The latest Joseph Rowntree Foundation annual report, finds that those who had been struggling to...
Economic policy
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29/07/2020
The origins of modern welfare, published 2010, now on open access
The origins of modern welfare was published in July 2010, by Peter Lang. The publisher and I agreed at the time of publication that our contractual agreement would expire after ten years, and the rights would revert to me. I am taking the opportunity now to make this work freely available, on a Creative Commons licence.
The book contains modern English versions of two documents from the early sixteenth century, which have some claim to be the earliest ever studies made in the field of social policy. The De Subventione Pauperum, by Juan-Luis Vives, was a commissioned academic report, written for the Senate of Bruges, and published in 1525. It represents, a watershed in thinking about governance, social responsibility and public policy. In Book 2 it proposes a comprehensive civic organisation of welfare services.
Category: News stories -
18/03/2016
Tackling the wealth gap
The increasing private ownership of capital is leading to a growing wealth gap. To tackle this skewing of the economy in favour of the rich, Stewart Lansley argues for the creation of social wealth funds with the returns evenly shared across society.
Category: Articles -
06/05/2015
Talk is not enough: tackling inequality is now an economic imperative
It has long been recognised that extreme inequality has many serious social consequences, as well as causing economic fragility and weakness - now the time has surely come to act.
Category: News stories -
18/03/2014
Poverty in Scotland 2014: The Independence Referendum and Beyond
The latest edition of Poverty in Scotland, 2014, sets out to inform the independence debate in Scotland, providing the latest facts and figures and looking at how other regions and nations have tackled the problem. Gerry Mooney gives an overview.
Category: Reports -
07/02/2014
Cities, economic growth and poverty
Economic growth at city level does not always result in a reduction in poverty levels, particularly in the short term, according to a Joseph Rowntree Foundation study that looks at the evidence on the connections between cities, economic growth and poverty in the United Kingdom.
Category: Reports -
16/09/2013
How to boost the wage share
There has been much debate on the merits of tackling inequality by prioritising ‘pre-distribution` - of attempting to achieve a more equal distribution of the cake before turning to ‘redistribution’ through tax and benefits. Stewart Lansley examines the possible impact of a number of measures on wage levels and the wage share.
Category: Articles -
01/07/2013
Call to boost wage share in economy
Policy-makers should aim to raise the share of wages in the economy as a key part of efforts to escape from the global economic recession, says a new pamphlet from the Trades Union Congress. It says there is growing evidence that increased wage inequality helped to cause the global crash in the first place, as well as hindering recovery subsequently. It provides estimates of the impact of a range of ‘pre-distribution’ type measures from raising the wage floor to reducing unemployment.
Category: Reports -
20/06/2013
Can relative poverty be abolished?
The idea that if poverty is relative it will always be with us is a common misconception, argues John Veit-Wilson. 'Relative poverty' can be abolished if no one has fewer resources than needed to achieve that society’s minimum standards.
Category: Articles -
03/06/2013
Wage inequalities ‘stifling recovery’ – ILO
Downward pressures on wages are holding back economic recovery in the UK and other advanced countries, according to the latest edition of the International Labour Organization’s World of Work report. The ILO contrasts the position of most workers with that of top executives on 'elevated' pay packages, and calls for greater effort to tackle damaging inequalities.
Category: Reports -
20/03/2013
Budget 2013 – ‘little or nothing’ for poorest families
Poverty campaigners and think tanks have voiced disappointment over the 2013 Budget statement, accusing the Chancellor of doing little or nothing to help those on the lowest incomes. Against a backdrop of sluggish economic growth and high borrowing, the Budget used savings from deeper public spending cuts to give tax breaks to businesses and those on middle and higher incomes.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said the Chancellor had failed to deliver an anti-poverty Budget that would boost living standards and ease the strain on poor families. The Resolution Foundation think-tank pointed out that most of the benefit of income tax cuts went to higher-income households, at the same time as families on lower incomes faced cuts in tax credits. The Child Poverty Action Group accused the government of 'abandoning' low-income families on the frontline of austerity.
Category: News stories
