Rachel has written a guest blog feature for the Campaign for Science and Engineering. It argues that we need to support the growth of new industries and jobs to develop a broader based economy.

The right decisions are vital to secure the support for industry that will secure opportunities and jobs for a generation, and the planned Conservative withdrawal of government support would condemn us to economic stagnation.

Labour are the party committed to providing economic innovation that protects jobs and a range of industries, modernising the economy to unlock the investment that will support and protect families and businesses in the future.

The blog is for the Campaign for Science and Engineering, on their website dedicated to the General Election Campaign, which you can access here

Rachel has written about the Chancellor's Pre-Budget Report. Focusing on support for small businesses, tackling youth unemployment, boosting the low carbon economy and reducing the deficit, the PBR drew clear battle lines ahead of the next general election, offering voters a stark choice on the economy.

Progress

Rachel co-signed a letter to the Daily Telegraph, published on 7th December, which called on the Chancellor to take measures in the Pre-Budget Report that will secure the recovery for which the government has worked so hard, rather than slash public spending.

You can read about it here.

Ahead of the Pre-Budget Report, Rachel explains why the biggest challenge facing the country is delivering sustainable development and growth. Alistair Darling should use the Pre-Budget Report to explain why Cameron and Osborne would take us deeper into recession, given the chance.

You can find the article at the New Statesman

After 11 weeks of rubbish piling up, normal bin service resumed this week in Leeds. The striking refuse workers accepted a deal that would protect their salary, when 11 weeks before they were facing massive cuts.

Rachel has written about the costs of the strike at LabourList

What does David Cameron's flowery pledge to set the voluntary sector free to flourish actually mean on the ground, far away from his wealthy comfort zone?

Labourlist

"Although we have faced a global economic recession, the lasting routes out of it will be local and regional. Every region must have a strategy for re-building and re-balancing its economy, based on local strengths and comparative advantages. Although national policies for supporting the macro-economy are critical, jobs and industries need a local framework."

Progress Online

I was selected by Leeds West Constituency Labour Party through an All Women Shortlist (AWS). In this piece at www.guardian.co.uk, I defend the use of AWS when it is supported locally.

Guardian Comment is Free.

In a Young Fabians pamphlet, I talk about what it means to be progressive, how progressive priorities have changed in the last ten years and the future for progressive politics.

You can access the "new progressives" pamphlet, at the Young Fabians website, here.

Re-building the economy in the wake of the credit crisis and recession is not going to be easy. But, if we want to build the jobs for the future, the Government have an important role to play in supporting investment and skills. In this paper, I set out how that could be achieved.

ipp, read more...

Strategic government support for industry is needed to build a more sustainable employment base and ensure a speedy recovery to full employment

Yesterday’s unemployment figures show that 2.4 million people are now unemployed. So, although bank profits may be recovering, the labour market continues to deteriorate. Unemployment is set to continue to rise through the rest of the year and probably for the first half of next year too. The full human cost of the recession is still to be felt as the number of people out of work climbs towards three million.

Progress Online, 16th July 2009, read more...

Today’s white paper ensures we will not go back to the days of light-touch regulation

It was August 2007 when the edifice of the financial services model began to crumble. The term sub-prime loans entered the lexicon, swiftly followed by special purpose vehicles, collateralised debt obligations and the Libor rate. Today’s white paper, unveiled by Alistair Darling ensures we will not go back to the days of light-touch regulation, however much the bankers might like to return to business as usual.

Progress Online, 8th July 2009, read more...

This year’s UN climate change conference is a chance to take urgent action, say Andrew Pakes and Rachel Reeves – but securing a deal will be tough

The road to Copenhagen is paved with good intentions and competing demands for what should be included in the new treaty on global warming. The UK government has set a high bar for success, building on its own ambitions in the Climate Change Act for an 80% cut in emissions by 2050. Following on from April’s G20 summit in London, which achieved international agreement on measures to rebuild the global economy, the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen in December is a chance to rise to the urgent challenge of tackling global warming.

Progress, read more...