Matt Kilcoyne

Matt Kilcoyne is the deputy director of the Adam Smith Institute.

Why Edinburgh's Adam Smith statue should stay

In the wake of the Black Lives Matters protests last year, Edinburgh Council announced the creation of the ‘Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Group’. Headed by Sir Geoff Palmer — an academic and human rights activist — the group is looking at all public memorials on council land that ‘perpetuated racism and oppression’ with the

Nicola Sturgeon is not so different to Donald Trump

Nicola Sturgeon sank to a new low this morning. The SNP leader bizarrely seemed to compare opposing a second independence referendum in Scotland to Trump refusing to concede the US election. https://twitter.com/NicolaSturgeon/status/1324622924813393920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw This is, of course, the same SNP leader who still refuses to accept the SNP’s 2014 referendum loss – a referendum her party

Jamie Oliver and the mad ad ban

There have been a great many political betrayals of late, but there is nothing worse than seeing the government propose a policy that makes Jamie Oliver this happy. The celebrity chef’s face lit up when he appeared on Sky and Channel 4 News this week, as he relished the fact that the government is going

Our Easter lamb reveals the miracle of free trade

Easter is heavily associated with lamb in Britain. The paschal lamb’s sacrifice is a gift to all but that is not the only link, the last few weeks of lent also mark the beginning of the spring lambing season in agricultural communities. This has fed through in recent decades to the consumer. This Sunday, while

Nicola Sturgeon has failed to learn a key lesson from Brexit

Nicola Sturgeon is busy demanding a second referendum on whether Scotland should leave the UK. Boris Johnson should ignore her. And the last few years of British politics shows exactly why. If there is one lesson that Brexit has taught the country since the referendum, it is that if the public are to be asked questions

Why I won't miss Britain's 'chief nanny' when she's gone

It’s time to say goodbye to Britain’s so-called Chief Nanny, Dame Sally Davies. In her final report as Chief Medical Officer, Davies shows why she won’t be missed. She proposes a ban on eating or drinking anything other than water on trains and buses. Davies also suggests that nothing fatty or sugary should be available to

Boris's campaign is a triumph

Forget what you’ve been told about the Conservative leadership campaign. The Boris campaign’s weekend meltdown has not lost him the election. And Jeremy Hunt has not suddenly leapt into the lead. This is still Boris’s election to lose and the odds are that he will almost certainly triumph. The reason is simple. Boris is following the tried-and-tested playbook

Remaining in the EU would come at a big price for Britain

We’re familiar with the warnings about the cost of Brexit. The ‘People’s Vote’ campaign released an estimate yesterday suggesting that Theresa May’s deal will leave the UK £100bn worse off a year. Tomorrow, the Treasury will unveil its forecasts of the economic impact of Brexit. But what about the price of staying put in the