Laurie Macfarlane

Laurie Macfarlane is a co-director at Future Economy Scotland and a Fellow at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP). He was formerly economics editor at openDemocracy and a senior economist at the New Economics Foundation

Asset strippers are preparing to feast on Britain’s COVID-ravaged economy

Armed with record piles of cash, private equity firms are scouring the globe for vulnerable prey. British companies, such as Morrisons, are top of their list

By Laurie Macfarlane

/ 16 Jul 2021

Asset strippers are preparing to feast on Britain’s COVID-ravaged economy

The UK government is using ‘levelling up’ to hide a crackdown on political dissent

Boris Johnson’s domestic priorities are becoming clear: reward those who vote Conservative, and suppress those who don’t

By Laurie Macfarlane

/ 12 May 2021

The UK government is using ‘levelling up’ to hide a crackdown on political dissent

Rishi Sunak said he’d protect the vulnerable. So why is he making them pay?

The chancellor is fuelling a two-tier recovery, where the winners from the pandemic prosper at the expense of everyone else

By Laurie Macfarlane

/ 4 Mar 2021

Rishi Sunak said he’d protect the vulnerable. So why is he making them pay?

Six ways Donald Trump can still be brought to justice

The impeachment trial may have failed, but the former president has multiple legal battles ahead of him

By Laurie Macfarlane and Aaron White

/ 13 Feb 2021

Six ways Donald Trump can still be brought to justice

The GameStop frenzy shows why we can’t let casino capitalism drive the COVID recovery

It’s time to call the speculation that powered the GameStop surge what it really is: socially useless gambling that does more harm than good.

By Laurie Macfarlane

/ 4 Feb 2021

The GameStop frenzy shows why we can’t let casino capitalism drive the COVID recovery

Por qué el 2021 es la última oportunidad para evitar el colapso climático

La Covid-19 y el cambio climático son dos caras de la misma moneda. En 2008 rescatamos a los bancos, en 2021, debemos rescatar el planeta.

By Laurie Macfarlane

/ 13 Jan 2021

Por qué el 2021 es la última oportunidad para evitar el colapso climático

Why 2021 is humanity’s make-or-break moment on climate breakdown

COVID-19 and climate change are two sides of the same coin. To overcome both we must confront their root cause: an economic system that is killing the planet.

By Laurie Macfarlane

/ 7 Jan 2021