Tag archive for ‘UK’
The Spirit Level’s Political Wobble: The Inequality Debate Rages On
Wilkinson and Pickett’s The Spirit Level: why equality is better for everyone is an admirable book and has generated a long-overdue debate about the high social costs of inequality. Inequality is not just about the poor staying poor; it is about the huge leap in income and wealth of the rich, or ‘super rich’ as [...]
A Year of Missed Opportunities for the EU
In politics it is August rather than January when people look back at the last year and take stock of what has or has not been achieved. Hence, as I have been soaking up the Spanish sun, my mind has been replaying events from the last twelve months. Last summer, I had great optimism for [...]
Collective Bargaining in the UK and EU
The system of industrial relations in the UK is traditionally characterised by voluntary relations between the social partners, with a minimal level of interference from the state. Since 1979 there has been a shift to increased legal restrictions on trade unions combined with legally established employment rights, mainly as a result of EU directives. Today [...]
Double-Dip Days
The global economy, artificially boosted since the recession of 2008-2009 by massive monetary and fiscal stimulus and financial bailouts, is headed towards a sharp slowdown this year as the effect of these measures wanes. Worse yet, the fundamental excesses that fueled the crisis – too much debt and leverage in the private sector (households, banks [...]
Economic Crisis Provides Opportunity for Greater ‘Europeanisation’ of Defence Spending
As governments outdo each other to cut their budgets, one area that ought to be ripe for pruning is defence. After all, the combined EU member states defence spending is 200 billion euros, the second largest in the world after the USA. Room then, one would think, for big savings. Naturally, defence is a very [...]
Europe’s Policymakers are rushing towards the Edge of the Cliff
Lemmings are cute, family-oriented, apparently well-adjusted creatures who, most of the time, live more or less happily in the tundra. Although it is an urban myth that they commit collective suicide to control population, they certainly experience periodic mass frenzies. Driven by some deeply rooted instinctive yearning, they swarm off in search of salvation, looking [...]
Europe’s Keynesian Turn?
The Euro-crisis is transforming the continent radically. One of the consequences of the decisions taken by the European Council on May 9 could be the end of the conservative ordo-liberal German model of social market economy. The European Central Bank may become the best ally of Europe’s left. As part of the €750 bn. rescue [...]
Gordon Brown resigns but who should be the next Labour Leader? Vote in our Online Poll!
Gordon Brown has announced his resignation form the Labour party leadership, which also started the process of finding a successor. Given that a deal between Labour and the Liberal Democrats is still possible, the next leader might also become Prime Minister within a few months. So the upcoming leadership election might well be the most [...]
UK General Election – A Second Round is unavoidable…
… that’s at least what I think at the moment. As it looks now, even if Labour and the LibDems came to an agreement they would not have a parliamentary majority. The Conservatives and LibDems are too far apart in terms of economic policy and political reform to agree on a stable parliamentary majority for [...]
UK General Election Live Blog!
We have teamed up with our friends from Leftfootforward for a special UK general election live blog. At 10pm on Thursday, 6th May, the box below will spring to life and you can join us for live blogging and commentary on the most unpredictable general election in a generation. Talk to you Thursday evening!
Decision Time: Can Labour Win?
For months opinion polls have been predicting a Conservative victory in the next general election. But is David Cameron certain to be the next prime minister or could Gordon Brown snatch victory from the jaws of defeat? Paul Whiteley forecasts the upcoming election – and comes up with some rather surprising results. The Conservative Party [...]
A Greek Tragedy or a European Farce? Time to Re-Write the Script
In the official account of the unfolding Greek tragedy the villain is readily identified, the plot is clear, and the dénouement inevitable, tragic, but ultimately both just and morally uplifting. The villain of the piece is Greece itself: a bloated and inefficient public sector, rampant corruption, and decade-long fiscal incontinence partially shielded from public scrutiny [...]
