The Politics of Time

Guy Standing’s books have, over the years, pieced together a necessary political and intellectual agenda for defending commons that are still standing, for re-commoning realms that privatisation has wrecked, for liberating workers from the morality of pious drudgery and, most importantly, for introducing a progressive version of basic income for all. His Politics of Time is a splendid and timely addition to this body of important work – Yanis VaroufakisUrgent and forensic, Guy Standing’s examination of our relationship with time is a not just an historical tour de force but a passionate call to action. His compelling arguments for a new progressive politics of time which reclaims time for commoning – shared and collaborative activity for the common good - culminate in an exhilarating final chapter setting out a practical manifesto for a Progressive Alliance Government. This is required reading for anyone concerned with how to build a better future – Caroline LucasWith his trademark panache, Guy Standing presents us with a whistlestop tour of time that is both enlightening, and in its current implications, frightening, until the final chapter! – Danny DorlingInnovative and thought-provoking as always, Guy Standing’s insights into how time is a deeply politicized and unequally distributed resource make compelling reading – Kate PickettWhy should “industrial time,” or labourism, dominate our lives, sowing stress, alienation, and mental illness, when we could live richer, more satisfying and integrated lives as commoners? Guy Standing has performed a great service in writing this political history of our experience of time. With clarity and rigor, he explains how capital has structured our time and culture – and how commoning in its many forms could emancipate our lives, consciousness, and communities – David BollierA thrilling and radical manifesto which seeks to rehabilitate the ancient Greek concept of schole (or purposeful leisure) for a new age – Tom Hodgkinson

Guy Standing has held professorships at Bath, London and Monash universities, was a programme director in the UN’s International Labour Organization and has advised many international bodies and governments on social and economic policies. He co-founded the Basic Income Earth Network and is now its co-president. He is author of The Precariat, Basic Income, Plunder of the Commons and The Blue Commons.