http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2009/04/the-politics-of-austerity/ Policy news and comment from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:36:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2009/04/the-politics-of-austerity/comment-page-1/#comment-1988 Directors savage higher rate tax: what would they have said to a minimum tax? | ToUChstone blog: A public policy blog from the TUC Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:48:42 +0000 http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/?p=2466#comment-1988 [...] we know, the fairly mild increases in tax for the very rich were among the most popular bits of the budget [...] [...] we know, the fairly mild increases in tax for the very rich were among the most popular bits of the budget [...]

]]> http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2009/04/the-politics-of-austerity/comment-page-1/#comment-1973 Louise Stanley Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:44:23 +0000 http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/?p=2466#comment-1973 I was a Tory voter in 2005 because Michael Howard actually had some communitarian roots and could be trusted to have some experience in government in deciding what needed to be kept and what cut. His problem was convincing the electorate, and that the government had not yet reached the downswing on the electoral cycle which accounts for a lot of current Tory popularity. I think Cameron has the reverse problem - he knows what to say, but not necessarily what to do. The way it is working is temporarily in his favour, but so long as the Tories treat politics as a zero-sum game rather than a long-term strategic exercise in good "joined-up governance", there will still be difficulties at a general election. I was a Tory voter in 2005 because Michael Howard actually had some communitarian roots and could be trusted to have some experience in government in deciding what needed to be kept and what cut. His problem was convincing the electorate, and that the government had not yet reached the downswing on the electoral cycle which accounts for a lot of current Tory popularity. I think Cameron has the reverse problem – he knows what to say, but not necessarily what to do. The way it is working is temporarily in his favour, but so long as the Tories treat politics as a zero-sum game rather than a long-term strategic exercise in good “joined-up governance”, there will still be difficulties at a general election.

]]> http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2009/04/the-politics-of-austerity/comment-page-1/#comment-1967 Charlie Marks Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:28:27 +0000 http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/?p=2466#comment-1967 I agree - we need to limit strategic sectors of the economy to public or cooperative forms of ownership, with democratic structures of governance that allow the "tacit knowledge" of workers to be unlocked. The labour and cooperative movements must work together to publicly argue for this policy shift. I agree – we need to limit strategic sectors of the economy to public or cooperative forms of ownership, with democratic structures of governance that allow the “tacit knowledge” of workers to be unlocked. The labour and cooperative movements must work together to publicly argue for this policy shift.

]]> http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2009/04/the-politics-of-austerity/comment-page-1/#comment-1965 A Smith Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:33:19 +0000 http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/?p=2466#comment-1965 The current crisis requires and creates an opportunity for a paradigm shift. Inequality has been shown to correlate strongly with a very wide range of social issues from prison populations to teenage pregnancy, from obesity to poor health. Diversity has been shown to improve decision making, and is particularly relevant given the type of "group think" demonstrated by the financial services sector. Nationalisation of the banks and substantial support to other sectors of the industry creates the opportunity for the government to require an increase in employee participation and employee ownership combined with a move over a named period for equality in representation of women and a reflection of the population in industry and parliament. The current crisis requires and creates an opportunity for a paradigm shift. Inequality has been shown to correlate strongly with a very wide range of social issues from prison populations to teenage pregnancy, from obesity to poor health. Diversity has been shown to improve decision making, and is particularly relevant given the type of “group think” demonstrated by the financial services sector.
Nationalisation of the banks and substantial support to other sectors of the industry creates the opportunity for the government to require an increase in employee participation and employee ownership combined with a move over a named period for equality in representation of women and a reflection of the population in industry and parliament.

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