I am currently reading a book called Changing Fortunes by Stephen Jenkins and one of the main findings in the book notes that around one fifth of the UK population are poor at any one time – that’s the same as in Saudi Arabia. (The figure confirms, though, that this is a static figure – see here) [...]
Posts under ‘Economy’
The absence of the trade union Right
Feb 22nd, 2012 by Andy Newman.The recent report circulated about the activities of Progress, a semi-clandestine “party within a party” has been highlighted by Jon Lansman. Conrad Landin further highlights the undemocratic nature of Luke Akehurst’s Labour First group The level of organisation of the Labour right gives them disproportionate leverage within the party, particularly as the consensus between the Blairites, [...]
Mark Serwotka backs Leanne Wood for Plaid leadership
Feb 21st, 2012 by Newsdesk.Plaid’s Leanne Wood has received the backing of Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), who called her “one of the most outstanding politicians in Wales.” Leanne Wood has been a consistent supporter of picket lines and union rallies over the years in defence of pay and conditions for public sector workers [...]
Job snob? No, I’ve got the T-shirt
Feb 21st, 2012 by David Osler.One of the numerous job creation schemes of the Thatcher years was known officially as Employment Training, although the acronym was colloquially translated into ‘Extra Tenner’, because that was how much it paid on top of the dole. These days, it seems, even an additional ten quid a week is a bit much to ask. [...]
GMB calls on Ed Balls to reverse position on public sector pay
Feb 21st, 2012 by Newsdesk.GMB, the union for public sector workers, commented on the restatement of Labour’s economic policy made by Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls over the weekend. Brian Strutton, GMB National Secretary for Public Services, said: Bookmarks Hide Sites
The Ukrainian goose & Greek gander
Feb 21st, 2012 by Ann Pettifor.The following is about the Ukraine, hardly a model of transparency, accountability and democracy. But it is interesting for what it tell us about the thinking of the great imperial powers (GIPs). On the one hand today’s GIPs make a great to-do about the need for democracy, often insisting that it is a condition for [...]
The Labour Union link – without it there is no party
Feb 20th, 2012 by Jim Kennedy.Affiliated trade unions have always had a role in the formal constitutional structure of the Party. The relationship hasn’t always been straightforward. The trade union link has been put under pressure sporadically throughout history – either from external forces or as a result of internal conflict between the Party and trade unions. In relation to [...]
A new class politics
Feb 20th, 2012 by Owen Jones.The recession has brought class inequality back into view by exposing the unjust distribution of wealth and power in Britain. Labour must tackle this with a new class politics of stronger trade unions and a more representative parliament. During the long boom of the nineties and noughties, it was possible to at least pretend class [...]
Foxconn: right and left should stop apologising for China
Feb 16th, 2012 by David Osler.Barack Obama’s hot date for Valentine’s Day this year was none other than Xi Jinping, the man set to take over as president of China at the end of this year. The White House celebrated his visit with a level of razzamatazz not usually accorded to anyone short of the rank of head of state, [...]
Are we in a household debt crisis?
Feb 16th, 2012 by Carl Packman.During the middle of last year, Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein noted that rather than beating around the bush, he would call “what we’re in [now, in the US] a “household-debt crisis,” or something more elegant that gets the same idea across”. The reason being that household debt to GDP ratio are dangerously high, banks aren’t [...]
