Bond markets boom – time to borrow
In both the USA, and the UK, investors are rushing into government bonds. Scared by the turbulent stock market, those with money are desperate to lend money to governments rather than risk buying shares. And so, only a few days after the American government had its credit rating downgraded, its ten year bonds now have [...]
The SNP won through faith; now they must make it real
I was asked to write a contribution to the Our Kingdom debate on the Scottish Spring. This piece first appeared there. If you aren’t from Scotland, the scale of the political earthquake may be hard to understand. For me, it’s been nearly a week now. It still hasn’t sunk in. Every stop on the Clockwork [...]
5 reasons Caroline should be speaking
Caroline Lucas hasn’t been invited by the TUC to speak at the march on Saturday. If you think she should be, email *info@tuc.org.uk* 1) It’s good for the message: Caroline Lucas actually opposes cuts. Ed Miliband is speaking, he supports the same level of cuts as the Tories. He just wants to do it over [...]
A green ‘Plan B’ – why we need a low-carbon strategy out of recession
By Mark Watts, chair of the Environment session at this weekends Progressive London Conference, former environment adviser to Ken Livingstone From 2000 to 2008 London became recognised for its world leading environmental policies, from the congestion charge and Low Emission Zone to the Mayor’s ground-breaking Climate Change Action Plan, culminating in London’s creation and leadership [...]
The Green solution to Unemployment, Deficit and Recession
The country is at an economic turning point. Wednesday was the most significant domestic political event of most of our lives. It was the full announcement of a Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). Unfortunately the CSR is final proof what many of us predicted before the election. That the Conservative party has a profoundly wrong-headed economic [...]
No ideas? Try the Greens
This piece by Tom Chance is a review of this pamphlet If you’re looking for an advert against pinning the hopes of entire social movements on one political party, this pamphlet from the New Political Economy Network could fill a billboard. The authors’ analysis of the miserable failure by “the left” to overthrow capitalism is [...]
Caroline Lucas – fighting privatisation: why we need the Green Party
Caroline Lucas opened the party conference with clear fighting talk about the need for a truely progressive party in British politics. With her emphasis on opposition to public spending cuts, trident and privatisation, Caroline clearly expressed what has been true for years: the Green Party now provides the main coherent opposition to the neo-liberalism of [...]
Climate change & cuts
In my recent “a-z of why cuts are mad“, “George Osborne: move over Keynes” and on our campaign site www.noshockdoctrine.org.uk, I give a number of reasons why I oppose cuts – unemployment, the need for fiscal stimulus, the value of public services, and the fact that government borrowing, from the other side of the balance [...]
Caroline Lucas’ Maiden Speech: A new Leader for Progressive Politics
Last week Caroline Lucas made both her maiden speech in the House of Commons and the front page of The Independent newspaper this week. Her speech was a brilliant account of Green politics. Greens have always sought to deal with the cause not the symptom. Greens believe in a politics that stands for people and [...]
Clueless Cameron u-turns on the economy – again
The Tories have backed off proposals to appeal to the frothy mouthed party loyalists and funders. They’ve decided not to drive the economy back into a recession in the first year of their government. They’re not going to cut public spending. So, Bright Green has its first victory. Or that’s what I’d like to think. [...]
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