The Wage-Price Spiral Is a Myth
The government and the Bank of England have joined forces to force workers to pay for the cost of living crisis – but it’s profiteering, not wage demands, which is driving inflation.
225 Articles by:
Grace Blakeley
Grace Blakeley is a staff writer at Tribune and the host of our weekly podcast A World to Win.
83. Half-Earth Socialism w/ Troy Vettese and Drew Pendergrass
This week, Grace speaks to Troy Vettese and Drew Pendergrass about the problems with proposed technological solutions to climate breakdown — and how neoliberals are responding.
82. The TikTok-ification of Colombia’s Election w/ David Adler
This week, Grace talks to David Adler about the ongoing Colombian presidential election and what the results of its first round say about the role of social media platforms like TikTok in the global political discourse.
Shipping Chaos Is the Latest Sign that Capitalism Is Eating Itself
Capitalism rests on a network of privately-owned infrastructure, with shipping at its heart – but now the industry is in chaos as the profiteering of rentier corporations sends the world system into meltdown.
81. Pandemic Political Economy w/ Sahil Dutta and Nick Taylor
This week, Grace talks to Nick Taylor and Sahil Dutta about the politics behind the economics of COVID – and how the pandemic and current cost-of-living crises are likely to reshape the world going forward.
80. The Roots of Britain’s 50-Year Drug War w/ Kojo Koram
This week, Grace talks to Kojo Koram, lecturer in law at Birkbeck and author of The War on Drugs and the Global Colour Line. They discuss Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s plan to conduct a review on the legalisation of cannabis, the roots of criminalisation, the neoliberal roots of the war on drugs, and why decriminalisation will save lives.
The Coming Debt Crisis
By raising interest rates, the Bank of England has made it harder to repay the mountain of household debt built up during the cost of living crisis – leaving millions exposed to even more unsustainable bills, writes Grace Blakeley.
80. Turning the Earth into Money w/ John Bellamy Foster
This week, Grace talks to John Bellamy Foster, professor of sociology at the University of Oregon and editor of Monthly Review. They discuss Marx’s theory of nature and the relationship between humanity and nature under capitalism.
79. The Radicalism of Hope w/ Mikaela Loach
Grace talks to brilliant young climate campaigner Mikaela Loach about her work trying to shut down oil production in the North Sea, taking the government to court over fossil fuel subsidies, and the best ways to organise among Gen Z!
78. War and Inter-Imperialism w/ Barnaby Raine
Grace is joined by Barnaby Raine, co-author of a recent essay analysing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They discuss how a world-historic crisis of capitalism is fuelling the growth of nationalist and neo-fascist movements around the world, what that means for world politics, and how the left should respond.
77. Against Ecofascism w/ Sam Moore
In the latest episode, Grace talks to Sam Moore, co-author of The Rise of Ecofascism: Climate Change and the Far Right, about how the climate crisis is being weaponised by reactionaries – and how the left should respond.
No Country for Young People
From record rents to punitive tax hikes and skyrocketing student loan rates, Britain’s elite is forcing young people to pay the cost for economic crisis – and it won’t stop until they organise to fight back.
76. Who Benefitted from Britain’s Empire? w/ Kojo Koram
Grace talks to Kojo Koram, who teaches in the School of Law at Birkbeck College, about who benefitted from the days of Britain’s formal empire, how imperialism continues to this day, and why the right are so keen to keep the culture wars alive.
Higher Wages Are the Only Solution to the Cost of Living Crisis
The cost of living crisis is causing the biggest fall in living standards in decades – and the only way to turn the tide is to fight for wage increases across the economy.
75. Foodbank Britain w/ Sumi Rabindrakumar
On this week’s podcast, Grace talks to Sumi Rabindrakumar of the Trussell Trust about the roots of the cost of living crisis, who’s being worst hit, and what could be done to tackle it.
Landlords Must Be Defeated
Landlords raised rents by the highest percentage ever in 2021. More than 1,200 people died while homeless in the same year. It’s time for tenants to organise – and take back housing from the profiteers.
74. Imperialism and the Energy Crisis w/ David Wearing
This week, Grace chats to David Wearing, author of ‘AngloArabia: Why Gulf Wealth Matters to Britain’, about Boris Johnson’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia and the UAE – and how the energy crisis will transform world politics.
Inflation Is Political
Rising inflation is driving the cost of living crisis, but it isn’t an act of God. It’s the result of policy decisions that favour the rich — and socialists need to have an alternative.
73. The War on the Poor w/ Alfie Stirling
This week, Grace and Alfie Stirling, Chief Economist of the New Economics Foundation, look ahead to the Chancellor’s spring statement – which looks set to contain very few of the measures needed to tackle the cost of living crisis.
72. The Cost of Living Crisis w/ Gary Stevenson
This week, Grace speaks to Gary Stevenson of Gary’s Economics about the cost of living crisis – where’s it coming from, who’s paying for it, and what can we do about it.