The Economic Alternative: The politics and policy of a fair economy

The Fabian Society has published a new pamphlet, “The Economic Alternative” a collection of essays emerging from the successful New Year Conference 2012.

Responding to Ed Balls’ announcement at the Conference that any Labour government in 2015 is likely to have to retain coalition cuts, Fabian Society General Secretary Andrew Harrop said:

“So far there has been ambitious rhetoric about a different sort of capitalism, but the substantive proposals are small beer.

“Where I quarrel with Ed Balls is not over his realistic stance on the public finances post-2015. It is that he is not balancing this message with a radical short-term programme proportionate to the scale of the economic troubles we face, including a state investment bank, major tax cuts and a significant job-creation scheme.

“Collectively Labour’s reforms must amount to a shifting of the rules of the game to more balanced economy growth, more equal distribution of rewards, and different terms-of-business.”