Great Britain?: How We Get Our Future Back

This is a really clear and concise summary of the current state of the UK. It is unflinching in its diagnosis of the problems we face, and which ones really matter to people’s lives. But it also has practical ideas for ways to make things better, and examples of ways to make really tangible progress for the next government. Very readable and accessible as well.

This book came out shortly before its author was elected as an MP in the Labour landslide. Bell has been an influential thinker on the left for a number of years, so this is well worth a read.For me, the first half of the book was better than the second. He is upfront about the decline that Britain finds itself in. This is not a new phenomenon, that's been growing for decades. But the refusal to confront or even accept it is one of the critical factors. Our politicians and media have been in denial about what's happening. Perhaps that will start to change.His analysis of what's happened to housing, the economy, education etc etc makes sobering reading. And some of it is fascinating. There is a narrative that "we don't make things anymore", but we do - just different things. The Scotch whisky industry is a massive success story, as are the creative industries (video games, movies).The main thing that becomes apparent is the fissure between the young and the older generations. Things are so much harder for them than they were for my generation (I'm in my 50s) or my parents.The potential solutions are less satisfying. Some of it is obvious - we need to build more homes, we need to be less short termist, we need to invest much, much more in the long term. The short termism of the stock market and investors is driving short term profit chasing rather than long term benefits. But it's not exactly the clear vision and set of solutions I was hoping for.So it's worth a read, but I'm not sure it quite sets out "how we get our future back"

This basically answers all the discussions that you might have had with colleagues and friends as to why average young to middle aged people's living standards (ours in this case!) are in long-term decline in the UK. Compares with other OECD countries (which is quite depressing). And then suggests practical remedies for reversing this trend. Fascinating read. Until it's laid out in bare facts how much we have lost compared to other countries you don't realise how awful the last 15 years has been. Have already got someone who wants to borrow it.

Excellent book, Torsten: congratulations!

I've been reading/listening to Bell for quite a while, in interviews and articles. He seems to be intelligent, articulate, and is able to quite accurately describe the current economic and social state of the UK (or the state it was in before Labour took over; the book was written beforehand).Given the work Torsten has done with the Resolution Foundation (to advocate for the millions of Brits on a low income/in poverty), I had high hopes for this book. I thought he seriously cared about the poor, yet this year, he left his position as Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation to take on the role of being a Labour MP for Swansea (I don't believe he's even from Swansea).I care deeply about those individuals and families in the UK who struggle to make ends meet. How can this be happening? Of course, it's a very complex issue, and one for which The Tories are very much to blame. The Tories were a disaster, but Labour have only been in power for a little over 100 days and are destroying the country like a forest fire. Despite their promises, I'm watching Labour act on the contrary and dismantle the country.Again, the author of this book, one of the guys that presented himself as a defender of the poor, has now, it seems, abandoned them. Was his care for struggling Brits just an act? If he wants to be taken seriously, he should either leave the party or speak up against Labour's policies before it's too late.I don't know if I'll finish the book now as I'm not sure I still believe in the author's integrity. Bell voted to take away the Winter Fuel Allowance from many grannies and grandads. So, if your wee granny is freezing this winter, reach out to Torsten on X. He might get back to you (read "might" in italics). On the other hand, maybe the prestige of being an MP suits him better.Maybe save your money, guys. If there's one thing I've learned, it's to take what a politician says with a grain of salt.