Isn’t it time Labour looked beyond simple economic growth?
contribution by Hannah Stoddart
Though there was much to commend Ed Balls’ lecture last week, like all dominant economic analyses it included a narrow and technocratic focus on the macroeconomic levers which will either produce more or less growth.
Progress is reduced to the spreadsheet and the graph, with an automatic correlation drawn between GDP growth and the apparent improvement of society.
The most compelling argument for GDP growth is the positive impact this has on employment and job creation, but there is little or no elaboration of the areas of the economy in which that growth should take place, and the broader social outcomes this might deliver.
continue reading… »
Boris and Osborne say no to saving Greece
I’ve been saying for a while that Labour should strongly oppose bailing out Greece on a matter of principle.
Greece is not only likely to default – it should default so that bankers face the pain rather than ordinary Greeks.
Today, it seems the Conservatives are doing their best to ensure Labour does not reclaim that space.
Sky News reports that George Osborne will say today that Britain should not be part of any new aid package to bail out the Greek economy.
It’s mostly just positioning on the Chancellor’s behalf.
The UK was not involved in the original 110 billion euro (£96.5bn) deal approved a year ago, which was put together by the eurozone countries to help save one of their own.
The only UK commitment came from its share of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) contribution, in the form of loan guarantees which will only be called in if Greece defaults.
Right on cue, Boris Johnson is making the same point in the Daily Telegraph today.
Boris however does make one admission that the left have been making for months:
The trouble is that the Greek austerity measures are making the economy worse.
As was the case in Ireland and (on a smaller scale) in the UK.
BT: employing disabled people good for business
Tory MP Philip Davies called on Friday for disabled people to be paid less than the minimum wage. The Spectator backed Davies, arguing that:
“Davies is probably right to suggest that disabled people lose out to those who aren’t, wages being kept equal. He might not have the correct solution. He might have pre-empted the response better. But that doesn’t alter the fact that there’s a genuine worry here. And soothing that worry will require discussion, not knee-jerk indignation.”
According to research from Mind, more than 6 out of 10 employers would not consider hiring someone who has a mental health problem. What the Spectator and Davies are doing will reinforce these prejudices on the part of employers, and make it less likely that disabled people will get jobs.
Before spouting off, Davies should have taken the time to familiarise himself with the experience of private sector companies like British Telecom.
Since 2003 BT has provided sustainable opportunities for over 300 disabled people to work within BT through its award winning Able to Work outplacement scheme. Monitoring has shown that disabled candidates performed as effectively – if not better than – their non-disabled colleagues. BT also found that disabled employees remained with the company for longer (67% of disabled people recruited have over one year’s service).
Here’s the BT Director of Policy and People, speaking in 2009:
“The problems that disabled people face has often got little to do with their disability,”
“Many of the barriers disabled people face are external. A diverse workforce can help to access people from different backgrounds, which is a competitive advantage for the organisation.
“Disabled people face hurdles on a day-to-day basis and hence can tackle any challenges and find extraordinary solutions. They have unique perspectives and can change not just what we do but how we do things.
“Employing people with disabilities is not risky, disruptive or expensive – it is just plain business sense. A diverse workforce makes for better business. It is the difference that can make the difference.”
Other parts of the business case for employing disabled people include:
- tapping into a wider range of applicants for job vacancies (research has found that disabled employees are just as productive as their non-disabled colleagues, and have less time off sick, fewer accidents and stay in their jobs longer)
- finding workers who can fill skills gaps in tight labour markets where there aren’t enough ‘obvious’ candidates
- gaining a competitive advantage by having a diverse workforce which can attract a diverse range of customers (there are over ten million disabled people in the UK with spending potential in excess of £50 billion)
- saving money and keeping valuable experience by retaining employees who become disabled whilst working for your business (the Post Office estimates that medically retiring an employee can cost up to £80,000)
- using the experiences of disabled people to understand how your customers think and what drives their spending habits
- improving staff morale and loyalty to a business considered inclusive and representative.
- increasing your retention of staff (Poundland, for example, found that the turnover of disabled candidates recruited is 4%, compared to 48% of non-disabled recruits.)
- complying with existing and emerging legislation and avoiding unnecessary – and potentially costly – charges of discrimination (there is no upper limit on fines for discrimination on grounds of disability)
*
Advocates of cutting the minimum wage for disabled people are trying to pretend that this is a debate between the Right who are prepared to raise difficult issues, and “Left-wing hysteria”. But in fact, it is a simple case of “people who know what they are talking about” against “Philip Davies MP”.
Poor kids need a voice, not pity
I was far from alone in feeling angry – as well as moved to the point of tears – by the BBC’s Poor Kids documentary. Angry that nearly one in three children grow up in poverty in the world’s sixth biggest economy; that most kids living in poverty are in a household where at least one adult works; and that 13 years of New Labour rule failed to reverse the bulk of the social damage bequeathed by Thatcherism.
But what made me perhaps angriest was the fact that it has taken a one-off documentary from the BBC to give Britain’s poor – all 13.5 million of them – a platform.
continue reading… »
Banning the hijab in sports: bigotry rears its head again
contribution by Iman Qureshi
News that Fifa has banned the Iranian women’s football team from participating in the Olympics on account of their headscarves has been met with much criticism, but the real issues are not being addressed.
Whether it’s sexuality, gender, religion or race, sport seems to be the perpetually reoffending schoolyard bully.
continue reading… »
What Labour should learn from Coronation Street
There’s a delightful symmetry in the fact that Corrie’s Graeme and Xin storyline climaxed on the same day that Ed Miliband complained about “those on benefits who were abusing the system.”
That speech produced what Sue calls a “gasp of horror” from the disabled and the Left generally.
You shouldn’t need me to point out that complaints about benefit abuse is an example of the right’s “small truth, big error” rhetorical trick. But I will: continue reading… »
Cameron’s Cuddliest Conservatives
Contribution by Sarah Hayward
Fridays are normally a bit of non-event as far as Parliament is concerned. But it’s always worth checking out what backbenchers are up to. Today saw the second reading of Christopher Chope’s private member’s effort, the Employment Opportunities Bill. Among the provisions of the attractively-titled Bill was an opt-out on the national minimum wage.
Yes. It seems despite Cameron’s best detoxification efforts, and embracing of Labour’s landmark policy, there’s still a rump of Tories willing to support efforts to lower wages for the least well-off, ironically and inversely pushing up the welfare bill for those benefits that are linked to income, but that’s another blog.
continue reading… »
Greens win in South Essex
An interesting result from last night’s local council by-elections saw the Greens gain a council seat in Rochford in South Essex from the Tories. South Essex is not exactly renowned as the home of environmentalism, but this is the second Green councillor to be elected in this ward, securing an impressive 49.8% of the vote.
Other results saw Labour gain seats from the Tories in Cornwall, coming from fourth place, and in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, and further examples of the collapse of the Lib Dems in areas such as Crewe and Newcastle.
Particular congratulations are due to Independent Cllr Groudd in Conwy, who was elected with 94% of the vote.
Further information available from our friends at Vote 2007.
Why Ed Balls’ simple proposal on the economy works
I’ve argued in recent days that the prospects for the recovery are weak but also that fiscal policy is constrained and the left needs to acknowledge this – so I can see why people might think I am throwing up my arms and saying ‘we’re all doomed’. But I’m not.
There is always an alternative.
And yesterday’s Ed Balls speech helped outline such an alternative.
continue reading… »
What the government won’t say about benefit fraud
New statistics show that less than one per cent of benefit spending is lost to fraud.
This is a terrific achievement – so why doesn’t the Department for Work and Pensions let everyone know how well its doing?
Yesterday the DWP published a new edition of Fraud and Error in the Benefit System, taking the statistics up to September last year.
continue reading… »
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