Intelligence Squared How to fix a country, with James Plunkett
Nov 2, 2021
James Plunkett, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Citizens Advice and former advisor to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, dives into his new book, 'End State: 9 Ways Society is Broken.' He discusses the pandemic's impact on job security, advocating for a human-centric approach to welfare. Plunkett also explores innovative ideas like Universal Basic Income to combat inequality. The conversation touches on the need for ethical policy-making and learning from historical crises to navigate today's challenges, urging a collaborative and visionary approach to societal change.
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Book's Origin
- James Plunkett's book idea originated during his time in 10 Downing Street amidst the 2008 financial crisis.
- A meeting between Gordon Brown and Tim Berners-Lee highlighted a disconnect between 20th-century government and the emerging 21st-century digital economy.
Job Polarization
- The labor market is polarizing, with growth in high-paying and low-paying jobs, but a decline in middle-income jobs.
- Economists predict growth in caring jobs, 'last mile' jobs (serving the wealthy), and 'wealth work' (supporting the rich).
Disconnect in Opportunity
- Plunkett's work with Citizens Advice reveals a disconnect between low-paid workers and economic opportunity.
- Uber exemplifies this, employing both low-paid drivers and high-paid software engineers, with limited upward mobility.
