Blog
2020
Charline Sempéré - 18 December 2020
As we slowly emerge from the second lockdown and prepare with hope for the new year, I though it timely [...]
Ben Richardson - 11 November 2020
Why Brexit negotiations on the level playing field should be seen in light of the EU’s experience with FTAs and criticisms of labour standards provisions.
Bojan Bugaric & Mitchell A Orenstein - 5 November 2020
While Central and Eastern European states were initially constrained by neoliberalism, the rise of populism has lead to a form of developmental 'statism'.
Maha Rafi Atal - 22 October 2020
Despite growing concern about the power of Big Tech, regulators have struggled to hold these companies and their executives to account. Here's why.
Jasper Blom - 14 October 2020
The influence of private lobbies in policymaking is dependent on the two-directional interaction between policymakers and lobbyists.
Manoj Dias-Abey, Tonia Novitz & Marco Rocca - 7 October 2020
In part 2 of this two-part blog, we consider divides constructed between the permanent/temporary and the skilled/unskilled in relation to workers rights
Manoj Dias-Abey, Tonia Novitz & Marco Rocca - 5 October 2020
The legal characterisation of people who move across borders for work has profound implications for their labour rights. In Part One of this two-part blog, three legal scholars consider some of the binaries used to justify their legal characterisation and suggest that we need a new way to discuss this phenomenon. The authors begin by considering the inside/outside jurisdiction binary.
Tackling sustainability challenges in supply chains: the potential for business case sustainability initiatives
Rachel Alexander & Chikako Oka - 1 October 2020While social and environmental problems persist within global supply chains, our new report highlights some possible solutions to overcoming these governance challenges
Households’ financial capability: debt and resilience amidst the pandemic
Georgette Fernandez-Laris - 13 August 2020The COVID-19 pandemic burst in the midst of an already agitated geopolitical scenery punctuated by the fallout of Brexit and turbulent trade wars. This is the final blog in the series 'Studying an Uncertain Future' written by members of SPERI’s Doctoral Researchers Network.
The limits of efficiency: can capitalism be more resilient in the face of crisis?
Ed Pemberton - 20 July 2020COVID-19 has demonstrated how we need to rethink the trade-offs between efficiency and resilience if we are to meet the even greater challenge of climate change. This blog is Part 6 of our new series on ‘Studying an Uncertain Future‘ written by members of SPERI’s Doctoral Researchers Network.
The political economy of external debt within low-income countries in an age of asset management
Bruno Bonizzi & Christina Laskardis - 15 July 2020Developing countries have become connected to the cycles of global market-based finance. This has important implications for external debt sustainability, debt relief, and the financing of development.
The bootstrapping race: development by commercialisation
Manuel Heckel - 13 July 2020Kenya’s ongoing commercialisation of its water sector creates two positive feedback loops that need careful regulation to live up to the commitment of water as a human right. Recent events distressingly demonstrate and urgently demand that this must include prioritising underserved areas. This blog is Part 5 of our new series on ‘Studying an Uncertain Future‘ written by members of SPERI’s doctoral researchers network.
A UK-US free trade agreement? Don’t count your (chlorinated) chickens just yet
Tony Heron - 9 July 2020The UK’s food standards would be put at risk by a UK-US free trade agreement, but don’t expect to see chlorinated chicken on UK supermarket shelves any time soon.
The rise of veganism: How the growth of sustainable diets may affect the political economy of food production in the UK
James Jackson - 6 July 2020With vegan and environmentally-friendly diets on the rise in the UK, this blog asks what these changes in consumption behaviour imply for the political economy of food production and how might the state support such a transition? This blog is part 4 of the ‘Studying an Uncertain Future‘ written by members of SPERI’s Doctoral Researchers Network.
COVID-19 calls for the politicisation of supply chain management
Akis Bimpizas & Andrea Genovese - 3 July 2020The unquestioning faith of supply chain management (SCM) studies in unconditional economic growth and free trade policy has left us unprepared to confront the pandemic, leading us to a sudden and uncontrollable collapse.
Harold Laski and his Chinese disciples
Ting Xu - 1 July 2020Harold Laski’s influence in China has been under-researched for decades. A new workshop held this week will explore the legacy of his legal philosophy.
Advancing gender justice in Asian fast fashion supply chains post-COVID-19: Guidance from ILO’s Convention 190 on it’s first anniversary
Jennifer (JJ) Rosenbaum - 18 June 2020On the first anniversary of the ILO’s adoption of C190 on Violence and Sexual Harassment, we are now grappling with seismic shocks to economic security, public health, and freedom of association and assembly caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Care and clothes: reimagining the value of labour
Remi Edwards - 6 July 2020We need to extend critiques of undervalued labour beyond those that we see as having ‘social value’ in order to engender improvements in the material value of labour globally. This blog is Part 3 of the series ‘Studying an uncertain future‘ written by members of SPERI’s doctoral researchers network.
The temporary financialisation of refugees in Greece
Martina Tazzioli - 23 June 2020Cash Assistance Programmes have proliferated in recent years in order to offer financial support to asylum seekers. This blog examines the impact of the cash card scheme on refugee’s lives. This is ninth blog in the SPERI-Finance Watch series 'Untold stories of personal debt in Europe'.
Contemporary geopolitical trends and COVID-19: The return of the political?
Peter Verovšek- 23 June 2020The threat posed by the novel Coronavirus has evidently led to a reassertion of political power over economic demands and global market forces.
Climate Change and COVID-19: What these crises tell us about a modernising approach
Jenny Patient - 21 June 2020Why an ecological approach is necessary for tackling contemporary global crises. This blog is Part 2 of the series ‘Studying an uncertain future‘ written by members of SPERI’s doctoral researchers network.
The financialisation of distressed debts in Europe
Caroline Metz - 18 June 2020EU institutions are encouraging the development of distressed debt markets, thereby meeting banks’ needs while opening up profit opportunities for private equity investors and debt collectors. This is the eighth part of the SPERI- Finance Watch series 'Untold stories of personal debt in Europe'.
Studying an uncertain future: Researching political economy in a time of COVID-19, crisis and climate change
SPERI's Doctoral Researcher Network - 15 June 2020A new generation of political economists, drawn from SPERI’s Doctoral Researcher Network reflect on what their work tells us about where the world may be going in the next ten years.
Will 'Global Britain' be a hard sell to British companies?
Nigel Driffield and Sumon Bhaumik - 12 June 2020If the British government chooses not to align with EU regulations post-Brexit, the consequences for inward foreign direct investment to the UK may be significant.
Cancelling toxic household debt: the case for a modern debt jubilee
Johnna Montgomerie - 10 June 2020Creating fiscal space to write-off household debt will bring macroeconomic renewal and end the era of debt-dependent growth.
What EU regulators should do to limit over-indebtedness
Oliver Jérusalmy - 2 June 2020EU regulation should provide citizens – both households and entrepreneurs – a concrete possibility for a ‘second chance’ and for a fresh start from the chain of over-indebtedness. This is the fifth part of a new joint SPERI-Finance Watch series on 'Untold stories of personal debt in Europe'.
Lessons learnt from the last recession: It’s time to target wealth!
Ishan Kalia - 29 May 2020The measures taken to pull the economy out of the 2008 crisis involving quantitative easing coupled with austerity were flawed. Twelve years on, wealth for the top percentile has increased exponentially whilst incomes have stagnated. Meanwhile inequality has worsened. For a real recovery this time round, it is time to target wealth.
COVID19 and the Bank of England
Ben Whisker & Jim Buller - 28 May 2020Could the current crisis challenge the independence of the central bank?
Insolvency syndrome: when over-indebtedness affects health and wellbeing
Richard Ahlström & Fredrik Tjulander - 27 May 2020In spite of clear evidence that those in debt may experience associated health issues, little has been done to address the connections. This is the fourth part of a SPERI-Finance Watch series on 'Untold stories of personal debt in Europe'.
The covidist state: opportunities for progressive politics?
Craig Berry - 4 May 2020The outbreak of COVID 19 has enlarged the UK state. This blog explores whether this emergency enlargement of the state may come to serve progressive purposes.
COVID19 and the EU: crisis too far or transformative moment?
Owen Parker - 20 April 2020Will the covid-19 pandemic prompt the EU to take the decisive integrative steps that it failed to take in the context of the Eurozone crisis? Or will this be a crisis too far?
We are entering another state of exception – but this time it’s economic too
Jacqueline Best - 17 April 2020It appears that the protection of the economy is often a factor in the types of exceptionalist policies designed to ensure the public’s security throughout the COVID19 pandemic.
Why the gendered political economy of COVID-19 matters
Merisa Thompson - 15 April 2020While the Chancellor’s injection of money into the economy is welcome, it highlights just how undervalued ‘women’s work’ still is in our societies.
The moral economy of the pandemic
Tom Barker - 7 April 2020There is evidence of social solidarity emerging in the current crisis. Can this sense of community be maintained to help shape the reconstruction of a post-crisis world?
Workers of the world, self isolate!
Craig Berry - 3 April 2020Pre-pandemic class relationships are both shaping and disrupting the politics of covidism.
Fuelling the debate: what Britain’s bus crisis tells us about public ownership
Michael Livesey - 30 March 2020UK public transport is undergoing a crisis as bus networks across the country have seen huge cutbacks in service provision. What are the possible solutions?
Africa’s ‘infrastructure gap’ – why we should be cautious about ‘win-win’ solutions for African cities
Tom Goodfellow - 25 March 2020Why ‘plugging’ infrastructure gaps through international finance can generate new problems for African cities.
What would a market for values achieve?
Marco Senatore - 16 March 2020A market for values would reconcile economics and ethics, individual and community, capitalism and democracy.
Is Britain committing commercial suicide?
Matt Bishop - 27 February 2020A 19th Century trade agenda will decimate the most productive parts of the 21st Century economy. This is the sixth part of SPERI’s new series on Brexit, the Conservative Majority and the UK Political Economy.
Restrictions to immigration and work in the UK construction industry
Merve Sancak - 19 February 2020While the case of UK agriculture illustrates an exception to the rule of ‘ending’ low skill immigration, there are many sectors in which demand for migrant workers are not being met under current immigration policy proposals. This is the fifth part of SPERI’s new series on Brexit, the Conservative Majority and the UK Political Economy.
The UK agricultural sector: an exception to the ‘end’ of low skilled immigration?
Natalie Langford - 14 February 2020The UK Prime Minister has pledged to end low skilled immigration by 2021. Why have exceptions have been made for the agricultural sector? This is the fourth part of SPERI’s new series on Brexit, the Conservative Majority and the UK Political Economy.
The battle to shape workers’ rights has just begun
Tom Hunt - 12 February 2020Leaving the EU means our rights at work will now be shaped by the UK government, and that means they will become a key area of political contest. This is the third part in SPERI’s new series on Brexit, the Conservative Majority and the UK Political Economy.
Terrorism and the Brexit vote
Georgios Efthyvoulou & Harry Pickard - 11 February 2020Our new research shows that proximity to terrorist attacks increased support for Remain.
‘Global Britain’ or ‘Britain First’?
Andrew Gamble - 7 February 2020Contradictions have emerged within the Tory party between their ‘Global Britain’ free trade agenda and their pledge to ‘level up’ the country and to end the inequalities which emerged under globalisation. This is the second part in SPERI’s new series on Brexit, the Conservative Majority and the UK Political Economy.
Brexit, the Conservative Majority and the UK Political Economy: Introduction
Natalie Langford - 6 February 2020Our new blog series examines the policy implications of the 2019 UK general election, examining trade, immigration, environment and labour market policy under the recently elected Conservative government.
Security, economy, and our addiction to neoliberalism
Jacqueline Best - 3 February 2020Critical security studies can help to make sense of the complex ways through which states have used claims of ‘exceptionalisation’ to respond to economic crises.
The UK Universities Post-Brexit: a complex network perspective
Valbona Muzaka - 31 January 2020Our recent research on international networks within UK higher education questions the claim that UK scientists will be able to forge wider collaborations with peers in the USA, China and the Commonwealth after Brexit
Immigration: how much do we really understand about how it affects job prospects?
Gwilym Price - 29 January 2020It appears that there is a gaping hole in our understanding of how immigration affects job prospects in the UK.
Why climate change is globalisation’s biggest challenge yet
Jeremy Green - 27 January 2020Responding to climate change poses a fundamental challenge to the ideas that shape globalisation. This blog explores potential solutions to the crisis.
Why we are introducing new inclusivity and diversity guidelines for the SPERI blog
Ellie Gore, Natalie Langford & Tom Hunt - 25 January 2020Through our new guidelines we aim to help political economy become a more diverse and inclusive intellectual discipline.
Finance beyond Financial Institutions: How the ‘subscription economy’ is colonising our future
Ed Pemberton - 20 January 2020Firms like Netflix and Spotify are changing the way we consume. What does this mean for how we study and understand finance?
Is populist politics exceptional? Rethinking populism beyond economy and security
Michael McLeish - 17 January 2020Exploring the common assumptions about populism shared by academic approaches to both economy and security provides an opportunity to rethink our understanding of the phenomena.
The authoritarian turn after the crash: beyond economy and security
Liam Stanley - 16 January 2020Neoliberalism is said to have taken an authoritarian or punitive turn since 2008. But political economy tends to underplay how the war on terror has initiated its own authoritarian turn prior to global financial crash.
Selling war: commodifying the (in)security of Afghan women
Joanna Tidy - 15 January 2020Examining the commodification of an everyday object, an Afghan rug, reveals a complex interconnection of economy and security.
Community safety beyond economy and security – exploring the complex nature of desires for safety
Caitriona Rylance - 14 January 2020Exploring the mobilisation of fears of violence linked to public transport exposes a complex picture in which it can be difficult to characterise and approach desires for safety in society. This has significant implications for those concerned with tackling inequalities.
Beyond Political Economy and Security Studies: Introduction to blog series
Liam Stanley & Joanna Tidy - 13 January 2020This blog series presents research from SPERI’s 2019 PREPPE programme. This year’s PREPPE team asks: What sorts of analyses might we be able to generate if we move beyond treating ‘economy’ and ‘security’ as separate? The blogs in this series each question how helpful this distinction is by focusing on four cases: community safety, war, neoliberalism, and populism.
Addressing exclusion and inequality in late working life
Liam Foster & Alan Walker - 10 January 2020In this blog we argue that there is a need for new research which explores the role of life course factors on inequalities in opportunities to prolong employment.
Decentering the Refugee Crisis: Racialized Displacement in Berlin and Paris- Part 2: Urban Scale
Ali Bhaghat & Susanne Soederberg - 9 January 2020In the second part of this blog, we examine the ways through which Germany and France have adopted various strategies of refugee management and how these responses are shaped by austerity.