Overall discussion question:
A government wishes to make the distribution of both income and wealth more equal.
Discuss whether the most effective way to achieve these aims is to tax income more progressively.
Choose articles which are of interest to you from the list below and read and make notes on them using the Investigative Journal. This will allow/help/encourage you to consider how what you are reading will help you answer the question you have been set.
Articles FOR a more progressive tax system
Now Is the Time to Tax the Super-Rich (tribunemag.co.uk)
The Tribune for "eighty years ... has been at the heart of left-wing politics in Britain".
Sunak says spring statement is ‘progressive’ in response to criticism from MPs | The Guardian
The Guardian is a left-centre source rated high for factual reporting.
Articles generally AGAINST a more progressive tax system
Calls for a much more progressive tax system are missing the point | Business | The Times
This link will take you to the article in Access Global Newsbank but if you are not on the school network, you might need a password (see box on right). If you have a personal subscription to The Times, click here.
The Times is a right-centre source rated high for factual reporting by mediabiasfactcheck.com .
That sound of pips gently squeaking will get a lot louder under Labour | Business | The Times
This link will take you to the article in Access Global Newsbank but if you are not on the school network, you might need a password (see box on right). If you have a personal subscription to The Times, click here.
The Times is a right-centre source rated high for factual reporting by mediabiasfactcheck.com .
Article offering a BALANCED perspective
UK tax system is more progressive than thought, says IFS | Financial Times
You need to be a subscriber to the FT to access this article. It is easy and free, just follow the instructions in the second box down on the right.
The Financial Times is rated 'least biased' and high for factual reporting by mediabiasfactcheck.com.
Article in support of UBI
The Guardian is a left-centre source rated high for factual reporting.
Article not in support of UBI
Universal basic income is not the answer to the welfare question | Business | The Times
This link will take you to the article in Access Global Newsbank but if you are not on the school network, you might need a password (see box on right). If you have a personal subscription to The Times, click here.
The Times is a right-centre source rated high for factual reporting by mediabiasfactcheck.com .
Articles offering a BALANCED perspective
EUROPP (European Politics and Policy) is an academic blog run by the London School of Economics and Politics. As a UK Further Education institution it is an academic source.
The case for a universal basic income | Financial Times (ft.com)
You need to be a subscriber to the FT to view this 20 min video. It is easy and free, just follow the instructions in the second box down on the right.
The Financial Times is rated 'least biased' and high for factual reporting by mediabiasfactcheck.com.
Article comparing the UK Minimum Wage to other developed countries
Minimum wage UK: How does Britain compare to the rest of the world? - The Big Issue
Article questioning the efficacy of further rises in the minimum wage
£15 UK minimum wage may not be the best way to tackle poverty | Minimum wage | The Guardian
The Guardian is a left-centre source rated high for factual reporting.
Report on the feasibility of raising the minimum wage
Ain't no minimum high enough (Resolution Foundation, November 2019)
The Resolution Foundation is a Think Tank which has been accused of being left-leaning and while it does have people from both ends of the political spectrum in senior positions it is probably true that it leans more towards the left.
Access Global Newsbank (note the need for a password for access from home) contains the full text of articles from:
UK National Broadsheets including:
as well as a range of national tabloids, local papers and international titles including foreign language editions. This can be useful for finding newspaper articles which are otherwise hidden behind pay walls.
Many of these titles are available as image editions.
If you want some help with this database, have a look at the video tutorial.
The Financial Times offers free access to school students aged 16-19 (and their teachers/Librarians). Sign up for an individual account while you are logged on using a school wi-fi (or wired) connection:
Once you have created your account, you can then use these log in details anywhere - in or out of school.
Use this journal to make notes as you read each article. One page per source.
You should make notes like this on both the Recommended Reading articles for each section. (If you choose to make notes by hand rather than on screen, use a shortened URL in the source description e.g. bbc.co.uk rather than the full URL of the article).
Once you have completed your reading for each area you can start to transfer your ideas to this summary sheet, which you will use as your notes for the Spiderweb discussion. Don't forget to explain the key Economic ideas for each area in the "basic explanation" box on the left hand side of the sheet, and highlight any key vocabulary so that you can make sure you use it in the discussion.
This sheet should be printed double sided on A3.
You may wish to use this sheet to collect a list of technical terms as you progress through this topic. You might find it helpful to have this list to refer to during the discussion.
Normal term-time Library opening hours:
Mon-Fri: 08:30-21:15
Sat: 08:00-16:00
Sun: 14:00-18:00 (Summer Term only)
Public support for a universal basic income is dependent on the way it is funded | EUROPP (lse.ac.uk)
