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Labour and the 21st Century Economy – a 12 point plan for building better capitalism
When I was 11 years old my grandmother gave me a book token for Christmas and I spent it on two paperback biographies. One was about the...
Jan 9, 20234 min read
What does respect for employees mean in the age of the algorithm?
'There’s an algorithm here, tracking a human worker. Do you not see this as a problem?’ Darren Jones, MP, chair of the Employment Select...
Nov 27, 20225 min read
What if the chancellor were an anthropist?
The 2025 Autumn Statement - a Naïve Proposal Madam Speaker Today I wish to present the House with an entirely new kind of Autumn...
Nov 18, 20223 min read
One day of Anthropy
‘A great garden is a symphony’ Thus spoke Tim Smit yesterday as – for the first time – The Eden Project closed its doors to allow the...
Nov 7, 20223 min read
Harvest Economics – sentimental throwback or idea whose time has come?
Recently, Kate Raworth the creator of Doughnut Economics, asked her twitter followers how she might better describe the flaws in...
Nov 1, 20224 min read
What do we mean by growth and why do we want it?
My answer to Kate Raworth’s Question Last week I woke early with a strange dream still vivid in my memory. I had a collection of donuts...
Oct 17, 20224 min read
Education should broaden minds. Too often we are doing the opposite.
Learn how to see. Realise that everything connects to everything else’ - Leonardo da Vinci. ‘Why do politicians fail so miserably when...
Oct 10, 20224 min read
The Chancellor’s growth plan: a 20th century response to 21st Century challenges
On Friday 23 September the Chancellor of the Exchequer made his ‘Growth Plan’ speech. While the news has been full of the market reaction...
Oct 3, 20224 min read
Can ESG be saved? Only if it radically changes its definition of governance
On holiday in Italy recently, I got talking to Mario, a wine enthusiast. We discussed an outstanding white wine which came from a small...
Sep 27, 20224 min read
A little less wishful thinking, a little more listening please
‘In Stoke-on-Trent last month, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak traded blows over everything from credit card economics to Channel migrants…The...
Sep 5, 20224 min read
A new prime minister and wealth creation
The UK is to have a new Prime Minister. Tax has dominated the debate between the leading candidates. True Conservatives, it appears, are...
Jul 18, 20224 min read
Chaos, crisis, and hope
As I arrived at last Wednesday’s gathering, the (UK) government was collapsing. Over 50 ministers had resigned. Political journalists...
Jul 12, 20223 min read
What DAOs teach us
Don’t invest in something you don’t understand. That’s one of the most enduring – and soundest – investment principles. ...
Jul 2, 20224 min read
Deplorable Owners – how to deal with football’s tainted inheritance
‘The Battle of the Deplorable Owners’ took place on 13 March 2022 - a Premier League match between Chelsea,  owned by oligarch Roman...
Jun 28, 20224 min read
Culture – the gaping hole that undermines B Corp’s credibility
It was a pleasant evening with friends. Next to me was the long-retired founder of a business that I admire. Â Suddenly changing the...
Jun 28, 20224 min read
Master or servant? A new agenda for teaching business
I once heard about a Syrian refugee, a biochemist, who reflected on the horrors and humiliations involved in fleeing his country. ‘I’m a...
Jun 28, 20224 min read
Climate gloom – from chair action to share action
June 2022 Not a good month for those who worry about climate. We learned that the warming of the Northern Barents Sea corresponds to 2...
Jun 27, 20224 min read
Lazy labels about business purpose fuel the indignation industry
Talking recently to a small group of senior leaders, I realised that most of them were still at school when we launched the 1995...
Jun 20, 20224 min read
Stuart Kirk – an investment intermediary handicapped by his education
‘Who cares if Miami is going to be 6 foot under water. Amsterdam has been for centuries and it is a very nice place.’ Perhaps you missed...
Jun 14, 20224 min read
The Bewilderment Brew – how technology, privatisation and outsourcing combined can make life hard for customers
Sad as it may sound, some of the funniest conversations I’ve had recently have been about car parking at our local station in Suffolk ...
May 30, 20224 min read
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