ASI Bulletin
Dr. Eamonn Butler, our Director and Co-Founder, takes you through the last few (always hectic) weeks at the Adam Smith Institute.
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WECLOME! TO WHAT IS ALSO OUR FIRST SUBSTACK-POWERED BULLETIN… IT’S THE FUTURE, THEY SAY.Â
There’s a lot going on. But first…
The King’s coronation quiche has been dismissed as ‘more of a common tart’ by haughty French chefs whose English obviously needs work. Mind you, they probably figure that last weekend’s riots, tear gas and arrests in Paris were no more than a pub brawl. (Or maybe a ‘rapid unscheduled disassembly’—Ed.) There’s been controversy over whether Camilla should wear the Koh-i-Noor diamond. However, I see that Cadbury has made a crown out of chocolate, so perhaps they could knock up a blue creme egg and nobody would notice the difference.
A grey-headed lapwing has been spotted in Northumberland, though it attracted less attention than another exotic visitor, the orange-headed Donald Trump. Last month, Trump was arrested and read his Miranda rights, but he claimed never to have met Miranda or paid her any money. Even so, the lapwing has more chance of making it to the coronation.Â
In positive news, Britain’s boozers expect to be pulling 62 million pints over the extended bank holiday hours, generating £120 million revenue. You wouldn’t get that in a republic, you Kiwi chumps. But I’m sorry, Archbishop: I don’t think anyone’s going to be in a fit state to pledge allegiance after that lot.
Oh, and if you’re thinking of disrupting the coronation by glueing yourself to Horseguards Avenue, don’t bother — about 5,000 police have glued themselves (and various metal barriers) to every inch of it. Better to wear a silly hat instead. (I suppose that’s what the King will be doing—Ed.)
But I digress…
HAPPENINGS
The Next Generation (9 May)
RSVP: events@adamsmith.org
Well, you know what builders are. We were supposed to be back in our refurbished Westminster office by the end of January, but it turned out to be the middle of April. (Must have had government contractors on that job—Ed.) Anyway, a few tweaks and a coat of paint later, we’re ready to receive visitors, and our next will be the Lord (David) Frost — former diplomat and Brexit negotiator, now Keeper of the Conservative Party’s Conscience. He will be talking to our Next Generation group of young (under-35s) Westminster insiders and interesting others. Enquiries: events@adamsmith.org.
2023 Ayn Rand Lecture
Danish serial entrepreneur, investor, author and commentator Lars Tvede gave our annual Ayn Rand Lecture at London’s swank Drapers’ Hall last week, describing entrepreneurs as society’s best defence against a culture of risk-averse defeatism. As an example, he outlined some of the life-changing benefits we can expect from AI — which ties in to ASI’s upbeat work on that very subject. If you missed it, the lecture will be on a YouTube channel near you soon.
Hayek: A life
Duke University historian Bruce Caldwell dropped by to talk about his new biography of the economic and political thinker F. A. Hayek. Covering the first half of Hayek’s life, up to 1950, this first volume outlines Hayek’s intellectual development, his famous debates with Keynes, his book The Road to Serfdom and his move to the US — and much more. But he wouldn’t be drawn on what will be in Volume II, saying ‘I’m still stuck in the 1950s’. (I know the feeling—Ed.) Buy the book here.
Rand Essay Prize
This month, we announced a new essay prize to accompany the annual Ayn Rand Lecture. Young writers will be asked to explain the relevance today of themes in her key essays such as Man’s Rights and Collectivized ‘Rights’. More details are on our website.
A Famous Birthday
Forget the coronation — the hottest ticket in town is for our Adam Smith 300th birthday bash in the House of Lords in June.
Meanwhile, I’ve been treading the boards around various European capitals to talk about Smith in this 300th anniversary year. Madsen too is off to Copenhagen next month to collect an award for his achievements in bringing free-market and free-society ideas to Denmark. (Well, he’s got a bit more work to do on that front, but well done on a good start—Ed.) Next stop for me is Korea where — you guessed it — I’ll be talking about you-know-who again. Phew!
PUBLICATIONS
Shrinking Whitehall: It’s reported that top civil servant Sue Gray, is refusing to cooperate with an inquiry into claims that she was being hired by the Opposition leader (Yes, his name escapes me, too—Ed.) while investigating Boris’ lockdown partying. Not a good look for an ex- ‘Propriety & Ethics’ chief. Perhaps she should take to ‘working’ from home like the rest of Whitehall.
Talking of which, we have plans to send a very large segment of Whitehall home, and permanently. ASI Senior Fellow and management guru Tim Ambler’s major book, Shrinking Whitehall, argues that our bloated (and uppish—Ed.) civil service has become a jungle of quangos, agencies and committees and needs a complete overhaul. He reckons you could get rid of about 40,000 of them without noticing any difference. (Another good start—Ed.) Read about the book here!
And buy it at our online store here.
Childcare costs: Our latest policy briefing, written by Maxwell Marlow and Sofia Risino, reckons we can make childcare affordable and get parents back to work with just a few significant tweaks to the system. Like easing the rules on informal cooperation by families, taking the tax off work-based creches and frontloading benefits. So why don’t we do it? Read the report here.
YOOF
Freedom Week (21-26 August)
Once again we’re in Cambridge this summer, for our annual boot camp for talented students. And right now we are welcoming applications for it. You’ll spend the week immersed in talks about the principles, history and relevance of liberty by some of the UK’s leading thinkers on the topic. And it gives you the chance to meet other like-minded students — not just to have a fun week in Cambridge, but to become good friends and collaborators for the future. More details coming soon here.
Gap year interns: Each year, we bring two gap year interns onto our team — like our present pair, Sofia Risino and Eddie Bolland. As you might have noticed, we make them full members of our amazing enterprise, appearing on TV, writing reports, interviewing bigwigs. Next year, from September to June, it could be you. If you qualify – you have to be 18-20, willing to muck in, liberal and open minded – why don’t you apply? Details here.
ONLINE
On the blog
Tim Worstall on why greedflation isn’t a thing.
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/were-fine-with-this-greedflation-idea-no-really
Me on Adam Smith’s other book.
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/adam-smith-wrote-a-second-book
Connor Axiotes on Basic Income and AI.Â
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/basic-income-and-ai-induced-unemployment
And Sofia Risino on biosecurity.
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/pathological-failure
OFFLINE
Daniel Pryor hangs up his vapes
We are sad to be losing Daniel Pryor, who’s had several roles at ASI over his seven-year stint, rising to be Head of Research — a role now being assigned to newcomer Maxwell Marlow. But I’ve always thought of him as our Vice Tsar, because he enjoys being robustly liberal on issues such as tobacco, vaping, drugs, alcohol and you-know-what. He has been a loyal and charming colleague, and we wish him well in his new career in the private sector.
AND I QUOTE…
Just in case Charles III has plans to get uppish after he’s crowned, he — and his government — should remember this stern warning from William Pitt:
The poorest man may, in his cottage, bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail, its roof may shake; the wind may blow through it; the storm may enter; the rain may enter; but the King of England may not enter, all his force dares not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement.
If only…
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