The RSA Blog

Broken Britain, Unhappy Britain: Charles Taylor to the Rescue?

Blog

27 Sep 2011

In my continuing trawl through various bits of political philosophy, to discover whether we have misunderstood freedom by focusing too much on external constraints at the expense of internal constraints, I have now read Charles Taylor’s 1979 essay What is Wrong with Negative Liberty? Taylor’s argument is primarily philosophical but, it seems to me, it has wider resonances which make it worthy of closer consideration today.

Is it time for an independent fiscal policy?

Blog

26 Sep 2011

Back in 1997, Gordon Brown gave the Bank of England independent control over monetary policy.  A move Labour has used ever since to display their economic credibility.

After the elections: Britain in the 2010s is getting eerily similar to the 1930s

Blog

06 May 2011

A financial crash followed by a serious recession that leads to a crisis in public finances resulting in a cost-cutting coalition government that ultimately leaves everyone but the Conservative Party in the political wilderness.  And all set in a context of geo-political uncertainty driven by civil strife and violence in parts of the world with huge military and economic importance.  A pretty good description of the way things are going now but an equally good one for the early 1930s. 

The Hole at the Heart of Red Tory and Blue Labour Thinking

Blog

26 Apr 2011

Lots of stuff in the press in recent days about Maurice Glasman - the Blue Labour answer to the Red Tory Philip Blond. 

The end of an era

Blog

12 May 2010

Matthew Taylor

It is a new era. As regular readers will know, I have been told to keep political commentary to a minimum on this site but as it feels like a turning point for me too maybe I can be excused one more time.