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Jose Tomas Labarca

@jtlabarca.bsky.social

880 followers 660 following 26 posts

INT Academic Career Development Fellow, University of Cambridge | British politics, Political economy, Economic/Historical sociology, Latin American politics | https://www.josetomaslabarca.com/

www.josetomaslabarca.com

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Jose Tomas Labarca @jtlabarca.bsky.social · Mar 27

New article in Political Quarterly: "Towards a (Minority) Shareholder State? The Labour Government's Fiscal Framework"

doi.org/10.1111/1467...

@campolis.bsky.social

Towards a (Minority) Shareholder State? The Labour Government's Fiscal Framework

This article explores the politics of the fiscal framework launched by the Labour government in October 2024. Relative to the trajectory of fiscal frameworks in the UK since fiscal rules were first i...

doi.org

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Reposted by Jose Tomas Labarca

Benjamin Alvarez @benjalvarez1.bsky.social · 2d

"The Tiny Desk has witnessed some pretty legendary guitar solos. Shrouded in fog, this one opens with some shred played by a puppet. Only the deeply beloved 31 Minutos could pull off such a dramatic feat, even at the Desk." youtu.be/UEqTIwRrWvA?...

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Jose Tomas Labarca @jtlabarca.bsky.social · 27d

I really think it is an excellent piece. It tells the specific story of CEPG (relevant in itself as it is) while also situating it within its broader context and discussing wider implications. Congrats!! I'm glad I finally got to read it properly.

Jose Tomas Labarca @jtlabarca.bsky.social · 27d

This truly is an excellent article. 👇

Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · May 22

I'm thrilled to have been published in Past & Present.

Diving into the fractious politics of rich-country macroeconomics after 1973, I use the neglected case of protectionist Keynesians to rethink what happened, and why. I highlight statecraft, geopolitics, and Maier's 'territoriality'. (1/2)

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Jose Tomas Labarca @jtlabarca.bsky.social · 27d

"Los hombres y los pueblos sin memoria de nada sirven, ya que ellos no saben rendir culto a los hechos del pasado que tienen trascendencia y significación; por esto son incapaces de combatir y crear nada grande para el futuro".

Salvador Allende, C Diputados, 1939.

Allende vive.

Jose Tomas Labarca @jtlabarca.bsky.social · 28d

👏👏👏 Congrats, Ilias!

Reposted by Jose Tomas Labarca

Jo Michell @jomichell.bsky.social · 29d

As far as I can tell, and as you would expect, NIESR do not mention a "50bn black hole" anywhere in their report or commentary. Who is the BBC quoting here? No indication of where the phrase has come from, or what it refers to. Nor is there a link to the interview. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Rachel Reeves rejects claims of £50bn ‘black hole’ in finances

The chancellor hit back at the idea that the government faces so large a gap between spending and tax income.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Dom White @domw.bsky.social · Sep 2

Three things to note on Gilts:

i. The 30yr yield is historically quite elevated at 5.6%, the 10yr at 4.7-4.8% is a bit more normal - levels that were typical in the 2000s. What's (possibly) different is it was also normal for the economy to grow at 2.5% real, 5% nominal back then.

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Neil Warner @neilwarner.bsky.social · May 5

I have a new article out on wage-earner funds, a famous attempt at economic democracy in Sweden in the 70s & 80s. It explores the funds' defeat, emphasising the issue's stronger resonance with businesses compared to workers & the Social Democratic Party
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

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James Wood @thinkwoodist.bsky.social · Aug 12

How do federal and state governments drive innovation in the US? My new paper @cjres.bsky.social shows how the 'Polycentric Innovation State' with multi-level, place-based policies is reshaping regional growth in places like Michigan and Maine

academic.oup.com/cjres/advanc...

The US’ Polycentric Innovation State

Abstract. This paper analyses US innovation policymaking since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, as prevailing political economy accounts, such as the Vari

academic.oup.com

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Jose Tomas Labarca @jtlabarca.bsky.social · Aug 15

What a game. And what a legend Mo is. On and off the pitch.

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Joe Sarling @joesarling.bsky.social · Jun 1

Great. As ever, this actually isn't about 'Green Book reforms' but much more about 'clearly stated strategic policy objectives *as set set by ministers* that form the basis for any objective appraisal of projects'.

But, granted, that's much less catchy.

Rachel Reeves to announce billions in regional spending after Treasury rule changes

Extra investment lined up for schemes such as energy projects, roads and rails outside London and south-east

www.theguardian.com

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Diane Coyle @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social · May 30

I had to read this several times as “prioritise growth” and “hit universities over the head” are so mutually contradictory

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · May 30

'Universities will be lucky to avoid being “completely hit over the head” in the UK government’s upcoming spending review as ministers look set to prioritise plans for growth – which could eat into core research funding – and save higher education reform for a later date.' 1/3

Universities face ‘tough’ spending review after brutal few months

Potential reprioritisation of parts of research budget could heap pressure on institutions already counting cost of immigration and tax changes

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Ian Fraser @ianfraser.bsky.social · May 25

The Telegraph has deleted the seemingly made-up article titled “We earn £345k but soaring private school fees mean we can’t go on five holidays” featuring “Al & Alexandra Moy” from its website... but, if interested, you can access an archived version here. h/t @alanrew.bsky.social

archive.is/s1GPF

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Diane Coyle @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social · May 22

The early evaluations of Sure Start were rather negative - it took a long time for benefits to appear. Sometimes government has to do the right thing whatever Treasury assessment says, as there’s enough broad evidence about early years interventions

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Department of Politics & International Studies, Uni of Cambridge @campolis.bsky.social · May 19

🏭💪💲 We have a few spaces left for this week's lecture on carbon politics, American power, and the almighty dollar with Mark Blyth, a political economist and Professor at Brown University, in this upcoming event titled "Burning Down the House".

Register now: www.eventbrite.com/e/burning-do...

Jose Tomas Labarca @jtlabarca.bsky.social · May 18

This is such a great book. Highly recommended! 👏👏👏 @jonathanpjwhite.bsky.social

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Omar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · May 6

It's obviously some time ago, and other things have changed, but the most negative period of public attitudes was over the 1960s and 1970s, when net migration was *negative*

Chart showing UK public attitudes to migrants or migration since 1960. Over 75% negative from 1960s-80s, then declining to 50% by 2000. Late 2010s suggest minority of public with negative attitudes, dropping below 25%, tho rising since

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Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · May 3

Every now again it’s useful to repeat advice about accessing papers that are behind a paywall that excludes you. Email the author. My estimate is that 90% of academics are so thrilled that a living, breathing, possibly even reading, person shows interest that they will swiftly send you a copy.

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Joint Center for History and Economics @historyecon.bsky.social · May 3

Please join us on Tues 6 May at 5pm when Emile Chabal (@emile-chabal.bsky.social) will be speaking at the History & Economics Seminar (jointly with the Modern European History Seminar). Magdalene College, Cambridge. Click for further info & abstract.
www.histecon.magd.cam.ac.uk/seminar_chab...

EMILE CHABAL

Transition, revolution, modernity: (re)thinking capitalism with Eric Hobsbawm

www.histecon.magd.cam.ac.uk

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Jose Tomas Labarca @jtlabarca.bsky.social · May 3

@jdportes.bsky.social do you know anything about this? “of the 108,000 people who claimed asylum in the UK in 2024, 16,000 held a student visa.” Who are they? Also: shouldn’t this mean there are 16k asylum applications denied? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Labour targets international students claiming asylum after losses to Reform in local elections

Exclusive: Ministers understood to be drafting white paper this month in move to reduce legal migration

www.theguardian.com

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Political Quarterly @politicalquarterly.bsky.social · Apr 28

"Spending, tax, borrowing, and debt numbers... often take on the role of key standards for policy appraisal and debate... The means of policy commonly become the very goals governments want to achieve."

@jtlabarca.bsky.social on Labour's fiscal framework

Towards a (Minority) Shareholder State? The Labour Government's Fiscal Framework

The fiscal framework launched by Labour in October 2024 represents a contradictory enterprise.

politicalquarterly.org.uk

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Miranda Green @greenmirandahere.bsky.social · Apr 27

They like Farage but don't share his hostility to net zero. And they worry about the whole, you know, possible racism thing *uptalk for this bit*. Illuminating new research from @steveakehurst.bsky.social on "Reform-curious" Labour voters and a host of policy dilemmas www.ft.com/content/deb2...

What makes ‘Reform-curious’ Labour voters so hard to woo back

Downing Street fears Starmer will lose support to Farage but imitating him will alienate other groups it needs on side

www.ft.com

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History & Policy @historyandpolicy.bsky.social · Apr 30

The recent establishment of the UK’s Office of Value for Money is the latest attempt to identify “efficiency savings” in government. Yet as @mrweatherburn.bsky.social argues in a new policy paper, similar efforts in the past have been fraught with difficulties. historyandpolicy.org/policy-paper...

The Gospel of Efficiency: DOGE and the UK Office of Value for Money in historical perspective - History & Policy

The establishment of the UK’s Office of Value for Money (OVfM) in late 2024 was accompanied by a claim that this new initiative would be ‘informed by lessons learned from the past’. Yet these lessons ...

historyandpolicy.org

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Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · Apr 30

Public investment in the UK has lagged behind average OECD levels for over two decades.

Read more ➡️ buff.ly/iPgoNzv

It is only
relatively recently that the UK has surpassed the public investment levels of even low
investors such as Germany and Italy.

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On a clear day @icanseeforever1.bsky.social · Apr 25

This moment when the penny drops that trying to implement bathroom bans is an impossibility for the former Tory Chief Secretary Simon Clarke is delicious.

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