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‘In this short book Jon Cruddas upends the assumptions of the modern left and offers a route back to relevance. Anchored in the moving story of loss, humiliation and resilience in Dagenham, he revives an exiled political tradition to restore the prospect of dignity and hope. In a time when we’ve briefly remembered the value of work, Cruddas reminds us there is nothing inevitable about the future. Surely among the most important political works of the coming decade, The Dignity of Labour offers the first, genuinely original answer to the question we are frequently asked: what is Labour for?’
Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary
‘Humane, intelligent and accessible. This wonderful book shows that dignity for workers must be at the heart of the post-Covid economy – and shape the future of work itself. A must-read for everyone on the left – and far beyond.’
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress
‘This is one of the most important books written during the long interregnum since the 2009 financial crisis. It offers a deeper diagnosis than any binary analysis by showing how liberal democracy allied to capitalism commodifies work and incubates authoritarian populism. A must-read for everyone interested in the future of social democracy and political pluralism.’
Adrian Pabst, Professor of Politics at Kent and author of The Demons of Liberal Democracy
‘At a time when many are proclaiming the end of work, Jon Cruddas makes a compelling, inspiring case for renewing the dignity of labour. He shows how technological determinism has narrowed our sense of what politics can be and led the Labour Party astray. Ranging brilliantly across economics, ethics, politics, even film, this humane and hopeful book points the way to a new politics of the common good. It is essential reading for everyone who cares about repairing our civic life.’
Michael Sandel, author of The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?
‘This book seeks to re-establish Labour as the party of work. It is an ambitious and essential read for anyone interested in how our movement can rebuild.’
Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party
Dedication
To Anna and Emmett
The Dignity of Labour
Jon Cruddas
polity
Copyright © Jon Cruddas 2021
The right of Jon Cruddas to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in 2021 by Polity Press
Polity Press
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Cambridge CB2 1UR, UK
Polity Press
101 Station Landing
Suite 300
Medford, MA 02155, USA
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-4080-8
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Cruddas, Jon, author.
Title: The dignity of labour / Jon Cruddas.
Other titles: Dignity of labor
Description: Medford : Polity Press, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “The 21st century’s greatest scholar-politician unpicks the degraded politics of contemporary work and advocates an alternative”-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020039536 (print) | LCCN 2020039537 (ebook) | ISBN 9781509540785 (Hardback) | ISBN 9781509540792 (Paperback) | ISBN 9781509540808 (ePub)
Subjects: LCSH: Labor--Moral and ethical aspects--Great Britain. | Labor--Religious aspects--Catholic Church. | Labour Party (Great Britain) | Marxian economics--Great Britain. | Great Britain--Politics and government--21st century.
Classification: LCC HD4905.3.G5 C77 2021 (print) | LCC HD4905.3.G5 (ebook) | DDC 331.01/3--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020039536 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020039537
The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this book are correct and active at the time of going to press. However, the publisher has no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content is or will remain appropriate.
Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition.
For further information on Polity, visit our website: politybooks.com
Preface
Dignity is the type of big word favoured by popes and presidents. For George W. Bush it framed bioethical challenges and Barack Obama the pursuit of international human
