Dr Madsen Pirie, President and Co-founder of the Adam Smith Institute, has called for politicians to embrace bold, radical ideas to tackle Britain’s long-term challenges. In a new discussion paper, Dr Pirie proposes a series of innovative reforms that he believes would reverse the country’s decline and set it on a path towards prosperity. His proposals draw on successful policies from countries like New Zealand, Sweden, Singapore, and Australia.
Speaking as the UK’s political parties reflect on the nation’s challenges during the conference season, Dr Pirie’s paper encourages MPs to break from traditional thinking. The report, titled The Overton Window, highlights how radical solutions once seen as extreme can eventually become mainstream policies.
Among the key proposals is a plan to overhaul the UK’s healthcare system by moving to an Australian-style model, which allows individuals to choose between public and private healthcare options. Dr Pirie argues that this approach would deliver better outcomes by combining public services with private sector efficiency.
Another bold idea in the paper involves scrapping inheritance tax and simplifying the tax system. Dr Pirie cites Singapore as a model for tax reform, where a simplified structure has fuelled economic growth. He also recommends abolishing agricultural subsidies and tariffs, mirroring New Zealand’s world-leading agriculture sector, which has thrived without such supports.
In a challenge to current land use policies, Dr Pirie advocates for the repeal of the Town and Country Planning Act, freeing up Green Belt land for development. He argues that this would help solve the UK’s housing crisis by making more land available for much-needed homes.
The paper also calls for a rethink of higher education funding. Instead of students taking on large debts, Dr Pirie proposes a system where businesses fund degrees in exchange for employment commitments. This would ensure graduates leave university debt-free and with job security.
Other suggestions include treating drug addiction as a medical rather than a criminal problem, reducing funding for quangos, and reforming social care funding. Dr Pirie suggests young people should contribute to investment funds that would cover their social care needs later in life. If unused, these funds could be passed on to heirs.
Foreign aid is also addressed, with Dr Pirie suggesting that private remittances sent overseas by individuals should count towards the UK’s foreign aid commitments. He also advocates making private aid tax-deductible to incentivise donations to poorer countries.
Dr Pirie is known for proposing ideas that challenge the status quo. Speaking about the new report, he said: “The Adam Smith Institute has long proposed ideas that were initially considered outlandish but eventually became part of policy discussions. The ideas in The Overton Window are unapologetically radical because Britain needs bold thinking to solve its long-standing issues.”
He added: “At a time when politicians are often caught up in short-term, point-scoring debates, this paper invites them to consider imaginative, long-term solutions for the nation’s future.”
