On funding, I attended an economics conference last year and heard, among others, Lord Robert Skidelsky speak.
Now Keynesianism is not socialism.
But he gave an illustration of how the basic Keynes model could work in the economy as of then (June 2012).
You borrow - and this is the ideal time to do so, with very low interest rates - and (his illustration) you train up a host of unemployed people to insulate homes. You pay them a living wage - and undertake a mass insulation programme.
You mprove housing that exists and help people tackle their bills - and cut emissions.
You reduce the number of unemployed and pay them enough they are themselves paying tax, but - and this is crucial - spending in local economies.
You therefore boost local economies - and therefore the national economy.
Recent research has suggested that, if the living wage were paid more widely, it could create something like 50,000 jobs precisely because of the knock-on effect on local economies.
All of which saves on the benefits bills - and you're getting something for it.
Now, change that from Skidelsky's illustration to building housing. That in turn would reduce the housing benefits bills, which is so high simply because it's primarily now paid to private landlords who charge as much as possible.
There were some 30,000 deaths last winter due to the cold, apparently - mostly down to inadequate heating - and you cut that too. So you save on health and related issues.
To reiterate what has been said before: at the end of WWII we were in massive debt, but borrowed to invest, and thus created the prosperity of the 1950s and beyond.
And to repeat: Keynes was not a socialist and The economic school names after him is not socialist.
On the wider issues, we need to tackle the unelected and unaccountable power of the City, which as has been discussed here in recent weeks, promotes and pushes for unsustainable growth, while companies that are not listed, such as Richer Sounds and John Lewis are excellent examples of successful businesses that do not need to go down the City route, and also tat their staff in a better way than many that choose that route.
