Labour's New Housing Plan, Government Efficiency & Why Growth Stopped in 2008 | IEA Podcast

In this episode of the IEA Podcast, we analyse Angela Rayner's new housing proposals, which include redefining "grey belt" land and changing how housing targets are calculated.

Director of Communications Callum Price, Editorial Director Kristian Niemietz, and Managing Editor Daniel Freeman discussed why these market-friendly reforms are coming from an unexpected source and whether they'll be enough to tackle Britain's housing crisis.

We then dive into economist Tyler Goodspeed's fascinating analysis of what's really holding back UK growth. While planning restrictions and energy costs play a role, Goodspeed highlights how post-2008 banking regulations have created a credit crunch for British businesses that helps explain the sudden drop in economic growth. The discussion explores why the US banking system, with its many smaller local banks, has proven more resilient.

The conversation wraps up with a look at the government's latest push for 5% efficiency savings across departments. Our panel examines whether these targets are realistic, how bureaucracies tend to respond to such demands, and the deeper challenges facing civil service reform - from pay compression to the difficulty of measuring productivity in the public sector.

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