Theme: Political Economy | Content Type: Journal article

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Why the Everyday Economy is the Innovation Labour Needs

David Edgerton

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The foundational economy/everyday economy approach promises much for Labour. It is fitted for a world of crises, where control of real resources matters, and is in line with the social democratic tradition. It marks a radical break with the kind of approach which has characterised political economic policy since the 1980s (and indeed earlier). It represents an opportunity for Labour to articulate a fresh analysis, critique and policy offering. Rachel Reeves has deployed the everyday economy idea and this has found repeated expression in her speeches—and now those of Keir Starmer. And yet, the idea suggests a much more radical rethinking of policies than Labour is offering: it casts doubt on the wisdom of aiming for more growth to be achieved by unleashing start-ups, science and technology and innovation. That represents a return to conventional opinion while the foundational/everyday approach suggests a new way forward.

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    David Edgerton

    David Edgerton is Hans Rausing Professor of the History of Science and Technology and Professor of Modern British History, Department of History, King’s College London.

    Articles by David Edgerton
Volume 96, Issue 3

Latest Journal

Volume 96, Issue 3

This issue features a collection titled 'The Intellectual and Political Legacy of David Marquand', who died in April 2024, edited by Colin Crouch, Ben Jackson and Peter Sloman. In this collection, authors including Jean Seaton, Will Hutton and Hilary Wainwright consider Marquand's legacy as a great progressive thinker, his biography of Ramsay MacDonald, Labour's first prime minister, and the role of socialism for Marquand. Other articles include a commentary by Deborah Mabbett titled 'Welfare reform by numbers'; Jeremy Gilbert and Alex Williams on 'The Vices of Values: Matthew Goodwin and the Politics of Motivation'; Helen McCarthy on 'Why the WASPI has no Sting: Gender, Generation and Pension Inequalities'; and Sam Taylor Hill, Tariq Modood and John Denham on 'Multicultural Nationalism: Saving the White Working Class from Blue Labour?' A selection of book reviews feature Edmund Fawcett's review of 'Nationalism: A World History' by Eric Storm and Samuel Cohn's review of 'Controlling Contagion: Epidemics and Institutions from the Black Death to Covid' by Sheilagh Ogilvie.

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