Kate Andrews and Ken Clarke battle it out over tax credits and the welfare state in Prospect magazine

Kate Andrews, Head of Communications at the Adam Smith Institute, took part in a debate piece with Ken Clarke for Prospect magazine. In it, they both agree the welfare system is in need of reform , but should the tax credit cuts be rethought too? Kate Argues YES:

It’s easy to understand why people might be conflicted about tax credits. On the one hand, tax credits are a direct handout from the state, often given to those only working part-time. On the other, they incentivise work and benefit those at the bottom on relatively low pay.

Combine this internal conflict with the UK’s welfare structure as a whole, and it would seem necessary for the government to implement some kind of reform to the various systems, tax credits included.

But the Chancellor is only interested in cuts, not reform.

Read the full article here. 

Are Western societies too tolerant of intolerance? | Sam Bowman argues YES in City AM

Deputy Director of the ASI, Sam Bowman, argued in City AM that in the wake of the recent Paris attacks, Western societies should do more to stand up to terrorism:

Western civilisation is built on the principle of adversarial debate, and the more political correctness stops us from mocking the unmockable and saying the unsayable, the less strong that civilisation will become.

Like bullies, terrorists can only win when they can frighten people into submission.

Read the full article here.

Ben Southwood's comments on the tax credit cuts feature in The Week

Head of Research at the ASI, Ben Southwood, has had his comments on the tax credit cuts featured in The Week:

Some are even calling for this to be catalyst for more radical change. Writing in City AM, the Adam Smith Institute's Ben Southwood called for tax credits to be replaced by a "negative income tax"

To read the full article, click here.

ASI features in the New Statesman for our opposition to the tax credit cuts

The Adam Smith Institute has featured in the New Statesman for our opposition to the Conservative's tax credit cuts:

A grand alliance has condemned George Osborne's planned cuts to tax credits: Labour, the Sun, the work and pensions select committee, Tory backbenchers, Boris Johnson and the Adam Smith Institute. Today, it was the turn of their creator: Gordon Brown.

Read the full article here. 

Dr. Eamonn Butler's joint letter on a new runway at Heathrow is featured in the Sunday Telegraph

Dr. Eamonn Butler's joint letter regarding the expansion of Heathrow airport was featured in the Sunday Telegraph.

SIR – As business leaders, we welcome the news (report, November 8) that the Prime Minister is preparing to back a new runway at Heathrow. However, despite this decision, it seems the Government may be drawn into yet another lengthy consultation on aviation capacity, resulting in further delays and uncertainty.

Read the full letter here. 

Kate Andrews writes for City AM on Hillary Clinton’s gender problem

Head of Communications at the Adam Smith Institute, Kate Andrews, writes a fortnightly column for City AM on events and issues surrounding the US presidential primaries. This week her focus is on Hillary Clinton's tendency to play the 'woman card' to try and advance her campaign.

She has deluded herself into thinking that the woman card alone can win her the Oval Office. Clinton has been using feminine and feminist rhetoric for years to propel her campaigns. She has never shied away from using pay gap stats (both legitimate and debunked) to promote feminist policies and, most recently, her “grandmother glow” became one of her most repeated catchphrases for book tour talks and stump speeches.

But since the launch of her presidential bid, Clinton has been playing up the woman card outrageously, emphasising gender over policy and claiming victimhood status to demote her opponents.

Read the full article here.

ASI comments on tax credit cuts feature in The Mirror

The Adam Smith Institute has featured in The Mirror for our position against the tax credit cuts.

For example the right-wing Adam Smith Institute states: “Working tax credits are the best form of welfare we have and cutting them would be a huge mistake.”

Read the full article here.

Dr. Eamonn Butler's letter features in the Evening Standard

Director of the Adam Smith Institute, Dr. Eamonn Butler, has had his letter regarding the prospect of Lord Turner being the Governor of the Bank of England featured in the Evening Standard.

Lord Turner's keenness for "printing money" is no virtue, but precisely why he should not be a "candidate for Governor of the Bank of England" [City Comment, November 5]. It was the bank's easy money and cheap credit policies that set off this boom-bust cycle in the first place. And their hair-of-the-dog remedy - record low interest rates - just delays an even bigger hangover. We need central bankers who fear making things too easy to be true, not ones who enthuse about it.

Kate Andrews writes for the IBTimes on the issues with Equal Pay Day

Head of Communications at the Adam Smith Institute, Kate Andrews, wrote an article for the IBTimes on why the 'gender wage gap' is not really a gap at all, and discusses how the figures have been manipulated ahead of Equal Pay Day.

Apparently, Equal Pay Day is meant to raise awareness about the inequalities between men and women in the workplace. But in reality, it provides a platform for manipulated statistics to be bandied about, and encourages women to adopt a dangerous (and unnecessary) victimhood mentality in the workplace.

Read the full article here. 

Should more be done to block cheap Chinese steel imports? | Tim Worstall argues NO in City AM

Senior fellow at the ASI, Tim Worstall, was in City AM this morning for his comments on why subsidised Chinese steel imports are actually good for UK consumers

Far from rejecting cheap Chinese steel, we should thank the oppressed Chinese taxpayer for making us all richer. Subsidies are a distortion to a market and we normally don't like such distortions. But think through what the allegation here is.

The Chinese government is subsidising the price of the steel which is flooding out of China. Some call this a subsidy to those steel producers: it isn’t, it is a subsidy to steel consumers.

Read the full debate here.