So much needed is currently not even on politicians’ menus.

Sir, Tim Harford, desperately writes: “It is curious that the Labour party that frets so much about taxing the rich is so careless about reaching the poor… Tory policy on Brexit is nothing more than a string of Orwellian catchphrases: “strong and stable”, “smooth and orderly”, “deep and special”. Freedom is slavery; ignorance is strength… For this disheartened voter, ignorance would be bliss.” “The menu of politicians and policies is inedible” May 3.

I am not a UK voter but, if one, I would also be tempted to reach out to some form of motivated ignorance. But that said, if there is something that really drives me mad (besides the so stupid risk weighting of bank capital requirements), in the UK and everywhere, is the little interest given to prepare for the structural unemployment that is advancing day by day.

For instance, a Universal Basic Income could be useful to help guarantee social cohesion when unemployment rates go over certain limits, but it might do little to help mend any social cohesion that has already been lost.

In Labour or Tory party, who is working for the decent and worthy unemployments that will be, or are already needed?

@PerKurowski

Any party named Labour has a major difficulty deciding on its future in these days of robots and automation.

Sir, I know too little about British politics to venture myself into commenting on Janan Ganesh’s lamentations in “Labour saunters into history’s mausoleum” February 27.

But, that said, just like unions now face having to make their minds up about whether to try to unionize robots or not, a party named “Labour” must think about what to do if, some couple of years down the line, the non-workers represent a significant majority among voters. Could Labour call itself “The Not Working Workers Party” or “The Idle Labourers Party”? Anyway I am sure they could and will come up with something better.

What is clear though is that the fighting for raising the minimum wages, only to give robots a better chance to grab the jobs days are over, and does not constitute a viable political option for the future.

A Universal Basic Income scheme, one which could provide all non-workers with a stepladder to better reach up to the gig-economy, could still be an alternative; although that could mean tearing the party apart, as a UBI would significantly diminish the franchise value of the party’s redistribution profiteering members.

P.S. We sure need decent and worthy unemployments

@PerKurowski