For all of the criticism regularly levelled at Help to Buy, the flagship equity loan scheme contains the kernel of a good idea. The equity loan concept – in which the value of the amount owed back is linked to movements in the property value – has been promoted by academics for years as a… [Read More]
A coalition of experts and multi-faith leaders have written to the Home Secretary counselling against the definition of Islamophobia which serves as a ‘backdoor blasphemy law’. The definition has so far been adopted by the Labour Party, the Mayor of London and a growing list of local authorities. The signatories to the letter hail from… [Read More]
Ever since Adam Smith warned that the managers of the joint-stock company could not be expected to ‘watch over it with the same anxious vigilance’ as an owner, the accountability of directors to shareholders has taxed the minds of economists and investors. The corporation has evolved somewhat since the 18th century but concerns about the… [Read More]
Labour is said to be considering whether the Bank of England should be mandated to limit house price growth. According to The Guardian, this would be done not via interest rates but via mortgage regulation as overseen by the financial policy committee (FPC). The FPC already curbs some mortgage lending, principally by capping loan-to-income ratios… [Read More]
If it’s free, and you want it, is it necessarily a good deal? It’s a question that is central to the digital economy and especially those online platforms like Facebook and Google that provide services used constantly by billions of people across the world – all for ‘free’. But only free in the sense that… [Read More]
The housing minister describes being stopped in the street by people wanting to thank him for Help to Buy. ‘Several people have stopped me and thanked me for it, because it gives young people access to homes that otherwise they would not obtain,’ Kit Malthouse told the Commons last week. It’s easy to see why, despite… [Read More]
I keep hearing it said that we should not re-regulate private renting, or if we do then we need to be very careful about it, lest landlords disinvest. This would exacerbate supply issues in places like London, it is claimed. One policy type told me last week that restricting what landlords can do with their… [Read More]
Research Assistant, Centre for the Study of European Civilisation Salary: £25,000 Closing date for applications: 1pm on 21 December 2018 Civitas is looking for a research assistant to join the newly established Centre for the Study of European Civilisation. Essential A Bachelor’s degree, 2:I or above; A Master’s degree OR 2 years research experience post-graduation… [Read More]
David Fraser has recently published a new study of the crime problem, Licence to Kill: Britain’s Surrender to Violence. Based on over 30 years research into government sentencing policy and work in the criminal justice system, David Fraser’s book demonstrates that the State’s increased reliance on alternatives to imprisonment has allowed all categories of violent… [Read More]
The housing select committee’s September report on land value capture was groundbreaking. A cross-party group of MPs who had taken the trouble to investigate the workings of the 1961 Land Compensation Act in detail and at length found that the ‘hope value’ provisions did more harm than good and should be reformed. The government has… [Read More]
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