Tim Page's Archive — Page 2
I’m a Senior Policy Officer at the TUC, responsible for economic and industrial policy. I also cover science policy, public procurement and high performance workplaces. I started my union at the Amalgamated Engineering Union, which is now part of Unite. I also did a spell at the House of Commons, working for the MPs Ann Clwyd and Ian McCartney. I was part of the team that put together the policy proposals which became the National Minimum Wage.
One of my major tasks at the TUC is editing our Budget Submission, which is sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer each year. It sets out our analysis of the state of the economy and recommends policies which, we believe, will improve the economic and social fabric of Britain. Being the TUC Budget Submission, it is especially concerned with these issues from the perspective of people at work. When I’m not working, I enjoy sports, especially football (watching) and skiing (taking part). I’m also learning to speak Italian.
Tim Page
There’s very little in Chuka Umunna’s excellent Telegraph piece today, seeking to learn economic lessons from Germany, that I would disagree with. In highlighting the importance of the ‘mittelstand’, the medium sized firms that are often called the backbone of the Germany economy, along with Germany’s vocational education system, its banks and its public institutions that support industry, Chuka hits all the right notes.
Tim Page
It’s easy, when looking at the strongest economy in Europe, with low unemployment, a strong commitment to environmentalism, a vast array of world beating companies and a tradition of social solidarity, to imagine it to be some sort of economic perfection. But, of course, Germany faces its challenges like every other country. The constant need for economic renewal that goes with globalisation affects the Germans as it does everybody else.
For this reason, the OECD Economic Survey of Germany is an important document. The OECD is correct point out that Germany faces a cyclical return to slower growth. Moreover, Germany’s export-led model faces obvious problems if many of the countries to whom it exports face deficit reduction programmes and consequently falling demand. But I think there are serious flaws among the OECD’s prescriptions for Germany. The wrong policy mix won’t help Germany meet its challenges: it will only make matters worse.
Tim Page
I spent yesterday afternoon and evening, and this morning, at the fascinating conference, ‘Financing Innovation and Growth: Reforming a Dysfunctional System’, first at the House of Commons and then at the Italian Cultural Institute in London. The Science Minister, David Willetts, and his Labour Shadow, Chi Onwurah, both spoke at the event. What is most important is that policy makers from all parties, as well as Treasury Ministers, learn some lessons from the FINNOV study.
Tim Page
I returned from a week away on Sunday, meaning the last two days have taken a familiar course. Yesterday, I tackled the inbox, deleted the spam, returned the urgent messages and generally got my electronic life organised. Today I tried to catch up on what has happened in the world while I was outside the news loop.
Particularly interesting (and relevant for me) was the launch of the IPPR’s publication, ‘The Third Wave of Globalisation’.
Tim Page
This morning, the TUC has launched ‘German Lessons’. This report (which is also available in a shorter summary) is the result of a year-long research project, that took us to major manufacturing companies in Germany and the UK. We spoke to senior managers, works council members and trade union officials in world class organisations such as Volkswagen, Bentley, Siemens, BMW, ThyssenKrupp and Airbus. These firms are either straightforward German companies or are British companies that are owned by German parents. Enormous thanks are due to everyone who gave their time and shared their expertise with us to make this report possible.
These companies are world-leaders. Germany is the strongest economy in Europe, one of the biggest in the world and is best-known for its leadership in engineering and wider manufacturing. There has been much talk about rebalancing the British economy. How much of this is just talk remains to be seen, but if our politicians are serious about a renaissance for manufacturing, there are obvious lessons to learn from German companies.
Tim Page
Now that the dust has settled, I’ve spent some time this morning looking through the implementation update of the Government’s Plan for Growth, which was published (the update, not the plan) on the same day as the Autumn Statement. This update is in the form of a grid, listing progress on aspects of the Plan for Growth, in areas such as planning, regulation, access to finance, trade and investment, etc.
Box 12 of this grid, under ‘regulation’ reminds readers that the Government announced in April 2011 that it will not extend the right to request time to train to businesses with fewer than 250 employees, “saving businesses an estimated £350 million a year”. I don’t cover either skills or regulation for the TUC, so whilst this is clearly old news to many, it was new to me. I was, of course, appalled (but not surprised) that even requesting training in SMEs is considered unacceptable.
Tim Page
What a long way we’ve come in 18 months. In those first, heady days of Coalition Government, we were told that deficit reduction was the answer. Growth, it seemed, would take care of itself. Then there was the Growth White Paper that never was. But with economic growth flatlining, George Osborne has been forced to take action. Hearing his list of initiatives reminded me – and plenty of others, it seemed – of what The Guardian has described as ‘Brownite micro-tinkering’. So how will his new growth measures stack up?
Tim Page
This morning, at the Social Market Foundation, Ed Milband made what the Guardian is calling his most important speech since the Labour Conference. You can read more about it here, but highlights included greater voting rights for long term shareholders in takeovers, a place for workers on company remuneration committees and a better system for encouraging vocational skills. Taking on his critics, who accused him of being anti-business when Labour met in Liverpool, he said a new responsible capitalism was “bang on pro-business”.
Tim Page
Well done Gloria de Piero, Labour’s Shadow Home Office Minister, for praising Gordon Brown’s leadership during the financial crisis on last night’s Question Time (21 mins in on BBC i-Player). Given that Gordon is about as popular as a toothache, I half expected the audience to boo or laugh, but the fact that this comment was applauded showed the sense of justice among the audience.
Without naming names, Barack Obama does much the same thing in today’s FT. Obama writes:
Tim Page
I have a piece on the Huffington Post website today, giving a TUC reaction to the BAE job losses from this Tuesday. Lessons must be learned. Lesson one: rapid public spending cuts will undermine any private sector recovery. Lesson two: we can’t hang on much longer without a meaningful strategy for economic growth. Try to have a good weekend.
