Are we at a Galileo moment in economics?

What if everything you think about money is wrong?  And does it matter for the UK economy if it is? Most people believe governments must tax or borrow before they can spend. That belief shapes every political debate, every austerity programme, and every argument that public services

Funding the Future

RobertJ:
“Imagine the following conversations, if government ministers had to confess that when they said, “we can’t afford it”, they were lying. ..

Chancellor: Austerity was unnecessary. I could have raised tax allowances in line with inflation. Interest rates could have reflected inflation rather than excessive City profits. Social security could have met genuine needs instead of institutionalising poverty.
2/5

RobertJ (imagine…):
Justice Minister: Sorry I lied about why we couldn’t have a fuctioning justice system or legal aid, or jury trials, or a better deal for victims and timely justice.

Health Secretary: I didn’t need to privatise the NHS, or freeze pay. That was just me looking after my rich donors. Sorry your relative died unnecessarily, “we all die eventually”.
3/5

RobertJ (imagine…):
Home Secretary: It wasn’t really immigration that was the problem. We just didn’t want to build the houses, or invest in the infrastructure. Sorry about all the hatred, racism and violence that shattered your communities.

Environment Secretary: Sorry about the sewage in the rivers that literally ruined your life. It was neoliberal dogma that caused it, we knew what we were doing, we just didn’t care.
4/5

RobertJ (imagine…):
Education Secretary: We could have provided for your child’s special needs. We decided not to, and then lied about it.

Journalists: Sorry we perpetuated the myth of the household analogy, the national debt and balanced budget. We preferred an easy life to telling the truth and doing our jobs properly.
5/5