Andrew Purves

Research subject

Economic rent, inequality and public revenue – the Singapore model.

Primary supervisor: Professor Nick Gallent
Secondary supervisor: Dr Josh Ryan-Collins
Starting date: January 2019
Completion date: March 2023
Contact: Andrew.purves@purves.co.uk

Private appropriation of economic rent from rising land values is increasingly identified as a key cause of rising inequality in advanced economies. Does the public collection of economic rent ensure greater equity? Singapore has been identified and praised for collecting a significant proportion of this rent, having achieved a high level of public ownership of land since independence in 1965. Anne Haila described this system, and Singapore, as a Property State (Haila, 2016). The system aligns with what Gavin Kerr calls Geo-classical liberalism (Kerr, 2017), where strong conditionality applies to land ownership, weak conditionality to wealth creation. Haila’s concept of the property state was used as a framework to research the socio-economic outcomes in Singapore. The thesis fills a research gap, to provide a detailed analysis of how the system operates, why it was implemented, and reflect on its shortcomings. The public housing programme is considered a success, however, loopholes for significant private appropriation of economic rent by a professional elite remain, which through inheritance will be perpetuated, thus challenging Lee’s vision of the state’s foundation on principles of equity and reward for work. Through both quantitative and qualitative analysis of policy and institutional arrangements, I identified a partial implementation of the Geo-classical idea in Singapore, together with its dependence on foreign workers, and the constraints on political expression as potential weaknesses for the survival of an apparently stable polity. An extended Property State framework with a clearer application of Geo-classical principles was suggested as a means to resolve some of these inequities, for the future of Singapore. My contribution illustrates how the Geo-classical theory might be applied fully in Singapore as a more complete model for other jurisdictions.

Biography

Brought up in Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York, Edinburgh, now settled in London. First degree in Modern History and Politics, from Queen Mary College, University of London. I worked in the retail of high end contemporary furniture for over 30 years, establishing my own business: Purves & Purves, in 1992, although I am no longer actively involved.

I took a Masters in Spatial Planning in 2016/18, at the Bartlett School of Planning, UCL, before starting my PhD in 2019.

I have a special interest in the concept of Economic Rent, how it arises and is captured by landowners, teaching Economics with Justice at the School of Philosophy and Economic Science in London, before returning to full time research.

Publications

Purves, A, 2023 Singapore’s imminent expiration of land leases: from growth and equality to discontent and inequality? Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geographie
Phoebe Stirling, Frances Brill & Andrew Purves 2022, Conceptualising ‘residential investment’: separating the inseparable in asset-based economies, International Journal of Housing Policy
Phoebe Stirling, Nick Gallent & Andrew Purves, 2022, The assetisation of housing: A macroeconomic resource European Urban and Regional Studies 1-21
Purves A, 2021, “Models of Fair Public Ownership: Lessons from Hong Kong and Singapore” in Hermann A & Mouatt S (ed.) Contemporary Issues in Heterodox Economics, Routledge, London. pp.191-208
Purves, A, 2020, Proposal to use QE to buy land for the Scottish Land Commission, Blog post: https://www.landcommission.gov.scot/news-events/news/rental-value-of-land
Purves A, 2019 “Models of Fair Public Ownership: lessons from Singapore and Hong Kong” Int. J. Public Policy, Vol.15, Nos.1/2 pp.59-75.
Purves A, 2015 No Debt High Growth Low Tax- Hong Kong’s Economic Miracle Explained, Shepheard Walwyn, London

Conferences

Singapore, glass half full or empty, AESOP Conference, Tartu, Estonia, July 2022
Singapore, glass half full or empty, Residential Contradictions, Durham, August 2022 Economic rent, inequality and public revenue – the Singapore model – a (public) property state? RC21 Conference, Antwerp (online) July 2021
Attended AESOP, PhD E-seminar programme, July 2020.
Attended PhD Research Day, and Joint conference of AFEP- IIPPE, Lille, July 2019
Models of Fair Public Ownership, Association of Heterodox Economics Annual Conference, Leicester University 2018
Models of Fair Public Ownership, Institute of New Economic Thinking, Trentino Italy – Festival of Economics 2018

Teaching

2022/2023 Lecturer at LSBU

Planning for Housing, 2^nd year Undergraduate module, School of Law and Social Science. Temporary position to cover for Sabbatical

2019/2021 Industry Mentor at UCL

MA Creative and Collaborative Enterprise programme, Dissertation Mentoring and first marking.

2022/2023 Postgraduate Teaching Assistant at UCL

Coordinator for Masters Spatial Planning Concepts and Context module, organising seminar groups, supervising course tutors to deliver seminars, and moderate grades.
Moderating seminars for Master students on Spatial Planning Concepts and Context module, (4 seminars per term)
Coordinating and marking students’ presentations and reading summaries

2021/2022 Postgraduate Teaching Assistant at UCL

Coordinator for Masters Spatial Planning Concepts and Context module, organising seminar groups, supervising course tutors to deliver seminars, and moderate grades. Moderating seminars for undergraduates on Economics of Cities and their Regions module (4 seminars per term); Sustainable Property: Valuation, Investment, Development module; Real Estate Management module

Coordinating and marking student’s presentations and reading summaries
Moderate active learning sessions (debates) and marking

Moderating seminars for Master students on Spatial Planning Concepts and Context module, (4 seminars per term)

Coordinating and marking students’ presentations and reading summaries

2019/2021 Postgraduate Teaching Assistant at UCL

Moderating seminars for undergraduates on Economics of Cities and their Regions and Planning Practices in Europe modules (4 seminars per term)

Coordinating and marking student’s presentations and reading summaries

Moderating seminars for Master students on Spatial Planning Concepts and Context module, (4 seminars per term)

Coordinating and marking student’s presentations and reading summaries

2006-present Lecturer in the School of Philosophy and Economic Science

Leading 10-week course in Economics with Justice

2 hour evening classes for adults with a general interest
Assisting with course material for 5 modules: Introduction, History of Economic Ideas, Growth and Human Development, Money and Credit, The Commons, Rentier Capitalism

Enabling & Impact