Emeritus Prof Christopher MayMar 18

Zack Polanski is about to put his head above the parapet on the Green Party of England & Wales' economic policy.... we can expect there to be be quite a lot of push back despite much of the policy being pretty uncontentious in economic terms....

What will likely create the most noise are the proposals to shift fiscal rules (again) & to equalise tax rates on capital gains with those on income (highly welcome in my view).

The game is on (as they say).

#Greens #economics
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/18/basics-of-life-in-britain-have-been-sold-for-profit-says-polanski

‘Basics’ of life in Britain have been sold for profit, says Polanski

Exclusive: England and Wales Greens leader outlines economic policy including help to meet rising energy costs and water re-nationalisation

The Guardian
Show threadChristine Burns MBE 🏳️‍⚧️📚⧖Mar 18
@ChrisMayLA6 I was struck by how the generally amiable Rory Stewart really went for Polanski over his (at that time) unfinished economic policy ideas when RS and Alaistair Campbell interviewed him in depth for their ‘Leading’ podcast. Over time I’ve come to view RS as more left-leaning than he’ll admit to himself but something about Polanski’s ideas really upset him and brought out the fiercer Tory side because what Polanski talks about really undermines a cross party orthodoxy in UK.
Show threadChristine Burns MBE 🏳️‍⚧️📚⧖Mar 18
@ChrisMayLA6 To me, as someone without any orthodox economic grounding, I find Polanski’s broad brush ideas refreshing even though I know that exposes me to accusations of naivety and of succumbing to Polanski’s skill as a populist of the left. I’m cautious because I recognise Polanski’s success is that he’s harnessing the tricks of the populist right to advance a leftist policy agenda, but his economics seem to make refreshing sense. After all, the orthodoxy hasn’t been working for yrs.
Show threadChristine Burns MBE 🏳️‍⚧️📚⧖Mar 18
@ChrisMayLA6 So, what I guess I’m hoping for is that a more finished and polished economic policy agenda starts to address the easy criticisms but still adheres to the quality of being different. I know that the broad brush upsets the status quo and brings on fierce criticism but I’d like to see him win that argument.
Show threadEmeritus Prof Christopher MayMar 18

@christineburns

The thing is his ideas & prospective policies are only 'radical' as a function of the shift in the Overton Window - the approach is (at least as far as I can see at the moment) what I would call left-reformism - which of course for a while in the past would have been easily within the gamut of Labour economic policy - if not for some decades, now....

Show threadRegMar 18

@ChrisMayLA6

In the past it wouldn't have been much beyond Ted Heath!

@christineburns

Show threadEstarriol, Terrorist DragonMar 18

@ReggieHere @ChrisMayLA6 @christineburns

I think RS antipathy and much of the centrists and rights problem, is that Polanski invokes the dread shade of Keynes, who they thought they had vanquished with neoliberalism and trickledown.

Show threadSteven HeywoodMar 18

@Thebratdragon @ReggieHere @ChrisMayLA6 @christineburns
Much of his antipathy is directed at the Butskellite legacy which is held up as a model of economic decline and manufacturing loss, conveniently ignoring the significantly greater manufacturing loss under Thatcher and the shift from national economic strategy to paying homage to the bookies runners in The City for scraps given to the middle classes. This has been the new normal for so long anything other is seen as unfathomable heterodoxy and triggers a fear response in anyone right of Gordon Brown.

#UKPolitics
#UKEconomy

Show threadEstarriol, Terrorist DragonMar 18

@Stevenheywood @ReggieHere @ChrisMayLA6 @christineburns

yep. The whole bottom line number is king, without considering other kinds of value.....

Both RS and AC are thatcherite neoliberals heart.

Show threadChristine Burns MBE 🏳️‍⚧️📚⧖Mar 18
@Thebratdragon @Stevenheywood @ReggieHere @ChrisMayLA6 I love it when their orthodoxy blindsides occasionally blare out without them realising
Show threadEstarriol, Terrorist DragonMar 18

@christineburns @Stevenheywood @ReggieHere @ChrisMayLA6

Blair surely?

Show threadChristine Burns MBE 🏳️‍⚧️📚⧖
@Thebratdragon @Stevenheywood @ReggieHere @ChrisMayLA6 Definitely AC’s blind spot
Mar 18 at 12:21pmWeb