The RSA Blog

Race to the bottom in the name of being competitive

Blog

24 Apr 2012

Here are a couple of ideas how to help our struggling economy by introducing more competition. One option is to remove legal requirements for paid annual leave. This would make people work more days thus increasing the GDP. Also, if we lifted a ban on child labour, we would have an increase of supply of cheap labour, which would make our economy more cost-effective and more competitive in the global market.

Close to the edge

Blog

23 Apr 2012

Matthew Taylor

I remember many, many years ago an announcer on a Radio 4 comedy programme starting an item like this: ‘Once, in a small village just outside France’. The subtle joke being, of course, we need to know what country a village is in before it can be narrowed down by which other country is close by.

Fair enough?

Blog

20 Apr 2012

Matthew Taylor

A comment on yesterday’s hubristically titled post focussed on the absence in my account of ‘how to save the world’ of any mention of social inequality. It is a valid criticism. But here are some things to bear in mind when we do talk about social justice.

Saving the world (part 2)

Blog

19 Apr 2012

Matthew Taylor

In my post yesterday, I made the case for a new public sphere in which the efforts of state, civil society and individuals are more effectively combined so as to narrow the currently growing gap between social aspirations (for both entitlements and values) and the trajectory on which we are now set. I promised today (thanks to those who kindly retweeted my promise) to identify the spaces in which change is required to develop this new public sphere.

What's the best age to be?

Blog

18 Apr 2012

Jonathan Rowson

I became 35 today, and have the cake and candles to prove it. It therefore felt particularly serendipitous to read the headline in the Guardian: Is 35 really the best age to be?

Saving the world (part 1)

Blog

18 Apr 2012

Matthew Taylor

Every once in a while I get the chance to restate, and in so doing refine, a core element of my case for change in the world. So it was last night when the wonderful Tessy Britton (FRSA) and Laura Billings (FRSA) invited me to an ‘Ad-hoc enquiry’ dinner at the Hub in Westminster. I was a last minute stand-in and the group of twenty or so people sitting round the table eating soup and salad were highly impressive and accomplished, so it was quite a tough gig.

Earth Hour - how to turn Fellows into 'Doers'...

Blog

17 Apr 2012

Hermione Taylor FRSA is Founder of The DoNation, a sponsorship site that replaces cash with action, aiming to actively engage people in living more sustainably. She was one of the entrepreneurs in the RSA Social Enterprise Spotlight last year, receiving invaluable support which enabled The DoNation to survive and thrive through its first year. Hermione guest blogs here about the WWF's recent Earth Hour, enabling a community of 'Doers' and the potential of the RSA Fellowship:

Driving ambition

Blog

17 Apr 2012

Matthew Taylor

As David Homewood FRSA describes in this recent RSA Comment piece, the cost of insurance is making car ownership completely unaffordable for hundreds of thousands of young people, something which is bound to be worsening problems of youth unemployment, particularly in rural areas. A few years ago, there was much hope that smart boxes in cars would solve the problem by forcing young people to drive safely and enabling insurers to reduce premiums. But the boxes have neither reduced prices nor changed behaviour sufficiently to make a difference and now only one significant insurer offers a smart box-based deal.

On reflection, Evan Davis is wonderful

Blog

16 Apr 2012

Matthew Taylor

I was delighted this morning to see the extensive coverage for an RSA report by my colleague, Dr Jonathan Rowson, called ‘Reflexive Coppers’. The report described a small scale but fascinating study of the value police offers felt they received from insights into cognitive processes and exploring ways of thinking more effectively.