Overview: resisting welfare state restructuring in the UK

The UK Coalition government's cut-backs and restructuring of the welfare state imply considerable risks for citizens and for its own economic legacy and re-election prospects. They form part of a larger strategy to set the UK political economy on an entirely new path. This article reviews current proposals and shows that any viable alternative programme must be eclectic and must accept that some parts of a good welfare state cannot be justified on practical economic or human capital grounds, but must be included because they are good in themselves.