Inequality and the reform of a regressive local tax: the debate in the UK

The concern of this article is with the current debate about the reform of local taxation in the UK. In particular, the article examines the consideration given to issues of equity in the policy debate that has taken place through the government's ‘Balance of Funding Review’. It is argued that while the outcome of the reform process remains to be seen, the current debate indicates that decisions regarding local tax will serve as an illuminating example of the extent, and limits, of New Labour policy on tax and inequality more generally

New Labour ambiguity, or Neo-liberal consistency? The debate about racial inequality in employment and the use of contract compliance

Many historical studies, some of them comparative, have explored the foundations of welfare states and the birth of unemployment policies in Europe in the late nineteenth century. Nearly all have focused on political debate at national level. This paper bases its analysis on labour market reforms initiated in Strasbourg and Liverpool in the decades preceding World War I. It explores how bona fide unemployed workers, the proper clients of official help, were distinguished from the mass of the poor and indigent. The labour market had to be defined and organized before policies for the unemployed could be put in place. The object is to demonstrate not only how this was done, but also how different perceptions of social justice and economic efficiency influenced both the process and the outcomes of public interventions, in this instance undermining attempts to transfer specific policies from one country to another

A problem of riches: towards a new social policy research agenda on the distribution of economic resources

The distribution of economic resources in society is a central concern for social policy. But research in this area has primarily concentrated on the bottom of the economic distribution, namely ‘the poor’. In this article, we argue that it is time for social policy to move away from a narrow focus on poverty to consider the broader issue of inequality between different groups in the economic distribution and, by implication, the position of better-off citizens. This raises a number of conceptual challenges due to the current lack of consideration of wealth and inequality at a political, theoretical or empirical level. The article discusses the challenges and concludes by outlining a possible research agenda. However, the underpinning argument is that social policy needs to develop a broader understanding of the economic distribution

Building consensus across the political spectrum: designing solutions to socio-economic insecurity

Last year, Michael Orton started a debate on how we can generate solutions to the problem of socio-economic security in the UK. Now, a new report outlines the final ‘5+ Solutions’ produced as part of that conversation. These ideas come from across the political spectrum and represent the building blocks of a common ground in a bid to now bring the ideas to fruition

Locally grounded principles for a good society

There is a revival of interest in the notion of a Good Society, within the context of the search for an alternative to neoliberal hegemony, but the concept remains imprecise. One way to provide greater clarity is to focus on underpinning principles. Attempts to date have largely taken a top-down approach. This article provides a new perspective by considering principles that should underpin a Good Society from a local, grounded perspective. It draws on research with people on low incomes from Black and Minority Ethnic groups, whose voice is rarely heard in debate. Findings include differences with more top-down approaches but also points of resonance. It is argued that developing a more robust construct of a Good Society with potential for broad appeal, requires linking principles to the realities of the lives of marginalised and disadvantaged groups, and with process a key consideration

An agenda for fixing the social security/welfare benefits system

Social security/welfare benefits are a fundamental and critical element in tackling economic disadvantage but as Lister (2016) has noted, the current UK system is not preventing poverty, relieves it inadequately and the growing reliance on food banks is me rely the most visible tip of an iceberg of unmet needs. There is much criticism of the current system – from the bedroom tax to the benefits cap, and sanctions to work capability assessments – plus detailed analysis such as Spicker’s (2017) What’s wrong with social security benefits? Projections by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and others show that recent changes to benefits will contribute to increases in already high levels of poverty e.g. the Joseph Rowntree Foundation forecasts there will be 1.2 million more children in poverty by 2020. Not only this, but debate on the topic has become highly politicised and divisive, being described as ‘angry and fruitless’ (Unwin, 2013) and ‘toxic’ (Lister, 2016). Given the politicised nature of the issue, there is potential for civil society to play a leading role in moving debate on. Research (Orton, 2016) has found, however, that there is a lack of agreement even within civil society on ways forward. The research identified that on some issues e.g. housing, Early Childhood Education and Care and minimum wage levels, there is considerable consensus (within civil society) as to what needs to be done and some detailed plans for how to do it. But on the core issue of social security in relation to income that is not the case; there is apparent lack of agreement about ways forward and certainly no detailed plans as exist for other fields. Saying there is little agreement is not to suggest an absence of ideas. There are strong advocates of a n unconditional universal Basic or Citizen’s Income while others express preference for contribution - based entitlements or universal but means - tested benefits. There are different views on the importance that should be given to public services versus individual income support measures or whether to prioritise immediate issues such as the bedroom tax or longer - term changes to Universal Credit and the tax system more generally. This article reports on a project that sought to redress this by using a solutions - focused approach with emphasis on building consensus. Supported by a small grant from the Social Policy Association, the project consisted of eight deliberative workshops which tackled a very specific question: What practical, concrete steps can be taken to put the security back into social security in the short to medium term? The article is in three parts. First it explain s the project methodology. Second, key findings are presented. Third, an agenda for fixing the social security/welfare benefits system is posited

Active labour market policy in the UK : at a (local) crossroads?

Active labour market policy (ALMP) has developed into a widely used and seemingly embedded approach to addressing worklessness, both in the UK and internationally. But the future of UK ALMP looks far from certain. Some recent developments suggest demise and diminution. But at the same time there is also evidence of more positive points, including increasing recognition of the importance of employer involvement and activity a t local level. Possible future trajectories are considered in the light of emerging developments, and two potential scenarios for future UK ALMP are posited: ‘less support, more sticks’ and an ‘active local labour markets approach’

No voice, no choice : learning from a Danish case study of active labour Market policy using Sen’s capability approach

Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) are the subject of ongoing interest, which has included the framing of ALMPs as the re-commodification of labour. It has also been argued that Sen’s Capability Approach (CA) offers the potential to reconsider ALMPs from a more progressive viewpoint – so, is this the case and to what extent is, or can, the CA be a helpful research and analytical tool with which to study ALMPs? These questions are addressed through a reflexive examination of a study of Danish ALMPs, which utilized the CA and key themes of capabilities promotion, voice and choice. The CA influenced all aspects of the research design, methods and analysis. It is argued that the CA is a helpful methodology in bringing a new perspective to studying ALMPs. Additionally, the study raised concerns about the trajectory of the Danish ALMPs studied and possible alternatives to current approaches

Seasonal Variability of Saturn's Tropospheric Temperatures, Winds and Para-H2_2 from Cassini Far-IR Spectroscopy

Far-IR 16-1000 $\mu$m spectra of Saturn's hydrogen-helium continuum measured by Cassini's Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) are inverted to construct a near-continuous record of upper tropospheric (70-700 mbar) temperatures and para-H$_2$ fraction as a function of latitude, pressure and time for a third of a Saturnian year (2004-2014, from northern winter to northern spring). The thermal field reveals evidence of reversing summertime asymmetries superimposed onto the belt/zone structure. The temperature structure that is almost symmetric about the equator by 2014, with seasonal lag times that increase with depth and are qualitatively consistent with radiative climate models. Localised heating of the tropospheric hazes (100-250 mbar) create a distinct perturbation to the temperature profile that shifts in magnitude and location, declining in the autumn hemisphere and growing in the spring. Changes in the para-H$_2$ ($f_p$) distribution are subtle, with a 0.02-0.03 rise over the spring hemisphere (200-500 mbar) perturbed by (i) low-$f_p$ air advected by both the springtime storm of 2010 and equatorial upwelling; and (ii) subsidence of high-$f_p$ air at northern high latitudes, responsible for a developing north-south asymmetry in $f_p$. Conversely, the shifting asymmetry in the para-H$_2$ disequilibrium primarily reflects the changing temperature structure (and the equilibrium distribution of $f_p$), rather than actual changes in $f_p$ induced by chemical conversion or transport. CIRS results interpolated to the same point in the seasonal cycle as re-analysed Voyager-1 observations show qualitative consistency, with the exception of the tropical tropopause near the equatorial zones and belts, where downward propagation of a cool temperature anomaly associated with Saturn's stratospheric oscillation could potentially perturb tropopause temperatures, para-H$_2$ and winds. [ABRIDGED]Comment: Preprint accepted for publication in Icarus, 29 pages, 18 figure