The post-Second World War simple system of social democracy and organized labour has fragmented massively, but just because people aren't organized in workplace trade unions doesn't mean they aren't in associations with other people - work-based, place-based, culture-based, sport-based, faith-based - there's a bit of an old rainbow coalition argument.

When we do work in places like China and Vietnam, research tends to be really effective as a way of getting change, whereas in more open places, mobilization and the creation of public pressure through the media often seem to be the things we try.

I keep coming back to the phrase "Dance with the system" - not just march onwards no matter what happens.

Lots of people in the open system are very determined to try and strengthen evidence-based policy.

There's a diversion between economic reality - integration, global village, everybody depending on everybody else - and cultural reality, which is people feeling invaded, undermined, threatened, wanting to have "stand-your-ground" legislation all over the place. It's alarming because at the moment, the fear is outweighing the benefits, and that's partially because the benefits have been so unequally distributed that lots of people don't feel better off. They feel threatened, angry and despairing.

The question, "When did you last listen to a poor person properly and try to understand what's going on inside their own experience?" enables you to connect.

I have to be sure of myself - in a conditional way, always being open to the possibility that I'm wrong.