The New Skills Agenda: Does it Do Enough?
The European Commission has just published its so-called New Skills Agenda. I welcome this initiative as it addresses many of the challenges of tomorrow’s labour
A New Economic Paradigm To Fight Populism
If the polls tell the truth, 86 percent of the Austrian blue-collar workers voted for the right-wing populist Norbert Hofer in the Austrian presidential elections in May.
Trade Union Recipe For A Strong Economy And Workers’ Rights
The Commission’s latest so-called Country Specific Recommendations on strengthening the European economy show a slightly greater emphasis on social issues: a welcome (if inadequate) shift,
Brexit, Labour Rights And Migration: What’s Really At Stake
The final days of the UK referendum debate look set to be dominated by social policy, centred on the question of migration, but not confined
Immigration Benefits Are Underestimated
Immigration seems to be a very good thing if you look at economic research, and not just in terms of benefits for public finances in
Brexit and the Globalization Trilemma
I have not written much on Brexit because I do not have a strong or particularly well-informed view of it. My personal hope is that
I Am Scottish, British And European And Happy To Remain So
I am Scottish, British and European and happy to remain so. I am, mostly, proud of all these things. I left Scotland more than 40
Remain And Renegotiate! How To Stop The Brexit Bandwagon
Three Labour figures — Tom Watson, Ed Balls and Tristram Hunt — have, in the past 24 hours, called for a revision to the EU free movement rules. This
The Decline Of The European Empire
While Europe was engrossed in facing up to the Euro crisis, all around it the greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War was deepening.
What A Wonderful New World: The Sharing Economy
The European Commission has just issued a communication on “A European agenda for the collaborative economy” (02.06.2016). The Commission considers this term ‘collaborative economy’ as
Brexit’s Economic Consequences: Austria And Switzerland As Potential Counterfactuals
In the UK currently there is a heated debate between those who want to stay in the EU and those who want to leave the
The Brexit Paradoxes – Energy
The Brexit debate is a paradox. The motivations are political, but most of the argument has been about economics. The case for Brexit has been
Confronting The Global Threat To Democracy
Across the world, populists are attracting votes with their promises to protect ordinary people from the harsh realities of globalization. The democratic establishment, they assert,
Universal Basic Income: a disarmingly simple idea—and fad
Universal basic income is a disarmingly simple idea based on a disarmingly simple premise. The digital revolution threatens massive technological unemployment; ergo, every citizen should
Simple Arithmetic Shows Why Basic Income Schemes Cannot Work
Swiss voters decided in a referendum on June 5 whether to introduce a “basic income”. In proposed reforms to the social welfare system, all residents would be
Going Beyond The Headlines To Find Out What It Is Really Like To Live And Work In Europe
Brexit dominates political debate, migrants stream through borders, social protection systems are collapsing, changing forms of work are corroding conditions, unemployment levels remain high and
The Worldwide March To Basic Income: Thank You Switzerland!
June 5, 2016 will be remembered as an important landmark in the worldwide march towards the implementation of unconditional basic income (UBI) schemes. All Swiss