This year marks the 40th anniversary of another economic summit from which NEF was founded
I am delighted to start this year as the new CEO of the New Economics Foundation (NEF). This is an organization that I have long admired, especially the outstanding work my predecessor Miatta Fahnbulleh led during this period.from Analyzing the Fall Budgetarrive Reimagining how energy bills work and Building strength in communities across the UKNEF is ready to meet the challenges of 2024.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first economic summit. The summit was an alternative to the G7 summit hosted by the UK in 1984 and led to the creation of the NEF a few years later. Economists and activists at the time could see that the rise of neoliberalism was threatening our living standards and the health of the environment on which we depended.
Forty years later, their assessment unfortunately proved correct. Over the past 40 years, the rules that shape our economy have been rewritten in favor of corporate power and a wealthy elite.
These rules transfer wealth from the rest of us to the richest, make our jobs and families less secure, and accelerate environmental collapse. We can see this today in our dilapidated NHS and schools, with high costs of living, low wages and increasingly severe heatwaves, droughts and floods.
There are better ways to manage our economy, starting with having the country prioritize the well-being of its people and a healthy planet, rather than a false belief in free markets and competition.
The issues the NEF has been working on and the approaches it takes have always been outstanding, but today they are more urgent than ever. I wrote to colleagues and friends asking what was so special about NEF – and I couldn't agree more with one of the responses I received:
“Our position in the political landscape allows us to call for fundamental change in a way that most organizations cannot. By designing and promoting bold policy solutions, we have the opportunity to change debates and shift perspectives. “
I'm excited to lead NEF into its next phase. With the UK general election approaching and the world facing so many pressing challenges, NEF’s work feels more timely than ever. But it will take all of us working together.
If you are already an active member of the NEF network and have donated to NEF, thank you very much! Our work to fundamentally transform the economy challenges vested interests, so your support is particularly important.
If you haven't donated yet, please consider joining our network of supporters and making a monthly donation.
I wish you a safe, successful and sustainable 2024!
