Beyond incrementalism: can the politics of abundance work for the United Kingdom?

Abstract

The abundance agenda offers an important provocation to progressives, asking them to think big about the possibilities for growth and economic renewal. Developed in the context of the United States, abundance economics is also attracting some attention in UK policy circles, given the government's top-line commitment to growth, and the threat posed by the scarcity politics of the populist right. But while the abundance critique of the status quo is a powerful one, its policy prescriptions may not translate straightforwardly to the UK. Enacting economic reforms in the name of abundance may also rely on a mode of emergency politics that trades off democratic accountability for efficiency. The question for Labour is not only whether they believe that abundance is the right economic strategy, but how they can turn it into a viable political programme that takes public consent seriously, based on a narrative that invites the public to support the trade-offs it involves.