The Invisible Doctrine - The Secret History of Neoliberalism
George Monbiot is a Guardian Columnist and environmental campaigner. Peter Hutchison is a filmmaker, educator and activist.
In this disclosing book, they describe how neoliberalism preys on every aspect of our lives: our education and jobs, our healthcare and leisure, our relationships and mental well-being, the planet we inhabit, and the very air we breathe.
Yanis Varoufakis describes it as ‘the definitive short history of the neoliberal confidence trick.’ Caroline Lucas describes it as ‘dynamite – shining a spotlight on the evils of neoliberalism, shattering the myth that ‘there is no alternative’, and laying the foundations for a new politics.’
Head North - A Rallying Cry for a More Equal Britain
Gordon Brown describes this as a ‘path-breaking book by two dynamic leaders working together to transform the North of England, whose ideas on the future deserve our attention.
Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram share their experiences of modern British politics, from how the Hillsborough disaster shaped them to their time as MPs witnessing systematic flaws, from leaving Westminster to become Mayors Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region respectively to battle with Boris Johnson during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Together, they propose an ambitious ten-point plan to rewire and reimagine our country beyond the Westminster bubble – concentrating on the politics of place.
A Precariat Charter – from Denizens to Citizens
The “precariat” is a term coined by the British Economist Guy Standing to describe workers with little or no job security, often on zero-hour contracts and low wages.
Guy Standing argues that people in the emerging precariat class become “denizens” due to the erosion of their rights in the global economy. In this context, “denizens”; lack the protection of citizenship.
Such individuals can face precarious living conditions and lack fundamental civil, political, cultural, social, and economic rights. Sadly, due to political negligence, these are everyday experiences in numerous parts of Yorkshire. In his Charter, Guy Standing offers a path to turning this around.
Left Behind - A New Economics for Neglected Places.
World-renowned economist Paul Collier has spent his life working in neglected communities. In this book, he offers his candid diagnosis of why some regions are failing and a new vision for how they can catch up.
He partly blames stale economic orthodoxies that prioritise market forces and the arrogant, one-size-fits-all approach of central bureaucracies like the UK Treasury for this widening inequality. He claims the Treasury is mainly to blame for the UK becoming the most unequal and unfair society in the Western world, which is hardly a badge of honour.
Paul Collier’s keen insight shows how renewal is achievable through collective learning, moral leadership, and local agency. Valuable lessons Yorkshire can learn from.
Pope Francis – On Care for our Common Home
The Pope’s letter covers virtually every topic in contemporary life. Climate change, deforestation, and the need for clean, safe drinking water are, of course, included here, but also various problems of science and technology, including public transportation, urban planning, architecture, social media, and the genetic modification of crops.
Two lines of thought stand out. The first is our interconnectedness and mutual responsibility towards one another and our earthly home. The second is a censure of the aspects of modern life that have led to our current predicament. Our situation is not an accident. The Pope holds no punches back regarding individualism, market deregulation, competition, the endless growth of consumerism, and weak governance.
What is Ecological Civilisation?
Ecological Civilisation is a different way of life from what has gradually dragged us downwards worldwide and threatens our wildlife, economic security, and our planet’s very existence.
This book draws from relational philosophies, the ecological sciences, systems thinking and network theory, and religious and spiritual traditions. The authors are Philip Clayton and Andrew Schwartz, professors of theology at the Claremont School of Theology in the USA and founder members of the ecological civilisation movement.
They spark ideas about what can be done locally in Yorkshire’s communities, regionally, nationally, and internationally, to resolve our ecological and economic issues.
The Hidden Power of Systems Thinking: Governance in a Climate Emergency.
The two authors of this book, Ray Ison and Ed Straw, are members of the Open University Applied Systems Thinking in Practice Group (ASTiP). Ray is the university’s professor of Systems Thinking, and Ed is an advisory fellow. They go beyond analysing the problem of climate biodiversity emergencies to demonstrate how incorporating systems
thinking into our governance arrangements at every level would enableus to break free.
The two kindly ran a seminar on our behalf as part of the Sheffield Festival of Debate. The seminar recording is on this website’s Reference Library page.
Reforming UK Public Policy through Elected Regional Government
Professor Malcolm J. Prowle edited this book, published before the 2024 general election. Its various contributors examine the enormous challenges different public services face and consider what actions might resolve them.
Dismissing the last conservative government’s levelling-up policy, the book argues for creating elected regional governments in England similar to the devolved arrangements in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Malcolm kindly agreed to speak about the book with Ed Straw, who he met while working for KPMG, on a bespoke podcast for us. Their recording is on this website’s Reference Library page.