This quarterly TUC report provides an analysis of UK economic and labour market developments over recent months, and includes a spotlight feature on the composition of current economic growth. Summary There is growing evidence that the recent revival in growth is flagging. Overall, the recovery…Read more…
A few thoughts on industrial policy, productivity … and Italy!
Sadly, most Touchstone readers won’t be able to watch this fascinating discussion between Mariana Mazzucato, author of ‘The Entrepreneurial State’, and Yoram Gutgeld, economic advisor to the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi. It took place on ‘Otto e Mezzo’, a discussion programme broadcast on…Read more…
It gets worse: Osborne’s ‘recovery’ is twice as slow as the slowest recovery on record
Looking at GDP per head, the UK economy grew by 5 per cent between 2009 and 2014. Previously, the slowest recovery on a per head basis was from 1886 to 1901, when the economy grew by 10 per cent: twice as fast. The average recovery speed over five years for previous major recessions is 13.7…Read more…
Osborne’s pre-crash economy: riding high on booming property
Approaching half of the growth in the UK economy in 2014 was driven by industries related to the booming property market and the outsourcing of public services (in green); with manufacturing accounting for only eight per cent of growth, this is hardly the ‘march of the makers’; on the other hand,…Read more…
Parents: If you want to improve turnouts get your kids to the ballot!
2,400 or so years ago an ancient Greek, possibly the philosopher Socrates, said: “Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they…Read more…
The fathers who are missing out on better leave and pay rights
In around 50 days’ time, working parents will have access to the new system of shared parental leave that allows women to share up to 50 weeks of their maternity leave and 37 weeks’ pay with their partner. The opportunity it will give some fathers to take time off work to spend with their…Read more…
Saving Our Safety Net Fact of the Week: 85 per cent of tax and benefit “savings” have been at the expense of women
Yesterday the Independent Inquiry Into Women and Jobseeker’s Allowance published Where’s the Benefit. Chaired by Amanda Ariss of the Equality and Diversity Forum and co-ordinated by the Fawcett Society, the Inquiry reported important findings about how JSA indirectly discriminates against women….Read more…
NO to Immigration Street – YES to Solidarity Street
Last Saturday (31 January) the TUC migration campaign supported Southampton Communities Alliance colleagues at a ‘Stand Up For Southampton’ demonstration outside Channel 4 headquarters in…Read more…
An Eagle eye on the environment
Keeping climate change off the current political agenda won’t make it go away. A clear majority of us agree that, “The floods last winter showed us what we can expect in the future from climate change,” according to a new poll. Mind, too, that during this Parliament half a million people signing a…Read more…
Self employed workers’ safety – Government pushes ahead and damn the consequences
If you want a true display of how the government’s ideological obsession with deregulation trumps any type of common sense and seems to ignore the democratic process then you just have to read the…Read more…
Nissan reject mediation over harassment of US trade unionists
Nissan, the global automotive company, has refused an offer by the US government to mediate in the long standing union recognition dispute in Canton, Mississippi, issuing blanket denials of…Read more…
Government policies still hurting heavy industry
If major employers like Unifrax in Widnes and Sheffield Forgemasters are hurting, as the evidence shows, as a result of government policies introduced during this Parliament, then the government has some way to go to preserve the international competit…Read more…
The Assault on Turkish Democracy continues
It has been a year since I blogged on the arrest of a staggering 502 people in Turkey, many of whom are trade unionists, for basically voicing their dissent. More like a year and a half since my blog…Read more…
Value what is valuable – not just what is measurable.
Nansi Ellis is ATL’s assistant general secretary with responsibility for policy. ATL wants a broad, balanced curriculum which prepares young people for life. Here are three principles that…Read more…
Let’s make the most of the choices we have
David Crossley is the Executive Director of Whole Education Network. The Whole Education Network champions and shares innovative practice in education and supports the development of a curriculum…Read more…
Engineers and teachers are uncomfortable bedfellows, it seems.
Scott Young is responsible for delivery of skills and employment objectives on the Thames Tideway Tunnel. Question: Which two-word answer, according to the UK press, threatens the success of UK…Read more…
Qatar asks for patience – to perfect its PR strategy
Qatar seems to be confused about what message to put out to its critics, simultaneously accusing them of a conspiracy whilst also meekly asking for more time to put an end to the abuse of migrant…Read more…
Probation contracts handed to the private sector despite falls in reoffending
On 1 February, 70 per cent of the probation service was handed to the private sector, yet only last week, the government’s own statistics revealed that the probation service was working relatively well prior to the government’s disastrous reforms in 2014. These recent MoJ figures…Read more…
The Greek election result demands our solidarity
Syriza’s spectacularly successful election campaign was described as being about hope. The Greek people have shown faith in that campaign. Their courage, their defiance and their optimism have given us a true lesson in democracy in the country that invented the system so many centuries ago. They…Read more…
Bandwagon?
Last week, David Torrance accused the STUC of effectively jumping on a ‘grievance’ bandwagon for criticising the watering down of Smith Commission proposals on welfare. He also (ridiculously)…Read more…