It is heartunions week – and perhaps one of the more surprising reasons to love unions is that they are good for productivity. I have an article on this in an e-pamphlet recently published by the IPA ‘Involvement and Productivity – The missing piece of the puzzle?’ Productivity has risen up the…Read more…
What role for industrial strategy in wealth redistribution?
Yesterday, the ever-thoughtful Policy Network caught my eye with the following tweet: “The left needs to create a new industrial strategy to deliver redistribution without the help of the big state.” This tweet linked to an article, ‘Socialism without the state’, by Claudia Chwalisz and Patrick…Read more…
UK goods exports fall for the second year in a row
Today’s trade figures indicated the difficulties faced by the UK’s hard pressed manufacturing industry. In cash terms, exports of goods have now declined for two consecutive years, by £20 billion in total or 7%. The left chart shows the coalition enjoyed the advantage of a trade revival when they…Read more…
Tougher economic conditions, but the IFS suggests the Chancellor’s rules are holding back growth
Yesterday the IFS set out a bleaker view for the economy and public finances in its Green Budget, which is published every year in the run-up to the Chancellor’s Budget Statement. Given the gloomy projections, let’s hope the government takes note, especially with regard to the fiscal mandate….Read more…
Never mind the ballots. Daily Mail fail over Government #TUbill eVoting leak
Several papers have picked up on yesterday’s leaked ministerial letter, outlining concessions the Government think they may have to make to head off a trade union bill defeat in the Lords. The Daily Mail have joined the pack, though they have as you might expect a slightly different take from…Read more…
Leaked letter shows ministers recognise large parts of #TUbill aren’t fit for purpose
A ministerial letter leaked to the Socialist Worker newspaper has revealed that the government are expecting the House of Lords to defeat “flagship” parts of the Trade Union Bill. The letter was sent on 26 January from BIS minister Nick Boles to Oliver Letwin and Chris Grayling, who…Read more…
EU Parliament votes for public service protections and labour rights in TiSA report
On Wednesday the European Parliament passed with an overwhelming majority a report on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) that called for broad exemptions for public services and respect for labour standards. TiSA is a trade deal on services the EU is negotiating along with 22 other countries….Read more…
The Bank of England downgrade economic prospects, but over-egg demand and under-egg supply?
Only at the end of December, in the wake of the Federal Reserve interest rate rise, there was talk about starting the ‘normalisation’ of UK interest rates. As if there was any doubt, yesterday the Bank of England kicked any such notion into the ‘long grass’ (as the FT puts it). Even ahead of…Read more…
Battling to save Europe’s steel and manufacturing industries from China’s unfair trade
The TUC and many others – unions in Britain and across Europe and manufacturing employers – are battling to defend jobs in Europe from unfair competition from China. The impact of underpriced steel flooding the UK market is well-known, but if the EU grants China ‘Market Economy…Read more…
Cameron’s renegotiation deal: tinkering, not tackling the real issues
There’s a lot of noise today about the proposals that European Council President Donald Tusk has sent to European leaders to address David Cameron’s call for a reformed European Union ahead of the UK’s referendum on EU membership. Eurosceptics are hostile, supporters of remaining…Read more…
EU offer on migrant benefits brake ignores workers’ problems
Today Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, published draft proposals on Cameron’s EU renegotiation agenda which will be discussed at the EU summit on 18 -19 February. If the other EU Member States at this summit approve these proposals, it is very likely the government will announce a…Read more…
More likely to go to prison than university? But a degree doesn’t close the pay gap.
David Cameron’s front page of the Sunday Times announced a concerted Government anti-discrimination drive. Targeting universities, the police, the courts and the armed forces he said steps must be taken to tackle the ongoing discrimination that “should shame our country and jolt us to action”….Read more…
GDP, Inflation and Optimism Bias
January contains a number of key dates: New Year’s Day is obviously a big one, blue Monday – the day which some deeply dubious psychology has identified as the most depressing of the year; and it heralds the first release of the fourth quarter and thus calendar year GDP figures for the previous…Read more…
What is the future of monetary policy?
This morning I went to a Resolution Foundation event about the future of monetary policy. Although I cannot claim to be an expert, having listened to the views of the panel I thought I’d make some reflections. The story of recent monetary policy During the Global Financial Crisis, the Bank of…Read more…
Migration Advisory Committee report calls for public sector pay rise – but there’s a few snags
Last week, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), the independent body which advises the government on migration policy, released its report on skilled migration. This report was prompted by the government asking the MAC to recommend how it could reduce net migration in pursuit of its unachievable…Read more…
The government is dodging proper scrutiny of the Trade Union Bill. Don’t be like #TUbill
This week saw the long overdue publication of the government’s impact assessment of the Trade Union Bill, which proposed £37m of new red tape for unions. The assessment, which is the government’s best guess at how much the the unfair, undemocratic and unnecessary Bill would cost, is the latest…Read more…
Euro-FTT gets a boost as Irish Robin Hood Tax campaign launches
The forces ranged against a European Financial Transactions Tax, popularly known as the Robin Hood Tax, often appear to be growing daily. Although progress is being made in the negotiations between ten EU countries, Estonia dropped out in December because of concerns that it wouldn’t receive…Read more…
Building a world-class bus system for Britain
Buses are a life-line for millions, providing access to employment, education and training, public services and leisure activities. But instead of a world-class bus service, bus deregulation has delivered higher fares and worsening services resulting in a drop in usage. The government’s austerity…Read more…
Why we need the Working Time Directive strengthened
Construction worker David Brown has won his case against his former employer after he was forced to work unacceptable hours. According to a report in Planning and Business Control Today: “Brown said he had raised concerns with his bosses on several different occasions, yet nothing was done to…Read more…
Online voting: Safe as Houses of Parliament?
All the way back in January of 2015, the Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy reported their findings. Top of the list was that the 2020 general election should provide a mechanism for people to vote online. Campaign group Webroots Democracy have been following the progress of the Commission’s…Read more…