Britain is angry about poverty and austerity but Keir Starmer seems more worried about Tory criticism
his should be an election at the heart of which are the issues of poverty, inequality, precarity and low pay. It is, after all, a campaign in which the cost of living, the state of public services, the price of austerity and the failure of politicians and institutions to listen to the public, dominate discussion.
Since the 1980s, the aim of successive governments, Labour and Tory, has been to create more 'flexible' labour markets It took the growth of trade unions, fierce working-class struggles, welfare policies and state intervention to transform that social landscape. Inequality fell steadily from the First World War till the end of the 1970s. Then, in the 1980s, Margaret Thatcher’s assault on the unions and the removal of restraints on market forces created a sharp rise in both poverty and inequality to levels that have remained largely untouched this century.
Nor has the policy of trusting in market forces provided most working-class people greater control of their lives. As housebuilding, especially of social and affordable housing, has declined, house prices have soared while wages have stagnated, pushing home ownership beyond the reach of more and more people. In the early 1990s, the average house cost about four times the average wage. By last year, it cost.
The starting point for policy should be not “What policies can we pursue that can be protected from Tory criticism?” but rather “What policies do we need to transform people’s lives? And how can we go about making them real?”. In the obsession with
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Improving energy supply in Pakistan could save 175,000 lives, says UnicefAs a heatwave sweeps the country increasing demand for power, a new report says a more resilient network could also contribute $300m to the economy
Read more »
Aunty Fay Carter remembered for work improving the lives of Indigenous VictoriansAunty Fay Carter is being remembered for her five decades of work supporting and improving the living conditions of Aboriginal people.
Read more »
Retirement communities could ease housing shortage while improving outcomes for older Australians, peak body saysBy freeing up more properties for families, over-55 resorts could become a crucial part of the puzzle addressing Australia's housing crisis, according to the nation's peak retirement living body.
Read more »
Lack of women at global tables of power hinders progress, says top UN officialAmina Mohammed says under-representation holds back conflict-tackling and improving health and living standards
Read more »
Britain’s Got Talent star Emma Jones dead at 327NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
‘A disaster’: undecided voters say Britain is a mess but still worry about LabourA focus group in Hitchen blames Liz Truss for their financial woes, is split on Rishi Sunak and still unsure about Keir Starmer
Read more »