestion and pollution in UK cities, while making it easier for people to commute into work.
Business sponsorship of student fees — Adam Smith Institute

3 weeks ago | adamsmith.org | Madsen Pirie

The UK government could encourage more firms to fund student fees in exchange for post-graduation employment commitments through a mix of financial incentives, regulatory support, and awareness campaigns. Here are some possible approaches:It could offer corporation tax relief or deductions for firms that sponsor students. It could reduce National Insurance contributions for businesses that hire graduates they funded. It could provide VAT exemptions for education-related sponsorships.
Making childcare affordable — Adam Smith Institute

3 weeks ago | adamsmith.org | Madsen Pirie

The problem is that many young mothers want to return to work to boost the household income and living standards and to fulfil themselves. This requires childcare, but who will pay for it? UK childcare is the most expensive in Europe after Switzerland. Even factoring in up to £2,000 in tax-free childcare benefits that parents can claim each year, full-time childcare with a childminder or in daycare could still cost one-third of the average household income.