In this episode of the IEA Podcast, host Reem Ibrahim sits down with Tom Clougherty and Kristian Niemietz to dive into the latest policy developments across the UK. The discussion kicks off with an analysis of the government's ambitious new towns initiative, examining whether central planning is the right approach to solving Britain's housing crisis.

The conversation then shifts to Reform UK's recently announced energy policies, including their controversial windfall tax on renewable power and ban on battery storage systems. The guests critique these measures from a free market perspective, arguing that they represent an "authoritarian approach" that could make energy more expensive rather than achieving the stated goal of affordability.

The episode concludes with a sobering look at public sector productivity, particularly focusing on the NHS which is now 20% less productive than before the pandemic. Tom and Kristian explore the structural issues behind declining productivity in nationalised services and discuss potential market-based solutions to these challenges.

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