LEAP Red Papers March 2010: Breaking the Cuts Consensus

The March 2010 LEAP Red Papers: Breaking the Cuts Consensus are published today in advance on the Budget Statement on Wednesday 24th March.

In this edition of the papers, John Grieve Smith argues that the pre-election cuts consensus is driven by misplaced obsession with the budget deficit, and that such cuts would be damage the economy. The 'misplaced obsession' could be countered by an international, government-led mechanism for pricing and trading public sector debt, argues Gordon Nardell.

An alternative to the cuts consensus, based on tax justice and public ownership, is argued for by Andrew Fisher, while Gerry Gold explains why neither the solutions offered by neoliberals nor Keynesians can solve the global crisis.

Graham Turner argues that the crisis in the UK is exacerbated by the decline of manufacturing, on contrast to other countries that have had a clear manufacturing strategy, while Jerry Jones tackles another election issue – migration – arguing that trade union rights are the solution to exploitation and under-cutting.

As John McDonnell MP concludes, no party is adequately addressing these issues because none want a more democratic system

Download the papers in full.

New LEAP Red Papers - The Recession Budget

To coincide with the 2009 Budget - New Labour's first during a recession - LEAP has published its April 2009 Red Papers: The Recession Budget.

As we face the worst recession for a generation, and if Ed Balls is to be believed "more extreme and more serious than that of the 1930s", what is left in the pot for those feeling the effects of the recession: the unemployed, the repossessed, the low waged, the indebted?

It is clear that many are asking 'Where’s our bailout?', and with good reason. For years we were told there was no money to pay for student grants, to restore the pensions link with earnings, to invest in council housing or to reduce inequality. Yet when the banks collapsed through a combination of greed, incompetence and government negligence, the UK taxpayer could be indebted for decades to rescue the lame ducks of neoliberalism.

• Graham Turner on how US policy is damaging the global economy
• Professor Gregor Gall on the faux-Keynesian consensus and what socialists should be arguing for
• Jerry Jones on defending jobs and the case for direct action
• Andrew Fisher on economic insecurity and inequality in recession
• Paul Feldman & Gerry Gold on the G20 and what it should have done
• Richard Murphy on the campaign against Tax Havens post-G20
• John McDonnell on why we need to build a vision of a new economy

Download the April 2009 LEAP Red Papers 'The Recession Budget'.

Update: Read John McDonnell's article on Guardian Comment is Free.

New LEAP Red Papers: 'The Economic Crisis'

This new set of Red Papers looks at 'the Economic Crisis' - no longer a credit crunch in the financial sector, but a full blown economic crisis, with global recession looming.

Contributions in this pamphlet include: Jerry Jones on the origins of the crisis, Graham Turner looking at the effect on pensions; Gerry Gold and Graham Turner looking at the revival and invocation of Keynesianian economics; Richard Murphy, Gordon Nardell and Jerry Jones looking at how to change the banking system; while Prem Sikka and John McDonnell look at how to change the system in the interests of people.

You can download the new Red Papers for free.