New economics for a new era

Join us for an evening of keynote speeches and discussion to mark the 40th anniversary of the New Economics Foundation (NEF), featuring Andy Burnham and Professor Jayati Ghosh.

In 1986, the LSE hosted The Other Economic Summit that led to the foundation of the NEF to address the urgent economic challenges facing people and planet. Forty years later, we reconvene at the LSE as we enter a decisive period for our economies and our democracies. Across the world, people are experiencing the economy not as a source of security or opportunity, but as a force that is distant, unfair and increasingly hostile to their lives and futures. Inequality is widening, the climate crisis is accelerating, and public trust in political institutions is eroding.

Over four decades, NEF has been championing bold, people‑powered alternatives to an economic model that too often fails people and planet. To celebrate this milestone, we are convening an evening that will both look back over the last 40 years while also looking ahead to how we deliver a radically better world. The evening will feature keynote speeches from Rt Hon Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, who will set out his vision for a new localism and Professor Jayati Ghosh, who will talk about how we change the rules of the global economic order.

Meet our speakers

Andy Burnham was first elected as Mayor of Greater Manchester in May 2017, re-elected for a second term in May 2021 and a third term in May 2024. Responsible for shaping the future of Greater Manchester, Andy’s priorities for his third term include continuing to build a London-style integrated transport system, ending the housing crisis by 2038, offering a new technical education pathway as an alternative to university and creating a new Live Well service, making Greater Manchester a great place to grow up, get on, and grow old.

Jayati Ghosh is an Indian development economist. She taught economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi for nearly 35 years, and since January 2021 she has been Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA. Her core areas of study include international economics and globalisation, employment patterns in developing countries, macroeconomic policy, and gender and development.

Danny Sriskandarajah is Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation and author of "Power to the People: Use your voice, change the world" (Headline Press, 2024). Danny's previous roles include CEO of Oxfam GB, Secretary General of CIVICUS, Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Interim Director of the Commonwealth Foundation and various posts at the Institute for Public Policy Research. He is a Trustee of the Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation and a member of the Quadrature Climate Foundation’s Advisory Board.

More about this event

Over four decades, the New Economics Foundation’s mission has been to transform the economy so it works for people and the planet. They work with people igniting change from below and combine this with rigorous research to fight for change at the top.

The International Inequalities Institute at LSE brings together experts from many of the School's departments and centres to lead cutting-edge research focused on understanding why inequalities are escalating in numerous arenas across the world, and to develop critical tools to address these challenges.

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