Resolution Times Christmas Special

Morning all,

It’s the last working day before Christmas (Eve)* and so reading through the best economics research papers of the week is hopefully not at the top of your to-do list.
If it is, don’t worry – you can get help for that. For the rest of you we’ve got a selection of Top of the Charts-approved films and books to get you through the week with the in-laws. If you’re really desperate for inspiration the books might even help you fill that last present gap – for your third uncle, twice removed.
To make things extra special you’ll find our Resolution Foundation Christmas card to you all below – Merry Christmas.

Torsten Bell,
Director, Resolution Foundation

* unless of course you work in retail, in which case good luck to you in the seventh circle of hell this weekend.

Films to watch. Those who say you can’t combine comedy, Christmas and inequality obviously haven’t seen Trading Places (1983). But if you’re more interested in real life Hull than made up Philadelphia, and missed our recent film screening, then you should definitely check out the award-winning film A Northern Soul (2018) on the BFI player. As well as bringing out the reality of life on a low wage, it reveals a community togetherness that feels all too absent in Westminster right now.

There are of course any number of fictional films that act as allegories for inequality, all of which carry the danger of mawkishness and the fetishising the working class hero. But there are some genuine gems out there too. For those who like a bit of Italian neo-realism, you can’t do better than Bicycle Thieves (1948) – a poignant reminder of how those living close to the edge can all too quickly tumble over the side, whether that’s in Britain today or post-war Italy. Babylon (1980) centres less on economic and more on social – and especially racial – divides, charting a week in the life of a south London sound system crew.

For those of you old fashioned enough to still be watching normal channels there’s lots on offer this Christmas. Like The Muppets (2011) at 10am on BBC on 22 December. Obviously it’s fun, but it has a heart too. Now if only there were some way of linking the Muppets to our current political circumstances… For those who care about intergenerational issues as much as we do, Up (2009) is a must watch. It’s on BBC1 at 3.25pm on 23 December, and will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. In fact, if you don’t cry, we can no longer be friends. Turn to BBC1 at 5pm on Christmas Eve for the evergreen Mary Poppins (1964) which pretends to be about flying nannies and the importance of valuing childhood, but is of course in reality a subversive critique of modernity. And how better to kick the old year into touch than by settling down to watch the wonderful Paddington (2014) at 5.40pm on BBC2 on 30 December? It’s another brilliant film with a not-too-hard-to-spot hidden message, this time in relation to the importance of welcoming strangers. Even if you’re firmly against strangers, it’s about a cuddly bear. Come on.

You’re probably thinking why on earth I haven’t recommended everyone’s favourite Christmas film It’s a Wonderful Life yet. That’s because shockingly it is not on terrestrial TV. This is a BBC outrage that can unite Andrew Adonis and Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Books to read. If books are more your bag, possibly as last minute gifts, (economic) horror fans will enjoy Crashed by Adam Tooze. It’s jam-packed with forensic detail (and examples of outrageous complacency) on the financial disasters that have shaped the last decade, and with his take on where that’s left our politics. Short it is not, but you’ve got all Christmas… If you’d prefer a deep dive into the very midst of the financial crisis back in 2009 then The Fed and Lehman Brothers: Setting the Record Straight on a Financial Disaster by Laurence Ball sets out in painful detail why the US authorities could (and should) have saved Lehman Brothers and avoided triggering the acute phase of the crisis…

If you’re more of a fan of John Steinbeck try Janesville by Amy Goldstein – the award-winning reportage story of how the people of Janesville, Wisconsin have weathered a turbulent decade. An excellent companion to Adam Tooze, particularly for those more interested in the lives of auto workers than the decisions of central bankers. While I’m on about Steinbeck, obviously anyone who hasn’t read The Grapes of Wrath should do so – not least for a reminder of what economic change can mean for people and their families. Oh and it’s wonderful.

If you’re after an enjoyable farce, try Why we get the wrong politicians by Isabel Hardman. It includes rare and well-argued defence of politicians themselves – which we could all do with a reminder of these days. If you want a far less readable and contemporary take on the issue of why we get certain politicians you can return to Max Weber’s Politics as a Vocation. The very last page has a poignant reflection on the values sought in a politician – someone who can combine their value-based objectives with taking responsibility for all the complexities and trade-offs that delivering on them brings. Obviously there are no lessons for our politics today.

Finally, one of the big consumer trends of recent years has been the decline of the high street. Where affected retail workers go next is a question we’ll be exploring with research in early 2019. One of the obvious options – serving our growing online retail industry – has taken a reputational hit this year. To read about working conditions in some of these firms try Hired by James Bloodworth, Humans As a Service by Jeremias Prassl or Seasonal Associate by Heike Geissler, which shows that this is also happening in highly regulated continental Europe. You can engage in your very own moral dilemma about whether to buy these from an actual bookstore or Amazon (or for the indecisive among you an online halfway house between the two).