Welcome to the first installment of this week long blong mini-series to celebrate the publication of our new article in the Journal of World Affairs, titled “A Difficult Start for the UK Labour Government, But Time Is Still on Their Side.”
Gwilym, H., Beck, D. J., Jones, E., Ellis, D., & Closs‐Davies, S. (2025). A Difficult Start for the UK Labour Government, But Time Is Still on Their Side. World Affairs, 188(3), e70003.
You can read the whole article (open access in the link above).
In this article, and discussed over this mini-series, my co-authors and I take a critical look at the first 12 months of the UK Labour Government. We argue that despite high hopes, the government has stumbled—particularly in the areas of social policy, and in its response to the growing threats posed by automation and AI-driven job displacement.
But this isn’t just a critique. We also explore how Labour can turn things around. Our central thesis is that innovative social welfare policies, such as a Universal Basic Income (UBI), could offer a bold and transformative path forward.
🔍 What to Expect This Week
To dive deeper into the ideas behind our article, several of the authors have written a personal blog post expanding on their section of the paper. These posts will be released daily at 10:00 AM, starting tomorrow. Each blog will offer a unique perspective—from economic implications to ethical considerations, policy design, and political feasibility.
Then, on the final day, we’ll wrap up the series with a 30-minute podcast featuring several of the authors. In this conversation, we’ll go beyond the page to discuss our motivations, disagreements, and hopes for the future of UK policy.
🎙️ Why This Matters
This series is more than just an academic exercise. It’s a call to think critically about the future of work, welfare, and governance in the UK. As AI and automation reshape our economy, the choices we make now will define the kind of society we become.
We hope this series sparks conversation, challenges assumptions, and inspires new thinking—whether you’re a policymaker, researcher, or simply someone concerned about the future.
Stay tuned, and thank you for being part of this journey.
David Beck, Hefin Gwilym, Dave Ellis, Ed Jones & Sara Closs-Davies
