Progressive politics finds itself in an incredibly testing era. The accelerating economic, social and political shifts put vast pressure on progressive movements. Being electorally challenged by the conservative right and the radical left they struggle to appeal to voters or bear the fruits of their time in government. The coming decades offer both great opportunities - the chance for entrepreneurs to develop new, efficient and innovative businesses creating jobs, economic growth and high returns on investment - and high risks, especially for unskilled workers from traditional industries and routine services, placing significant strains on existing social security systems. The centre left imperatively needs to develop a progressive policy offer and narrative that puts social modernisation and a positive vision of the innovation economy at the centre. This special Policy Network volume offers fresh analyses and reform proposals for the centre left in Europe and worldwide. It brings together a wide array of authors and ideas focusing on institutional change, new policies and political narratives to meet the challenges of progressive governance in a high-opportunity, high-risk era.

Shining a light on the very different experiences of work in the digital age, this book provides a unique contribution to the reform discussion on the consequences of the fourth industrial revolution. Drawing on a wide range of international expertise, contributors examine important policy challenges arising from the transformation of work as a result of the introduction of digital technology at work. Authors in this volume discuss the effects of automation, platform business models, stagnating productivity, increasing regional disparities, and rising levels of inequality within and between countries. They consider how to unlock the vast economic and social potential of new technologies and the implications for policy reform to meet these challenges. Mastering them requires developing a new inclusive narrative and progressive reform agenda. Such an agenda would be economic and political, and not determined universally by technology. The narrative is not only about what policymakers need to do, which is rather a lot. It is also about reforming established organisations and institutions, understanding new emerging players and supporting disaffected citizens in how the effects of these changes are going to affect their lives. The authors clearly pinpoint what needs to be done to support the transition to work in the digital era.