The bard celebrates two other fine practitioners of the art, and laments a lost brewer
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Who profits in a crisis?
WILL PODMORE appreciates the argument that profits are driving inflation and making living costs unaffordable
St Mungo's workers protest outside the homeless charity's head quarters in Tower Hill, London, as they begin a month long strike over pay on May 30, 2023
This right-wing conspiracy theory is used to justify the coercive measures against gender, race and labour rights that best serve capitalism, attests GAVIN O’TOOLE
KENNY MONROSE recommends a new exhibition that highlights the significance of Black British music
ANGUS REID is bowled over by an exuberant film about the making of Keith Jarrett’s legendary concert
MARIA DUARTE, FIONA O’CONNOR and ANDY HEDGECOCK review Savage House, Enzo, Madfabulous, and Erupcja
CHRIS SEARLE recommends a work of love and deep admiration for a great musician
The Cost of Living Crisis (And How to Get Out of it)
by Costas Lapavitsas, James Meadway & Doug Nicholls, Verso, £7.99
COSTAS LARAVITSAS is professor of economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, James Meadway is an economist and a member of the Council of the Progressive Economy Forum, and Doug Nicholls was, until very recently, the general secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions.
In this excellent little book, they explain very clearly and simply that the current “cost-of-living” crisis is caused by the permanent austerity — poverty — policy of successive governments. It is Thatcherism: all power to private capital.
MPs and commentators harp on about an imaginary inflationary “wage-price spiral,” but since 2010, we have suffered wage stagnation, a “lost decade” almost unprecedented in our history. Inflation was on the rise before anybody went on strike to defend their living standards.
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