A growing number of voices are calling for the Labour Party to separate the idea of social progress from the ideas of money and public spending. It can’t be done – the Labour Party needs to talk about money unless wants to give up the goal of a fairer society
First published here on Labourlist
Like it or not, the Labour Party needs to talk about this
Us Brits are supposed to go all coy at the mere mention of the word. But I’m getting a bit sick of being told to stop talking about money.
The latest effort, by Labour MP Gregg McClymont and academic Ben Jackson, calls on Labour to avoid “a simple defence of the public sector and public spending.” Instead, Labour should focus on growth policies which aren’t going to need “significant” amounts of extra public moolah. (Incidentally, despite their conclusions, their historical analysis is well worth a read.) Blue Labour academic Jon Wilson also said earlier this month that we in the Labour Party needed to get over our “money fetish.”