This year has not been an easy one to be a classical liberal in the UK. A government that began the year talking a good game on growth ended it with a Budget that did precisely nothing for the economy, instead pushing taxes to record highs in yet another attempt to expand the size of the state, redistribute more wealth than ever before, while still failing to address any of our long-term challenges. Meanwhile, digital ID was back on the agenda, freedom of speech seemed to slip ever further out of reach, and an international trade war kept us all on our toes.

But it wasn’t all bad. As ever, at the IEA we have done our best to keep the flame of freedom alive. As the curtain comes down on 2025, we wanted to share some highlights from our publications, podcasts, posts and more. Hopefully they will serve as proof that there are solutions to the myriad problems we face if we embrace the principles of liberty.

Our top Publications:

A new book shows that higher taxes do not necessarily mean better welfare outcomes, and often the opposite:

We examined the proliferating labour market rules in the UK and what can be done to fix them:

The 2025 edition of our Nanny State Index ranked European countries for their attitudes to lifestyle freedom:

Ahead of the budget, we took a look at the true scale of the fiscal challenges facing the Chancellor:

We examined the growing gap between how many children women want to have and how many they do, and how liberalising labour regulations and increasing the supply of housing can help to close it:

A new primer was published that set out introductions to the key schools of economic thought:

IEA Insider highlights this year:

We kicked off a new series of posts, taking a radical reformist approach to British state when it desperately needed:

Kristian Niemietz set out what it means to be a liberal in the 2020s:

We published another series, this one a deep dive into the history, and consequences, of the Soviet Union:

Kristian Niemietz took a wholesale look at the ideas and thesis of the darling of the wealth-tax propagators, Gary Stevenson:

We kicked off the year looking at the problems in Mariana Mazzucato’s popular ideas:

Chris Snowdon wrote a series of posts on ‘Not Invented Here’ syndrome:

Our verdict on the Chancellor’s much-anticipated budget wasn’t a good one:

Kristian Niemietz reflected on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and what has happened since:

We looked at whether the wealth tax is an inherently left-wing concept:

Len Shackleton laid out some bold ideas for fixing our pensions problem:

Daniel Freeman took a deep dive into an under-the-radar problem brewing in the economy:

Kristian Niemietz examined the political economy of woke:

The best of the IEA Podcast in 2025:

On the weekly podcast, Daniel Freeman, Steve Davies, and Tom Clougherty discuss the state of Britain’s finances:

Rory Sutherland interviewed by Callum Price on wealth inequality, the housing crisis, and much else

Callum Price interviews Land of Opportunity’s Andrew Barclay on what America gets right that Britain gets wrong:

Jacob Rees-Mogg talks to us about why the UK’s economic system is broken:

When tax experts meet, Tom Clougherty interviews Dan Neidle:

On Free the Power, Andy Mayer asks Kathryn Porter if renewables can keep the lights on:

Steve Davies kicks off a new series of Economics 101, looking at economic growth:

Thank you for all your support in 2025. We will see you next year.

Institute of Economic Affairs Wrapped 2025