Economy
We the People's Supermarket
David Barrie, advisor to and member of The People's Supermarket, on Camden's new form of co-operative enterprise
"... A key objective of the supermarket is to help families and low income groups in the community have access to food that is affordable and more locally sourced and it’s through volunteer time, expert sourcing of product and maximum use of recycled fixtures, fittings and waste that the enterprise can afford to match, if not undercut the prices of its for-profit competitors ..."
The Co-operatives Fortnight
Secretary-General of Co-Operatives UK, Ed Mayo, on the highlight of the UK's first ever Co-operatives Fortnight
"...470 people across the co-operative movement gathered in Plymouth over the last few days. With the lighthouse in view, they were treated to a Phillip Blond ResPublica masterclass in civic society..."
Emergency Budget – The Macro View
Why a rise in productive public expenditure is good for private sector growth
"... the presumed negative impact on interest rates becomes the key argument against the rise in public expenditure for non-Keynesian theorists. The oft quoted argument that excessive government borrowing – borrowing not expenditure – “crowds out” private borrowers from the credit market, is unsustainable when seen in historical context ..."
Why Britain’s Islamic Finance Industry Flopped
Junaid Bhatti appraises the state of a sector for which reform has become an urgent necessity
"...After more than a decade, Islamic finance has attracted a tiny proportion of a potential 1.5 million Muslim adults in the UK. You’d think that, by now, the Islamic finance providers would have realised that boring technical explanations and emotional blackmail may not be the most effective way to win customers..."
