2016
Whilst the turbulence of this year has caused political shocks the apparent resurgence of the nation-state should be no surprise
Whoever is elected as President in April is set to introduce a break from business as usual in French economic policy
Finding progressive policy responses that tackle food insecurity is essential for reducing in work poverty
Turkey’s AKP government is using the state of emergency to curtail labour rights and introduce regressive economic reforms
Proclamations of the ‘death’ of globalisation are premature
Donald Trump’s election reminds us that world order is based on American imperial power, not liberal ideals – the American empire’s unravelling will now be accelerated
Development aid is increasingly being provided by middle-income economies. This is a significant change in a shifting global aid landscape
Overcoming the grief caused by Trump’s victory requires us to analyse the sources of our pain
Labour’s recent economic policy positions highlight a curious rightwards drift under Corbyn and McDonnell
Economic patriotism is an analytical frame which can help explain the failings of a xenophobic populism which fails to acknowledge the complex realities of our economic interdependence –and risks exacerbating further political disaffection.
This month’s UN conference mixed post-Paris optimism with concerns about future climate change governance
The likely evolution of cannabis policy highlights the domestic and external political economy constraints facing President Trump
The SNP is using the uncertainty caused by Brexit to remake the case for independence – yet the warning signs about Scotland’s economy should already be on
New transparency regulations in some places theoretically require companies to report on forced labour in their supply chains, but a new review finds that’s not what’s happening
To understand the twin electoral disasters of 2016 we need to consider the central role played by austerity and the media
Philip Hammond is facing significant political and fiscal challenges which mean his first Autumn Statement is likely to be a sobering affair
Labour will not split, but Corbynism might – Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party depends on a large group of activists increasingly uneasy with his approach to politics
Anthony Crosland’s persuasive case for social democratic ideals and insights into the nature of the economy and politics still have great resonance today
Jeremy Corbyn’s destructive utopianism has been reaffirmed by Labour Party members – but there are signs of a widening divergence among Corbyn’s support base, with uncertain implications for Labour’s future
In the UK and in developing countries enormous wealth is generated from property. New approaches and action is needed to value and tax property wealth
Ireland’s GDP statistics highlight the disconnect between ‘official’ growth and the real economy, and raise questions about the nature of growth itself
An inexpert population frequently internalises misleading economic ideas: experts should consider engaging on these terms rather than always trying to get the economics ‘right’
As one of the world’s poorest countries, the inequities in Haiti’s local food economy are deeply rooted in its troubled history and its elite-dominated political economy
New initiatives can transform economics to make it part of the solution rather than part of the problem
Corbynism represents a ‘fictitious commodity’ in the UK’s political marketplace
In times of crisis the predictions of mainstream economics persistently fail; alternative approaches to economics are required
The UK needs a long-term project of nation-building, not continuation with the neoliberal policy settings of the last 40 years
Lloyds have embraced the ‘boring banking model’ but whether they are a trailblazer for the other major British banks or simply an outlier remains unclear.
Developing countries lose billions annually through tax avoidance and evasion. New UN-led initiatives are helping but global action is still required.
While the right acts decisively to restore the established order, the Corbyn experiment eschews both democracy and state power, and thus Labour’s best hope of transforming capitalism.
While the government attempts to weaken labour regulations, the organisation of India’s many million informal labourers is likely to gather pace.
Paradoxically ritualistic and idiosyncratic, the Rio Olympics are set against a background of perplexing global and local dynamics which converge around the challenge of resilience.
The aftermath of economic crisis, followed by Brexit, has seen the dismantling of democratic norms in Britain. The right benefits, while the left stands by
Low paid, precarious and informal employment is commonplace in a sector shaped by new regulatory regimes and global manufacturing trends
June’s elections saw rising support for the ‘anti-establishment’ Five-Star Movement, which in the context of growing economic instability is an increasingly popular alternative to ‘mainstream politics’
Life for voiceless, low paid parcel delivery workers exposes the harsh realities of degraded work in 21st century Britain
Life for voiceless, low paid parcel delivery workers exposes the harsh realities of degraded work in 21st century Britain
Why labour unfreedom is a more useful category than modern slavery to challenge exploitative working relations at home and abroad
Calls for a post-Brexit return to the Commonwealth ignore the existing privileged EU-Africa trade relationship as well as the UK’s now diminished trade influence
The left’s focus on full employment fails to address the realities of work and family in the twenty-first century
Measuring economic success through levels of employment obscures the unsustainable and oppressive nature of the UK’s recovery
Despite a post-Brexit consensus about the UK breaking up – might the chances of Scottish independence now be reduced?
The new Conservative government could rewrite employment rights, what happens now will depend on whether pragmatism or ideology prevails
The political economy problems we face are complex and loom large; new solutions are needed and time is of the essence
Reorienting value generated within ‘global poverty chains’ is essential to improve the lives of an impoverished world labour force
New reforms, underpinned by three basic principles, are needed to make central banks fully accountable
To capitalise on the crisis and create a post-neoliberal economic order, progressives need new lenses for understanding everyday economic life
Stopping labour exploitation requires effective regulation of the labour market, not scapegoating migrant and vulnerable workers
Early pointers to what the future may hold for post-Brexit Britain
Corporate profits are soaring, but so is labour exploitation. Who is the ‘recovery’ really benefiting?
The only thing uniting the contradictory strands of the trade policy discourse for Brexit was the refrain of ‘taking control’. But in the post-Brexit landscape that will prove more difficult to achieve
Six key issues reveal the early impact of the Brexit earthquake, but this is uncharted territory and more aftershocks will follow
How did we get here – and where, exactly, is here?
The UK’s withdrawal from the European Union is a product, ironically, of the political elite’s longstanding aversion to democratic self-rule
The support in traditional Labour party heartlands for leaving the EU should serve as a wake up call for the British and European left
The political and economic forces unleashed by the referendum result now pose profound challenges for Leave politicians and the Labour Party
In January Colin Hay, SPERI’s co-director, predicted that Britain would vote to leave the European Union in 2016. Today as that prediction (in the manner of Cassandra) comes to pass we’re reposting Colin’s article which goes on to make two further predictions about the break-up of Britain and a second financial crisis.
To prevent another economic crisis, we must address the spread and normalization of indecent work
Despite the increasingly important UK-China economic ties strong Chinese opposition to ‘Brexit’ has been ignored
Misleading narratives on the causes of the eurozone crisis have played into the hands of those campaigning for Brexit
With the EU providing important funding for the economic development of poorer regions, uncertainty looms for the North if Britain votes to leave
The current industrial action will test the ‘reactionary radicalism’ of French unions and the Government’s ability to introduce reforms
Serious problems undermine the current regime and create a significant ‘global governance deficit’
Different approaches to mortgage debt may impact wages, how homeowners engage with employers and welfare services, and economic growth
Stewart Lansley’s advocacy of the sharing economy is the right idea at the right time, but social wealth funds would be a problematic instrument
The economic, political and social consequences of failing to respond effectively to the migrant crisis risk accelerating European disintegration
The AKP’s reforms to ‘flexibilise’ the labour market will weaken workers’ rights and further consolidate authoritarian neoliberalism in Turkey
The real malaise of Rio is not just the Zika virus epidemic, but a fiscal and governance crisis that has engendered its own set of increasing dangers
The Clinton/Sanders battle exposes the challenge of the centre-left to overcome its pre-crisis accommodation with neoliberalism
How we diagnose and respond to the ‘socio-ecological’ crisis is essential to our understanding of any ‘coming crisis’
New analysis of the trade in goods between the UK’s regions and the EU sheds new light on the potential regional implications of Brexit
In the surreal world of post-2008 financial markets and monetary policy ‘black swan’ events shouldn’t surprise us any more
A return to neoliberal policies could threaten the future of universal healthcare in Brazil
Recent revelations have reopened an angry debate about Icelandic democracy and the links between economic and political recovery
A new ‘investment state’ is needed to provide stability in the new uncertain political economy of shadow money, financial instability and demand deficiency
Modern public debt management and financial innovation have exacerbated Italy’s large, and growing, government debt
The European Parliament’s new role in Eurozone structural adjustment programmes is institutionally ambiguous and offers only limited democratic improvement.
Current economic trends suggest the UK may need to be prepared for a period of weak, and potentially zero economic growth
After the mass anger caused by tax avoidance revelations we need a wide public debate about tax, better financial regulation and, above all, about austerity
Concerns about regional economies mean that even in an increasingly financialised and globalised steel sector the government is maintaining stewardship responsibilities
A gathering storm is visible on the Chinese horizon, yet the country seems better prepared to ride it out than many predict
Despite recent electoral defeats for the left social protest and mobilisation in Argentina suggest the Pink Tide’s decline may be overstated
Controlling the case for Remain and unpacking the Leave arguments about regaining control are shaping up to be key deciding factors ahead of June 23rd
To solve the escalating environmental crisis the unsustainability of global wealth creation must be confronted, argues Peter Dauvergne in our new ‘coming crisis’ blog
Grexit, Brexit and the migrant crisis are putting the future of the European Union under significant and sustained pressure
With mounting concern on both sides of the Atlantic that trade politics only serves the interests of the elite, the time has come to use the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to refashion the global trading regime
Despite claims of a coup, Brazilian democracy has proved more resilient so far than the country’s crumbling economy
The furore over tax avoidance, both by our national and international elites, reveals new social fault lines while highlighting a crisis of legitimacy to calls for togetherness and common purpose
In the latest blog in SPERI’s series on ‘The Coming Crisis’ Jacqueline Best asks: what do central banks and governments do when exceptions to the monetary policy rules keep piling up?
Focusing on politicians’ tax affairs misses the real point: the Panama Papers expose deep structural inequalities and their consequences
Trade union support for undocumented migrant workers is taking place in an atmosphere of growing stigmatisation and social tension
In the third blog in SPERI’s new series on ‘the coming crisis’ Scott Lavery examines three areas of imbalance in the Eurozone and argues that the single currency area remains vulnerable to a future economic downturn
A number of voices on the British left have in recent months pushed the idea of ‘Lexit’ – a progressive position in favour of Britain leaving the EU. While their critique of the EU has merit, their solution is counterproductive
The way that the tabloid press is framing the choice is preventing an informed debate on EU migration
In the second blog in SPERI’s new series on ‘the coming crisis’ Jeremy Green assesses the prospects of unorthodox central bank policies for escaping the stagflation gripping Western capitalism
To meet collective societal challenges, and to respond to future recessions, a different way of thinking about money is required
Manchester’s cultural and sporting brand is increasingly important in attracting global investment to the city
In the first of a new series of weekly SPERI blogs on ‘the coming crisis’ Colin Hay sets out the background to the series and outlines the themes it will explore
The US housing crisis may have slipped down the political agenda but it hasn’t gone away – and young people are being hardest hit
A major new study highlights the barriers to innovation that face firms from across Europe
A closely interconnected health policy community in Britain has grabbed control of the agenda and seeks to make further marketisation of healthcare the only possible option
New ‘follow the money’ research investigates where the money paid to financialised care home chains goes
Schemes to reduce energy use show how local authorities are caught between devolved responsibilities and centralised resources
More and more evidence shows that it matters considerably that British governments have lately been deploying the word ‘welfare’ in an official capacity
Corbyn’s ascendance has compounded Labour’s electoral difficulties, but it didn’t create the problem
What we know (and don’t know) about ownership of public debt
A review of What a Waste: Outsourcing and how it goes wrong
The Conservative Government will face considerable challenges as people are unable to meet rising funeral costs
The mood music being played to the City by the majority Conservative government has been quietly but deliberately changed since May 2015
The current polls are poor but electoral success will rely on a mass mobilisation campaign and increasing voter turnout
The mortgage-led crisis has led to the financialization of rental housing – and new social struggles
Austerity is anchored in a new politics of place, but Labour is adrift
Placing property taxation, redistribution and social justice in an ethical context
We now have a date but there are plenty of big questions and unknown steps between now and 23rd June
Historic polling comparisons highlight the party’s challenges ahead of 2020
A full understanding of Thatcher’s legacy arguably needs more than just 3 years
The North/South divide is not the problem. Economic centralism is
A new growth model must place individual livelihoods at the heart of our regional economic strategy
Progressives need to think differently about political narrative to shape the political agenda to their advantage
Governance of the North shouldn’t be reduced to technocratic questions or administering Osborne’s fiscal plans
A review of Andy Beckett’s ‘Promised You a Miracle: UK80-82’
While both countries have experienced comparatively strong growth, divergence on the current account ensures that the UK’s situation looks much more perilous
The view from Yorkshire reveals growing tension and rising pressures from below
The 2014 Agreement may be flawed, but it is the latest step in a long journey to increase the city-region’s economic and political leverage
Prediction in politics and political economy is perilous, but has value in warning of outcomes that could still be avoided by political agency
Two recent events will complicate and shape Spanish politics in the coming year, with broader implications for Europe and its political economy
Re-bordering is emerging in Scandinavia in one of the most symbolically borderless regions in Europe
Critics of the protection of pensioner benefit entitlements are playing into George Osborne’s hands
Policymakers are still operating in a liberal market paradigm that sees market failure as exceptional, regulatory intervention as costly and uncertainty as quantifiable risk
The only effective answer to right-wing populism is the creation and deployment of a superior left-wing alternative
The inspiring humanity of many ordinary European citizens in the face of the refugee crisis contrasts shockingly with the limited actions of European governments
The best way to counter the threat constituted by the referendum is to show that the EU can be remade to work better in the democratic service of its citizens