In a time of scarce public money, Europe’s centre-left parties now face a growing resistance to redistributive policies

As Europe’s population ages and inequality increases, inter-generational distribution and redistribution are at the heart of many of today’s pressing policy problems. Michael McTernan looks at the challenges posed by austerity and the eurocrisis to the redistribution policies of Europe’s centre-left parties. He argues that they must take advantage of the public’s increasing conviction that market capitalism cannot place itself above notions of fairness, as illustrated by the recent Starbucks tax case in the UK.