Policy forum
Our policy forum features accessible policy-related content from visionary thinkers and doers for a fairer and more sustainable economy.
Cost of living crisis
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionInflation is squeezing workers. We need a £15 minimum wage
To fairly protect those most impacted by the cost of living crisis we need to squash profits – not pay
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Published in:ourEconomy: AnalysisThe solutions to the global inflation crisis are blindingly obvious
The question is, why haven’t they been implemented yet?
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Published in:ourEconomy: Analysis7 ways policymakers should respond to the cost of living crisis
To win an economy that works for people and planet, we need a new approach to inflation
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionThe UK’s inaction is to blame for the spiralling energy crisis – not Russia
Rising energy prices will hit the most vulnerable unless the government takes action to end reliance on gas and...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionThe sector secretly profiting from the cost of living crisis
No one’s talking about the UK’s hugely profitable energy distribution networks. They should be publicly owned
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionThe UK needs a ‘right to food’. This is how it could work in practice
As prices and inflation soar, we must rethink our global food systems to help people, not boost corporate profits
Reparative economy
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Published in:ourEconomy: VideoEmpire not only made the colonies. It made the unequal Britain we see today
openDemocracy’s new film BOOMERANG, exploring the legacies of empire through Liverpool’s docks, is available online
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Published in:ourEconomyRepaying the debt owed to Black people requires a democratic and reparative economy
The entire racial capitalist system that extracts labor and blood from Black lives must go.
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Published in:ourEconomy: AnalysisIt’s time to decolonise our multilateral system for climate justice
COP26 exposed a need to center the Indigenous wisdoms and regenerative practices of communities that endure the most harm
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionThe United States owes Black America reparations
Following centuries of exploitation, theft and discrimination, here is what a reparative economic agenda should entail.
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Published in:ourEconomy: FeatureReparations would shake up American capitalism – and that’s a good thing
Paying compensation to the descendants of slaves would not just right a historic wrong, it would transform the US...
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Published in:openDemocracyUK: OpinionIt’s time to issue climate reparations to working-class people around the world
Shared struggles, shared solutions: connecting communities from east London to Ogoniland in search of justice
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Published in:ourEconomy: Interview‘Repair is the reimagination of power’: Healing from the injustices of colonialism
Raj Patel and Rupa Marya, the authors of ‘Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice’, on building an...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionWhy climate justice must go beyond borders
The elite’s ‘solution’ to the climate crisis is to turn the displaced into exploitable migrant labour. We need a...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionDelivering reparatory justice means uprooting the legacies of colonialism
Reparations are not charity or aid – but an acknowledgment of responsibility by industrialised nations that they...
Economic growth and degrowth
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionForget GDP growth, it’s sustainable wellbeing we need to aim for
An EU conference on sustainable wellbeing provided a real vision for a future that’s fairer for all
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionGDP is a useless measurement. But what should replace it?
As the planet burns and living costs swell, the need to stop chasing short-term economic growth is clearer than ever
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Published in:ourEconomyGreen growth vs degrowth: are we missing the point?
It’s time to stop talking past each other and unite against the real enemies of environmental justice.
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Published in:ourEconomyGrowing pain: the delusion of boundless economic growth
Gambling on a future of continued economic growth is a bad bet with long odds and extremely high stakes.
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Published in:ourEconomyThe degrowth delusion
To abandon growth is to declare an end to progress. Socialists must reject the politics of eco-Thatcherism.
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionThe case for degrowth in a time of pandemic
The time is ripe for us to refocus on what really matters: not GDP, but the health and wellbeing of our people and...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionRo Khanna: ‘Freedom’ has been hijacked by the Right. Let’s take it back
The Silicon Valley Congressman says the US Left should tap into the legacy of FDR’s Economic Bill of Rights
Tax
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Published in:ourEconomy33 policies for tax equality
This election provides an opportunity to tax wealth more, curb tax avoidance and improve the administration of the...
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Published in:ourEconomy: AnalysisThose who have prospered during the pandemic should pay more in tax
We need a tax system that supports a fair recovery and keeps pace with the economic changes that have been...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionCOVID-19 has made the super-rich richer. It’s time for a billionaire wealth tax
The US’s billionaires have amassed democracy-distorting concentrations of wealth and power as millions have been...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionUnitary taxation of multinationals: what it is and why it matters
Corporate tax avoidance is costing countries $100-240 billion a year in lost revenue. The case for a new approach is...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionWhy the UK needs a Financial Transaction Tax
Claims that a Financial Transaction Tax would be difficult to implement and raise little revenue are fake news.
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionIf the UK government is to deliver on its promises, it must be willing to raise taxes
Tackling inequality and climate change will require higher levels of public spending. The Chancellor can't avoid...
Green New Deal
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionProtecting Our Common Home: A Green New Deal for Scotland
Scotland has the opportunity to be a world leader on solving the most pressing issue of our time. Here's how it can be done.
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Published in:ourEconomyTo salvage multilateralism we need a Global Green New Deal
It's time to reclaim the policy space lost to footloose capital by creating a new public realm at the global level.
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Published in:openDemocracyUKA ‘Green New Deal’ needs to be global, not local
Rather than focusing just on ‘green jobs’ for British workers, a Green New Deal must recognise the UK's climate debt...
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Published in:ourEconomyWhy we need publicly owned energy for a Green New Deal
Rapidly transitioning to a zero carbon future requires a publicly owned energy system centred on democratisation and...
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Published in:ourEconomyA Transatlantic Proposal for a People-Powered Green New Deal
Tackling the climate crisis requires public ownership of the energy sector in both the US and UK.
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Published in:ourEconomyWith temperatures at record highs, Europe urgently needs a Green New Deal
Green investment in heating, electricity and transport would help trigger a transformation of every area of Europe’s economy
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionIt’s time to talk about a feminist green new deal
Building back better requires building back differently. We need a ‘rainbow recovery’.
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionScotland must use its devolved powers to turbocharge a green recovery
Instead of squabbling over irrelevant statistics, the Scottish Parliament should unite behind a bold programme of...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionEurope’s flooding shows why the green transition must be driven by people-power
It’s time to stop viewing people as victims of environmental breakdown, and start viewing them as an essential part...
Banking and money
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Published in:ourEconomyBuyouts, not bailouts: public banks as a solution to the next crisis
When the next crisis hits we must reject corporate bailouts and demand a permanent public takeover of failing banks.
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Published in:ourEconomyWhy central banks need to take human rights more seriously
It's time that central banks developed a better understanding of the social and environmental impacts of their decisions.
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Published in:ourEconomyWhy it's time to abandon the myth of central bank independence
Monetary policy should serve the interests of people and planet, not free market ideology.
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Published in:ourEconomyA green and just transition requires democratized public banks – Costa Rica style
Public banks have far greater financial capacity than we think. We need to harness it for the good of people and planet.
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Published in:ourEconomyBanking for the many
A new public banking ecosystem would breathe new life into communities that have long been neglected.
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Published in:ourEconomy: AnalysisInstead of solving cost of living crisis, Sunak is backing dodgy NFTs
As millions are financially struggling, Sunak has shown where his priorities lie by instructing the Royal Mint to issue NFTs
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Published in:ourEconomy: AnalysisTúmin: the alternative currency rebuilding community in Mexico
People across Mexico are increasingly using Túmin to support local businesses and challenge monopoly capitalists
Care and wellbeing
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Published in:ourEconomyBuilding a wellbeing economy
Meeting the challenges of the 21st century means ending the pursuit of perpetual growth, and building an economy...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionFinancialised care is crumbling. How can workers shape what comes next?
By building power in the workplace, trade unions could be the crucial agent in de-financialising care and the...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionAfter COVID-19, we need a new social guarantee
The most disadvantaged have borne the brunt of the pandemic. We need a 21st-century safety net based on people’s...
Work and welfare
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionOur ancestors worked less and had better lives. What are we doing wrong?
In an age of both untold prosperity and existential crisis, it’s time to rethink work
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Published in:ourEconomyWork and free time: a new social settlement
The policies of post-war industrialism are no longer fit for purpose. We need a radical new approach that secures...
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Published in:ourEconomyWhy ‘Universal Basic Services’ is no alternative to Basic Income
It's time for advocates of ‘Universal Basic Services’ to stop juxtaposing the idea of more and better public...
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Published in:ourEconomyA shorter working week isn't a luxury – it's an ecological necessity
Working less wouldn’t just free ourselves to spend time doing the things we love: it could be the key to staying...
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Published in:ourEconomyHow to fix the UK's safety net: a four-point plan
Offering more debt isn’t good enough. It’s time to guarantee incomes for all, look after renters and protect the...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionWhy we need an income guarantee for all
A consensus is emerging around the idea that everyone should have access to a guaranteed income to get through this crisis.
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionAfter the pandemic: a ten-point plan for the collective provision of basic needs
The coronavirus has made the foundational economy highly visible. Policy makers need to focus on these essential...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionFinland has shown why a response to pandemic should involve Basic Income
A Basic Income would not be a panacea, but it could be part of a bridge to a new social contract between citizens...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionWe want to give everyone in Britain £400 a month – no strings attached
A Resilience Universal Basic Income would guarantee economic security for every household in the UK as we recover...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionThe time for a four-day week has arrived
A new experiment from Iceland confirms what many of us have long suspected: reducing working hours improves...
Democratic ownership
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Published in:ourEconomyDemocratic ownership: a primer
Who owns and controls the wealth of nations is fundamental to how an economic system functions, and in whose interests .
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Published in:ourEconomy: AnalysisCentrica’s profits prove our energy system is built for shareholders
OPINION: We need a publicly owned clean energy system, not one built to maximise fossil fuel firms’ profits
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Published in:ourEconomyA Transatlantic Proposal for a People-Powered Green New Deal
Tackling the climate crisis requires public ownership of the energy sector in both the US and UK.
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Published in:ourEconomyEveryone should be able to own their workplace – not just the lucky few
Why should the benefits of worker ownership be limited to the few that are lucky enough to work for enlightened capitalists?
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Published in:ourEconomyHow a communist mayor is defeating privatisation in Chile
The municipality of Recoleta has created an open university, public housing projects and popular pharmacies.
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Published in:ourEconomyWater should be a public good, not a commodity. Catalonia is showing how
The Terrassa Water Observatory puts citizens in the driver's seat of water management.
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionHow a programme for public ownership can bridge the political divide
There have been dramatic swings lately in Britain's politics of public services. The future holds opportunities.
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionTo make public ownership truly democratic, we need to transform the state
The new UK Labour leadership should not abandon the party's commitment to economic democracy.
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Published in:ourEconomy: Analysis7 ways policymakers should respond to the cost of living crisis
To win an economy that works for people and planet, we need a new approach to inflation
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionNation-states are destroying the world. Could 'bioregions' be the answer?
From the border regions of South Asia to the Amazon rainforest, people are seeking new ways to organise societies...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionShell needs to be dismantled. Here’s how
Don’t be fooled by Shell’s green rebrand. The company is still deeply undemocratic and destroying the environment
Big tech
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Published in:ourEconomyBuilding a digital commonwealth
We need to rethink how data and digital infrastructure is governed, owned and used.
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Published in:ourEconomyBeyond high-tech patriarchy
What would it mean to reorient innovation policy away from hi-tech industry, and towards those who toil in its shadows?
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionBread, Roses and Broadband too?
Publicly owned fibre networks don’t just mean free WiFi. From energy grids to smart transport, they will be the...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionHow to make AI work for people and planet
Whether AI will be a weapon of social injustice or an agent of positive change depends on the stories we choose to weave.
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionDemocratic digital infrastructure must be at the centre of a just recovery
Covid-19 has exposed the UK's stark digital divides. It's time to embrace a full-fibre future based on a new...
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Published in:ourEconomyCreating the digital commons after COVID-19
The pandemic has accelerated the growth of the data economy and the digital giants who dominate it. It's time to...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionThe US is taking on its corporate monopolists – now the rest of the world must follow
As Joe Biden’s administration starts to challenge the democracy-warping powers of giant multinationals, Britain and...
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Published in:PodcastsourVoices Episode 1: Whose data? Our data!
In the first episode of ourVoices we explore the rise of big tech, and imagine a future where our data is used to...
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Published in:ourEconomy: OpinionZuckerberg’s metaverse is a natural extension of capitalist extraction of our data
To build a better future we need to confront Big Tech and reject the enclosure of the virtual
