After decades of underinvestment, the UK is in dire need of a transformative economic policy programme. Professor Stephany Griffith-Jones (Initiative for Policy Dialogue, Columbia University; Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex) is a member of the Progressive Economy Forum Council and a world expert on national investment banks, having advised the UN, the European Parliament and several national governments on their establishment and management. In this special public lecture, she will argue for the creation of a national investment bank in the UK as a crucial step towards revitalising our economy.
John McDonnell MP will then set out his plans to establish such an institution in the UK, and will explore how this relates to Labour’s broader economic strategy and vision. He says: “Labour’s plans for a National Investment Bank and network of regional development banks are at the heart of our institutional reform programme for government. Events like this are central to how we learn from the experiences of other countries about making it a success.”
This lecture is the third in a programme of public lectures by the Progressive Economy Forum. The Forum brings together a Council of eminent economists and academics to launch a new macroeconomic programme. It seeks to develop and advocate progressive economic policy ideas, and to improve public understanding of key economic issues. The lecture is co-hosted with the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP). Dr Joshua-Ryan Collins, Head of Research at IIPP, will respond to the lecture. He will be followed by Professor John Weeks, Professor Emeritus of Development Economics at SOAS and coordinator of the PEF Council.