I was delighted to see my essay printed in a new book by Reform, titled 'The next ten years.' This book is comprised of 75 essays from people at the top level of politics, the Civil Service, business and public services. It's aim to is show policy makers the facts and ideas that point to a reformed Government and a stronger private sector. Below is the first paragraph of my essay, and you can follow the link to read the full text. Please leave any comments at the bottom of this post.

 

An Enterprise Revolution

 

The economic crash of 2008 represents the most profound economic crisis faced by the West in 75 years. The very assumptions on which our society, economy and politics have been built have been shaken irrevocably. The crisis raises profound questions about our role in the world, our economic model and the role of government. The very fact that a Conservative-led Coalition deems it essential to rebalance the economy speaks volumes about the implicit recognition of the profound nature of the crisis.

 

In economics and politics, no less than in business and domestic affairs, crises are times of opportunity. For me, the key phrase is “sustainable recovery”. We need a recovery which is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. We cannot and should not aim for a recovery based on another New Labour consumer boom, based on cheap immigrant labour, cheap credit and government largesse. The only way out of the debt crisis is trade, as a nation, as sectors, businesses or individuals, and to focus on things that people want to buy...

 

To read the full text: http://10years.reform.co.uk/essays/An-enterprise-revolution.pdf

 

To read some of other essays, or for more information on the book: http://10years.reform.co.uk/