Social mobility: new reporting coming but what is the real objective?
The phrase “social mobility” is one I still don’t like. It is too much like that other inside-politics phrase “street furniture”. … Read the full post »
The Spirit Level
Read about The Spirit Level, a book by Richard G. Wilkinson and Kate Pickett which argues that greater equality makes life better for everyone.
The problem with social mobility
Nick Clegg often talks about social mobility, but is it the right focus for the party’s social efforts? … Read the full post »
The Challenge of Affluence
Avner Offer’s The Challenge of Affluence starts with certainty and ends with doubt. “Affluence breeds impatience, and impatience undermines well-being”, states Offer at the start of Chapter 1. That theme runs through the book to his conclusion, but the lessons he draws from it are not as simple or confidently stated. … Read the full post »
Capitalism as if the world matters: Jonathon Porritt’s prescription for sustaintability
Jonathon Porritt’s Capitalism as if the world matters has played an important part in arguing the case that capitalism and sustainability go together. … Read the full post »
The Liberal Democrat challenges for 2011: defining and explaining economic fairness
Getting the substance on economic fairness right is and should continue to be a top priority for the Lib Dems. … Read the full post »
How does The Spirit Level withstand a critic?
The success of Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett’s The Spirit Level in setting the terms for much political discussion unsurprisingly triggered a burst of publications taking a sceptical look at their case. … Read the full post »
Book review: The Spirit Level – Why equality is better for everyone by Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett
Wilkinson and Pickett argue that widespread inequality helps increase a huge range of social ills, with the result that everyone suffers – even the most well off. Inequality in their view isn’t just bad for the poor, it’s also bad for the rich. … Read the full post »