Class Launch Seminar: Towards 2015 - Strategies for Jobs and Growth
Our first high-level seminar will aim to energise debate around jobs and growth in the UK. With Britain in recession and the tide turning against austerity in Europe, we will be developing the economic and social arguments against austerity and for growth.
The seminar will feature three sessions on the themes of 'growth not austerity', 'an active government in the economy' and 'a fair economy'.
Sessions will be looking at active industrial policies and the role of the state, the economic case for pursuing growth policies and not austerity, financial reform and regulation, the need for progressive taxation and policies to tackle inequality in the new economy.
Download the delegate pack here - note there were some last minute changes to the presentations
Seminar Outline
10.00 am Registration
10.30 am Welcome and opening speech from Len McCluskey, Unite the Union
Session One – Growth not Austerity
10.40 am Presentation: Prof Malcolm Sawyer, Leeds University Business School - Fiscal austerity: the ‘cure’ which makes the patient worse. Unfortunately audio recording is unavailable for this presentation due to a technical problem
11.00 am Presentation: Dr Stephanie Blankenburg, SOAS - Priorities to give democratic growth a chance.
11.20 am Presentation: Prof Costas Lapavitsas, SOAS - Is there a future for the Eurozone? - unable to attend
11.50 am Panel discussion: led by Seumas Milne, Guardian
12.30 pm Break for lunch
Session Two – An Active Government - Industrial Policy and Financial Reform
1.15 pm Presentation: Duncan Weldon - A British Investment Bank
1.35 pm Presentation: Ann Pettifor, PRIME - How can government finance the fiscal stimulus needed for recovery?
1.55 pm Panel discussion: led by Tim Roache, GMB Regional Secretary
Session Three – A Fair Economy
2.30 pm Presentation: Richard Murphy, Tax Research UK - Towards a new tax consensus: embracing progressive taxation.
2.50 pm Presentation: Angela Mason, Fawcett Society - An Economy to Tackle Inequality – Getting it right for women.
3.10 pm Panel discussion: led by Zoe Williams, Guardian
Closing Discussion
3.45 pm Owen Jones and Jon Trickett MP – chaired by Steve Hart, Class
4.30 pm Close of Seminar
