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Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK and Netherlands among Europe's most 'overbearing' nanny states
While the UK and the Netherlands are arguably the historic homelands of libertarian and free-market economic philosophy and personal freedoms, at least in Europe, turns out they have morphed into two of the most 'paternalistic' of the continent's so-called nanny states. The 2025 Nanny State Index, published by London-based Institute for Economic Affairs and the Brussels-based European Policy Information Centre, lists Turkey, Lithuania and Finland as the most restrictive places to drink alcohol, smoke, vape and snack, with the UK the seventh-worst and the Netherlands close behind at 12th on the list of most "overbearing" countries. The UK's ranking would likely have been close to bottom had the government not withdrawn a proposal made last year to ban smoking outdoors in beer gardens. Germany, with its history of sternly Prussian or green or social democrat-tinted statism - turns out to be Europe's closest thing to libertarian utopia, with Luxembourg next and the top five of the 29-country league table rounded out by Italy, Spain and Czechia. Ireland, with its pub-crawl image and popularity with tourists from the US (the self-styled 'land of the free') fares worse than the UK, coming in as mollycoddler number five in the 2025 index. Ireland's visitor numbers have plummeted thios year, with the first two months seeing drops of around 20% compared to 2024 as complaints soar about the high cost of hotels, transport and beer. The Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, has long been known for its permissiveness and anything-goes aura. But recent years have seen city authorities and locals in Amsterdam rail against ill-behaved visitors to its marijuana cafes and red-light district. Policies such as sugar taxes, curbs on smoking in public, high duties on alcohol and cigarettes and related advertising bans were considered in the compiling of the latest index, which the IEA has been updating since first publishing in 2016. "Insofar as public health campaigners acknowledge the damage done by their policies, they argue that it is more than offset by the benefit to health - the ends justify the means," the index report authors said. "But there is little evidence that countries with more paternalistic policies enjoy greater health or longevity," they claimed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UK has one Europe's biggest nanny states
The UK has one of the biggest nanny states in Europe, a new study has found. The report from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the European Policy Information Centre, titled the Nanny State Index 2025, said that the UK has the 7th biggest nanny state in Europe. Edited by Dr Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the think tank, it gives 29 European countries a score out of 100 according to how they regulate lifestyle choices. The country has moved up four places since the report was last published in 2023, from 11th place. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the European Policy Information Centre said the UK's 'heavy-handed measures' including anti-smoking rules, sugar tax, and strict alcohol advertising laws, all impacted the ranking. The report noted the UK has the second highest taxes on cigarettes when adjusted for income in Europe and the fourth highest taxes on alcohol when adjusted for income. It added that the UK could climb even further up the rankings when the index is next published in 2027. A ban on disposable e-cigarettes, a generational tobacco sales ban, a new vape tax, and an unprecedented ban on 'less healthy' food advertising are all set to drive the country up the rankings when they come into force over the coming years. Despite the increased nanny state approach, the report found no correlation between stricter regulation and better health outcomes like life expectancy, lower smoking rates, or reduced alcohol consumption. A higher score on the Nanny State Index does not correlate with higher life expectancy. The IEA argues that these policies 'squeeze' consumers 'in the name of 'public health''. It also says that '[e]xcessive regulation creates excessive bureaucracy.' Despite the report's findings, Lord James Bethell, previously health minister under Boris Johnson's government, has advocated for what the IEA calls 'sin taxes'. In response to the report's findings, Bethell told City AM: 'Britain is slipping down the health rankings according to many sources, including the Legatum Prosperity Index where the UK ranked 34th in the health category in 2023, down from 23rd in 2019.' 'I agree with the IEA that pettifogging red-tape and the treacle of tiresome regulation is a huge drag-anchor on enterprise. 'That's why I support clear cut guardrails that give industry certainty and protect our national human capital, such as the 'Smoking Extinction 2040' measure in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, and banning social media for under-16s,' he added. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
