David Cameron claims to have protected NHS spending. But this has failed to keep pace with growing demand, or even with inflation. Funding per head of population has actually fallen 0.6% in real terms since 2010. Public funding of health as a proportio…Read more…
Burma: On the way to a cautious democracy?
On 8 November the people of Burma (Myanmar) expressed their democratic right and voted in favour of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party. This victory will give Burma its first democratically elected government in decades after nearly 50 years under military…Read more…
Jobs or pay – we still haven’t got the hang of delivering on both
I have a post up at Left Foot Forward, looking at today’s labour market statistics. There’s some good news – though perhaps the first signs that self-employment is growing disproportionately again – but there’s also reasons to worry that pay rises are slowing down…Read more…
Young Workers Month: Housing
As we enter the second week of the TUC’s Young Workers Month we turn to an issue that is a high priority for many unions’ youth sections: housing. The transition to living independently as an adult is becoming increasingly difficult: the supply of housing is clearly failing to keep up with…Read more…
Fiscal fallacies (2): accounting identities and the case for government loan-expenditures
Related to the fallacy of deficit spending are arguments around accounting identities and the ‘principle of sectoral balancing’. The economics is extended from the government’s balance (its deficit or surplus), to the balances for all ‘sectors’, i.e. households, companies and the rest of the world….Read more…
OECD wants “cool policies” to tackle climate change and stimulate growth
With evidence that for the first time, global temperature increases are now halfway towards the threshold of dangerous climate change, the OECD has called for government-led investment strategies and stronger regulatory frameworks to tackle climate change. Its effects “may otherwise not be…Read more…
Fiscal fallacies (1): Keynes wanted ‘Government loan-expenditures’, NOT deficit spending
For decades Keynes’s approach to public spending has been understood as ‘deficit spending’. But this reflects a serious misunderstanding of his practical initiatives and the associated theoretical reasoning and justification. Undoubtedly choosing his language with great care, Keynes consistently…Read more…
UK exports to China collapse by 40 per cent
UK exports to China appear to have peaked in 2014Q3 at £4.2bn; in 2015Q3 the figure was £2.5bn, a fall of 40 per cent. The chart shows quarterly figures. UK exports to China, £ million The implications for the condition of the Chinese economy are plain. While monthly figures are more volatile,…Read more…
National Minimum Wage must not leave young people behind, says TUC
TUC young workers month is running for the whole of November.* One strand of this work is that the TUC has been campaigning for a higher minimum wage for workers aged up to 25, who are in danger of being left behind by government plans George Osbornes’ plans caused mixed feelings. The TUC was…Read more…
Timely call for stewards at Peoples’ March for Climate, Justice and Jobs
The brilliant team organising the national climate demonstration in London on 29/11 has issued an urgent appeal for more stewards here, just as the UN warns that government pledges ahead of the Paris Treaty negotiations cannot prevent dangerous climate…Read more…
Is Britain fairer for black and minority ethnic workers?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report ‘Is Britain fairer?’ examines the extent to which equality and human rights are improving in Britain. It reveals that the systemic labour market discrimination suffered by black and minority ethnic (BME) workers is still a major feature of…Read more…
Government forced into first climbdown over trade union bill
Yesterday I had the privilege to speak to over 2,500 people at the lobby against the trade union bill. It was a fantastic event, with union members travelling from all over the UK to talk with their MPs in person. Spirits were high, even though the que…Read more…
The poverty gap between disabled and non-disabled people has got worse
Is Britain fairer for disabled people? No, if you read across all the findings in the report of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published on 30 October, their five-yearly survey into “fairness” in Britain. This will come as no surprise to millions of disabled people living with the…Read more…
Highest prison injury and death figures for a decade reveal system out of control
New statistics released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) reveal that 267 people have died in prisons in England and Wales in the 12 months up to the end of September 2015, an increase of 33 compared to the 12 months ending December 2014. This number in…Read more…
#MothersWork campaign will challenge pregnancy discrimination
When David Cameron wooed his party conference with a bold pledge to “end discrimination and finish the fight for real equality in our country”, I had great hopes that the Government would turn its mind to the widespread and growing problem of pregnancy discrimination at work. With evidence showing…Read more…
Introducing… Young Workers Month
November is the TUC Young Workers Month, a time to promote trade unions to young workers and to highlight the particular issues that they face. To kick off this month, here are some not-so-fun facts about the state of the labour market for young people…Read more…
How to tackle the crisis in mental health
Today (2 November 2015) a letter signed by hundreds of prominent people including Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC and politicians from all major parties, calls for the autumn statement to ensure that mental health is treated on a par with physical health (requiring much greater…Read more…
Living Wage increase welcome – now pick up the pace
New Living Wage rates of £9.40 in London and £8.25 were announced this morning. just over 2,000 employers have signed up for this voluntary pay standard – double last year’s total. Accredited Living Wage employers have until April 2016 to put the new rates into effect. At a launch event…Read more…
Vote no to CETA – TUC takes citizens’ petition to Brussels
This week, as TUC spokesperson on Europe, I handed in a petition to MEPs in the European Parliament from constituents asking them to reject the trade deal the EU is currently finalising with Canada, known as CETA. You may not have heard of CETA, but pe…Read more…
Steel crisis goes to the heart of UK industrial policy
The steel industry is not alone. Right across the energy intensive industries there are profound and well founded concerns over plant closures, jobs losses, higher energy costs than competitors face, and a lack of a common vision for UK manufacturing. …Read more…