“Because so many employers refuse to pay their workers a wage on which they can live - most Britons languishing below the poverty line are in work - the state has to spend billions of pounds a year on in-work benefits.”

English newspaper columnist and left-wing political activist

Owen Jones is an English newspaper columnist, author, and left-wing political activist. He writes for The Guardian and has also contributed to the New Statesman, Tribune, and The National; he previously wrote a column for The Independent. He is known for political commentary and campaigning, and for his regular online series, The Owen Jones Show and The Owen Jones Podcast. His work is closely associated with left-wing politics and public debate in Britain.