The Battle for the Economy May 15, 2009

Post-G20 Public Summit: Battle for the Economy

"Mervyn King, the Bank of England governor, acknowledged recently that Britain was in a deep recession. He also declared that ‘it is not sensible for anybody to pretend that we can forecast the future’, but shouldn’t we at least try and shape it? That is the aim of this one day summit – a public response to the G20 gathering in London in April.
                       
‘The London Summit 2009’, on 2 April, will bring together leaders of the world’s advanced and emerging economies, including the G20, and representatives of international financial institutions. The summit’s declared aims are to reach agreement on coordinated action to revive the global economy, on reforming and improving financial sectors and systems, on open markets versus protectionist measures, on principles for reform of international financial institutions and on linking macroeconomic and financial surveillance through closer collaboration between the International Monetary Fund and the Financial Stability Forum. But for all the talk of international co-operation, talk of protectionism, contentious national schemes to stimulate liquidity, and rows about state bail-outs, reveals tensions behind the scenes.

It is important these disputes are not reduced to technical debates, confined to world leaders and financial gurus. The issue of the economy today has enormous political and social ramifications for us all and needs to become a key component of public discussion. To this end, the Institute of Ideas and cScape, in partnership with Goodenough College, are hosting a one day public summit. This Battle for the Economy summit will start a conversation, attempting to give meaning to recent events and to shape intellectually how we respond to them. Gordon Brown and Barack Obama may not be there, but more importantly the opinion formers of tomorrow will be. Will you?"

Official Website: http://www.battleofideas.org.uk/index.php/2009/strand/2382