Abstract

There are huge opportunities for Britain in a world where the global middle class is expected to treble to five billion people in the next two decades. This text brings together leading experts, business leaders, entrepreneurs and politicians with ideas for how Britain can thrive in this context, building an inclusive and broad-based economy.

Contributions focus on the changing global context and discuss how government can work with business to generate more balanced and sustainable growth. This discussion focuses on how Britain should prepare for success with the BRIC and MINT economies; the challenge of inclusive growth; how to generate success that enables all to contribute and to achieve their aspirations; the innovation imperative; what Britain must do to remain at the forefront of technological innovation; and re-imagining industrial strategy.
Chuka Umunna is UK Shadow Business Secretary and Member of Parliament for Streatham.

Antonio Andreoni is a researcher in industrial economics and policy at the Institute for Manufacturing, Cambridge University and coordinator of the Babbage Industrial Policy Network.

Billy Boyle is co-founder and president of Owlstone Nanotech Ltd.

Ha-Joon Chang teaches economics at Cambridge University.

David Cleevely CBE is an entrepreneur who has founded a series of companies including Abcam, Analysys, 3waynetworks and others. He also co-founded Cambridge Network, Cambridge Wireless, Cambridge Angels, the award winning restaurant Bocca di Lupo, as well as acting as government advisor and founding the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge.

Sherry Coutu CBE is an angel investor, entrepreneur and tech-investor, recently appointed to the board of the London Stock Exchange.

Lord Mervyn Davies CBE is former chairman of Standard Chartered PLC and former UK minister of state for trade, investment and small business.

John Davis is managing director of BCSG, a fast growing firm offering cloud-based applications to small businesses

Sir Charlie Mayfield is chairman of John Lewis Partnership and chairman of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES).

Mariana Mazzucato is RM Phillips professor in the economics of innovation at Sussex University.

Jim O’Neill is an economist and former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Roy Rickhuss is general secretary of Community Union.

Sir Peter Rigby is an entrepreneur, chairman & chief executive of Rigby Group PLC.

Lord David Sainsbury is a former UK minister of science and innovation and chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

Carlotta Perez is professor of technology and development, Department of International Development, London School of Economics (LSE).

Matthew Taylor is chief executive of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
Umunna’s introduction alone is well worth five minutes of your time. It offers a brisk but detailed overview of the deep structural challenges facing the British economy and the uncertainty they are creating for most people. The clarity and depth of his analysis – from the hollowing out of the middle class, to the challenge of increasing our productivity – is certainly impressive.
[Chuka Umunna] has gathered an impressive collection of business figures to contribute to this study of how globalisation and technology can go hand in hand with fairness.