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Verso Reports
The New Economy Starter Pack
Neoliberalism is dying, but its replacement is not yet born. The direction of politics over the coming years is not certain, and the left will have to win not only the political fight, but also the battle of ideas.
In this special Verso Report, developed in conjunction with Autonomy, some of the most important left-wing economists and policy makers at work today outline the new economic ideas that will shape the direction of the left in the years to come. From Labour’s “ownership agenda”, moving beyond neoliberalism’s fixation on private ownership towards collective ownership of society’s productive assets, and the position of unions in society, to plans to reduce the time we all spend at work, and new ecological imperatives for the entire economy, The New Economy Starter Pack is a vital resource for those who want a wide-ranging introduction to the new and transformative economic agenda of the left.
Contributors include: James Meadway, Kyle Lewis, Alice Martin, Mathew Lawrence, Cat Hobbs, Will Stronge, Dave Ward, Luke Hildyard, Howard Reed, Laurie Laybourn-Langton, Julian Siravo, and Grace Blakeley.
In this special Verso Report, developed in conjunction with Autonomy, some of the most important left-wing economists and policy makers at work today outline the new economic ideas that will shape the direction of the left in the years to come. From Labour’s “ownership agenda”, moving beyond neoliberalism’s fixation on private ownership towards collective ownership of society’s productive assets, and the position of unions in society, to plans to reduce the time we all spend at work, and new ecological imperatives for the entire economy, The New Economy Starter Pack is a vital resource for those who want a wide-ranging introduction to the new and transformative economic agenda of the left.
Contributors include: James Meadway, Kyle Lewis, Alice Martin, Mathew Lawrence, Cat Hobbs, Will Stronge, Dave Ward, Luke Hildyard, Howard Reed, Laurie Laybourn-Langton, Julian Siravo, and Grace Blakeley.
45 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 25, 2020
A compilation of great ideas but could do with more meat and interconnection
November 17, 2019
“if institutional investors like Blackrock, who manage billions of dollars’ worth of other people’s assets, have become some of the most powerful entities in the international economy, then the creation of a democratically-owned and run alternative could be a revolutionary project for a socialist government.”
This book is available FREE to download from Verso at the time of writing.
Snappy highlights to prepare us for the 2019 election debates. Just 55 pages, with chapters of three to five pages each, never losing track of the fundamental points. Brevity turns out to be a virtue here, rendering the complex arguments of contemporary political economy into a lively, accessible summary.
In a political environment dominated by the negativity of Brexit, Farage's weird crew of cut price fascists and all the uncouth ignorance of Trump, still under the cloud of Thatcher's There-is-no-alternative, it is suddenly permitted to talk creatively and idealistically about the practical challenge of building a better world.
Labour's offer to the UK electorate is breathtaking, nothing less than a refutation of the neoliberal ideology which has paralysed our economy and immiserated a large section of our population. The elements of this strategy have been coming into shape in the past decade as academic and practical thinkers have learned the lessons from past failures and translated them into concrete and perfectly realistic plans for a future that is democratic, inclusive and sustainable.
Labour has shown the courage to challenge the dominant dogma of this age. It has attracted the largest membership of any party in Europe and they are out on the doorsteps of Britain, not following the polls but changing them. This little book is an invaluable resource for the campaign.
many of the arguments put forward in opposition to the four-day week were the same as those championed by employers arguing against a five-day week at the start of the 20th century.... We need to reclaim the idea that the time and space that work occupies in our lives is a political choice rather than an economic necessity.
1 in 6 workers today are in insecure or precarious jobs and earn less than the independently calculated Living Wage.
Building an economy that works for all of us will therefore require transforming the company from being an engine of wealth extraction and non-democratic power to a generative, purposeful, and inclusive institution, one where workers have a genuine stake and say and where we all share in the wealth we create in common. Fundamental to this must be a deep institutional turn in the ownership and control of the company.
...a central mechanism of the policy – the issuance of new shares to employees – is already common place. Investor guidelines recommend companies issue up to 10 per cent of their equity to employees over ten years. However, senior executive cannibalise existing employee share issuance practices, amplifying inequality without building up a collective ownership stake. FTSE100 company accounts show that directors currently hold an estimated £20.7 billion pounds of shares in the companies that employ them.
After all, if capitalism is in part a set of exploitation rights related to assets – from the landlords right to extract rent to the right of shareholders to control a company and its surplus – then a post-capitalist political economy will be anchored in new arrangements of ownership and control that deepen and extend social and economic freedom and prioritise generative forms of enterprise.
The ‘one per cent’ take nearly 15 per cent of total income, according to research from the University of Essex. It was only about 6 per cent in the late 1970s.
The chief argument against a maximum pay ratio relates to the supposed difficulties of filling senior management roles that would result from lower remuneration. This assumes that the executive class responsible for a lamentable productivity record, flat economic growth, amongst the worst inequality in the developed world and countless corporate scandals are so uniquely talented and irreplaceable that the country would fall apart without them.
As we shift to new patterns of work (like shorter weeks) we need to re-think the way we design and use urban space. Addressing demographic challenges in the built environment will be integral in developing sustainable and social practices of everyday life.
This book is available FREE to download from Verso at the time of writing.
Snappy highlights to prepare us for the 2019 election debates. Just 55 pages, with chapters of three to five pages each, never losing track of the fundamental points. Brevity turns out to be a virtue here, rendering the complex arguments of contemporary political economy into a lively, accessible summary.
In a political environment dominated by the negativity of Brexit, Farage's weird crew of cut price fascists and all the uncouth ignorance of Trump, still under the cloud of Thatcher's There-is-no-alternative, it is suddenly permitted to talk creatively and idealistically about the practical challenge of building a better world.
Labour's offer to the UK electorate is breathtaking, nothing less than a refutation of the neoliberal ideology which has paralysed our economy and immiserated a large section of our population. The elements of this strategy have been coming into shape in the past decade as academic and practical thinkers have learned the lessons from past failures and translated them into concrete and perfectly realistic plans for a future that is democratic, inclusive and sustainable.
Labour has shown the courage to challenge the dominant dogma of this age. It has attracted the largest membership of any party in Europe and they are out on the doorsteps of Britain, not following the polls but changing them. This little book is an invaluable resource for the campaign.
many of the arguments put forward in opposition to the four-day week were the same as those championed by employers arguing against a five-day week at the start of the 20th century.... We need to reclaim the idea that the time and space that work occupies in our lives is a political choice rather than an economic necessity.
1 in 6 workers today are in insecure or precarious jobs and earn less than the independently calculated Living Wage.
Building an economy that works for all of us will therefore require transforming the company from being an engine of wealth extraction and non-democratic power to a generative, purposeful, and inclusive institution, one where workers have a genuine stake and say and where we all share in the wealth we create in common. Fundamental to this must be a deep institutional turn in the ownership and control of the company.
...a central mechanism of the policy – the issuance of new shares to employees – is already common place. Investor guidelines recommend companies issue up to 10 per cent of their equity to employees over ten years. However, senior executive cannibalise existing employee share issuance practices, amplifying inequality without building up a collective ownership stake. FTSE100 company accounts show that directors currently hold an estimated £20.7 billion pounds of shares in the companies that employ them.
After all, if capitalism is in part a set of exploitation rights related to assets – from the landlords right to extract rent to the right of shareholders to control a company and its surplus – then a post-capitalist political economy will be anchored in new arrangements of ownership and control that deepen and extend social and economic freedom and prioritise generative forms of enterprise.
The ‘one per cent’ take nearly 15 per cent of total income, according to research from the University of Essex. It was only about 6 per cent in the late 1970s.
The chief argument against a maximum pay ratio relates to the supposed difficulties of filling senior management roles that would result from lower remuneration. This assumes that the executive class responsible for a lamentable productivity record, flat economic growth, amongst the worst inequality in the developed world and countless corporate scandals are so uniquely talented and irreplaceable that the country would fall apart without them.
As we shift to new patterns of work (like shorter weeks) we need to re-think the way we design and use urban space. Addressing demographic challenges in the built environment will be integral in developing sustainable and social practices of everyday life.
December 20, 2019
Great - and free!
February 8, 2021
Petit livre gratuit de la maison d'édition Verso Books qui offre une belle introduction à quoi pourrait ressembler une économie durable et socialiste.
November 26, 2023
Small but mighty.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews