Will Brexit mean a ‘race for the bottom’?

6-7.30pm, 17th May
Goldsmiths – PSHLG01
Register here

One of the many uncertainties that surrounds post-Brexit Britain concerns its regulatory and fiscal model. The Treasury’s own forecasts recognise that “leaving the European Union could provide the UK with an opportunity to regulate differently across social, environmental, energy, consumer and product standards”, while the possibility of a low-tax, small-state economy has been touted by government figures as a ‘threat’ that can be used against the Brussels in negotiations. David Davis has dismissed fears of a ‘Mad Max dystopia’, but there are serious anxieties as to whether a ‘race for the bottom’ on tax and regulation could ensue, especially in an effort to satisfy the City of London.

How seriously should we take these fears, and what are the alternative models that are available to Britain outside of the EU? This event will explore the dangers of seeking national ‘competitiveness’ on tax and regulation, and weigh up some of the alternative futures that are available to the UK. It will consider the ideological and sectoral forces pushing Britain towards a ‘race for the bottom’, and seek to identify what the countervailing ones might be.

This event is jointly organised by the Political Economy Research Centre and Tax Justice UK.

Speakers:

Rt Hon Dame Margaret Hodge MP, Chair of APPG on Responsible Tax

John Christensen, Chair, Tax Justice Network

Robert Palmer, Executive Director, Tax Justice UK

Inga Rademacher, Associate Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London

You can now view this event here