Monday 30 September 2024 to Thursday 3 October 2024

Directed by Professor Richard Davies

Asking economists and experts from around the world the key economic questions of our time.

TUESDAY 1 OCTOBER 2024

Lessons from the past

The Tyranny of Nostalgia: Half a Century of British Economics Decline

1030-1130, Tuesday 1 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

Join Russell Jones as he introduces his book The Tyranny of Nostalgia: Half a Century of British Economic Decline. Jones describes and interprets the economic and political history of the past half a century, examining the challenges confronted by successive governments and their Chancellors, the policies employed for good or ill, and – running through it all – the desperate search for a panacea that could arrest the nation’s relative decline and return the country to its supposed former glories.

Buy Russell Jones’ The Tyranny of Nostalgia: Half a Century of British Economic Decline now from Bookshop.org.

Tickets on sale soon.

Under-performing: How can we boost Britain’s low productivity?

1200-1315, Tuesday 1 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

UK productivity has been sluggish since the 2007-09 financial crisis. Our expert panel will debate the causes of the UK’s productivity stagnation and consider potential policy solutions. Join us to explore the extent of the challenge and to discover how boosting investment, improving education and training, exploiting technological innovation, and changes in regulation could help address the UK’s productivity puzzle.

Speakers: Bart van Ark (University of Manchester), Judy Stephenson (UCL)

Tickets on sale soon.

How can we build a sustainable planet?

1400-1500, Tuesday 1 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

Join our expert panel as they discuss the intersection of economic growth and sustainability—in the context of escalating environmental challenges. The panel will explore how economic policies can drive sustainable development and create a future where our planet is protected. As the world grapples with the dual challenges of economic progression and environmental preservation, it is imperative to understand how economics can be leveraged to foster sustainability.

Speakers: Amy Coulthard (EnTrade, Avon Bristol Catchment Market), Alessio Terzi (Bennett Institute)

Tickets on sale soon.

(Not) Moving on up: How can we increase social mobility?

1530-1645, Tuesday 1 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

The notion of social mobility has been a cornerstone of UK policy for decades. Despite this, we are witnessing a significant decline in social mobility in the UK. Join our expert panel as they unpick the policy interventions needed to ensure equality of opportunity, for individuals, and long-term socio-economic prosperity, for the nation. This event will consider the causes of the current social mobility slowdown to explore strategies to reignite social mobility across the whole of the UK.

Speakers: Mehreen Khan (The Times, chair), Lindsey Macmillan (UCL and CEPEO), Suzanne Rolt (Quartet Foundation), David Sturrock (IFS)

Tickets on sale soon.

Legacies of Empire: What Britain needs to do

1900-2000, Tuesday 1 October 2024 | The Great Hall, Wills Memorial Building, University of Bristol

The British Empire has left an indelible mark on the UK economy. From the accumulation of wealth, through colonial trade, to the continued economic inequalities borne from imperialism, this legacy remains a subject of significant debate and analysis. This event will explore the lasting economic impact of the empire, examining how historical practices continue to influence contemporary economic structures, opportunities, and disparities in the UK. Join our panel as they delve into the complex economic heritage of the British Empire, and its legacies.

Speakers: Krishnan Guru-Murthy (Channel 4, chair), Bishnu Gupta (University of Warwick), Kojo Koram (Birkbeck University of London)

This event is sponsored by the University of Bristol Reparative Futures Programme.

Tickets on sale soon.

WEDNESDAY 2 OCTOBER 2024

Rebuilding Britain

Great Britain? How We Get Our Future Back; and Growth: A Reckoning

1030-1130, Wednesday 2 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

Join us to hear Daniel Susskind, of King’s College London, and newly elected Labour MP for Swansea West and former Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, Torsten Bell discuss their recently published books focused on growth. Bell presents a clear-eyed diagnosis of the problems facing our country, in his book Great Britain? How We Get Our Future Back. While Susskind provides a revelatory account of the past, present, and future of economic growth - and how we should rethink it in his book Growth: A Reckoning.

Buy Torsten Bell’s Great Britain? How We Get Our Future Back and Daniel Susskind’s Growth: A Reckoning now from Bookshop.org.

Tickets on sale soon.

The kids aren’t alright: Tackling a legacy of child poverty, bad diets and poor health

1200-1315, Wednesday 2 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

The next generation faces a unique set of health and social challenges. Join our expert panel as they consider the pressing issues affecting today's young children, from educational disparities to declining health outcomes. The panel brings together front-line practitioners, educators, and economists to consider the collaborative strategies needed to support and empower children and families. The event will explore solutions to create a more equitable and supportive environment for young people, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities to thrive.

Speakers: Christine Farquarson (IFS), Sarah Cattan (NESTA), Matthew Poulson (Barton Hill Academy), Hannah Woodhouse (Bristol City Council)

This event is supported by the Centre for Evidence-Based Public Services.

Tickets on sale soon.

The first 100 days: Has the new government got its priorities right for kick-starting Britain?

1345-1500, Wednesday 2 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

The first 100 days of the new UK government will serve as a barometer for Starmer’s economic and public policy aims. Join our panel as they debate the new administration’s first 100 days and consider what the initial priorities mean for the future. The panel will discuss the strategic decisions, policy implementations, and economic measures taken during this critical period and what they mean for the long-term success of the country. The event will review changes in economic and public policy, to explore how the new government’s actions set the stage for its term and how they might influence the UK's trajectory.

Speakers: Richard Davies (Economics Observatory, chair), Arun Advani (University of Warwick), Gavin Kelly (Resolution Foundation), Helen Simpson (University of Bristol)

Tickets on sale soon.

What is central banks role in rebuilding?

1530-1630, Wednesday 2 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

In the face of political, economic, and social upheavals, the question of how the UK can regain its footing and secure a thriving future is a question for all public institutions. The UK is embarking on a path of economic recovery and rebuilding post-crises and this event will examine the strategic functions and responsibilities of the Bank of England in fostering economic stability, stimulating growth, and ensuring financial resilience. Join our panel as they discuss monetary policy, regulatory frameworks, and the innovative financial tools needed for sustainable economic recovery.

Tickets on sale soon.

Tim Harford: Cautionary Tales

1900-2000, Wednesday 2 October 2024 | The Great Hall, Wills Memorial Building, University of Bristol

Tim Harford returns to the Festival of Economics with a third live recording of his popular podcast, Cautionary Tales. We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable life lessons, but these cautionary tales are for the education of grown-ups – and they are all true. In his hit podcast Cautionary Tales, Tim Harford brings stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos.

Tickets on sale soon.

THURSDAY 3 OCTOBER 2024

Britain's place in the world

The Corporation in the 21^st Century

1030-1130, Thursday 3 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

Join John Kay as he discusses his book, The Corporation in the 21st Century, where he shows how products and production have dematerialised. The goods and services provided by the leading companies of the twenty-first century appear on your screen, fit in your pocket, or occupy your head. Ownership of the means of production is a redundant concept. Workers are the means of production; increasingly, they take the plant home. Capital is a service bought from a specialist supplier with little influence over customer businesses. John Kay's incisive overhaul of our ideas about business redefines our understanding of successful commercial activity and the corporation - and describes how we have come to 'love the product' as we 'hate the producer’.

Buy John Kay’s The Corporation in the 21st Century now from Profile Books.

Tickets on sale soon.

Trading nation: How can we get Britain exporting again?

1200-1315, Thursday 3 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

Does the UK's future economic growth rely on exports? And if it does, what can we export to boost the country’s economy? Our panel will explore the strategies and policies needed to help boost the British export market, which is increasingly service-based. Join our panel as they examine the policies that could address barriers to international trade and enhance the UK's export performance. Key discussions will cover the UK’s leading trade sectors and global contribution to research and innovation. The expert panel will consider policy and regulatory solutions to drive Britain’s export growth and strengthen our global economic position.

Speakers: Lizzy Burden (Bloomberg, chair), Meredith Crowley (University of Cambridge), Joanna Dally (National Composites Centre), Swati Dhingra (LSE)

Tickets on sale soon.

Beyond fair play: What would a fair society look like?

1345-1500, Thursday 3 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

In a time when social inequality and justice are at the forefront of public discourse, our panel will examine a vision for achieving a more equitable society. In today’s rapidly evolving social and economic landscape, defining and achieving fairness is more important than ever. The event will consider income equality, access to education and healthcare, and the role of government, institutions and civil society in fostering equity. Join our expert panel as they examine innovative approaches and policies aimed at creating a society where opportunities and resources are distributed equitably, and every individual has the chance to thrive.

Speakers: Eshe Nelson (New York Times, chair), Daniel Chandler (LSE), Paul Hufe (University of Bristol), Will Snell (Fairness Foundation), Nyoaka Squire (Babbasa)

Tickets on sale soon.

Global Britain: What is our role in the world?

1530-1645, Thursday 3 October 2024 | Watershed, Bristol

In a world of shifting alliances and emerging global powers, where does the UK fit in? Join us for a dynamic panel discussion that questions the UK’s evolving global role. Our expert panel will tackle pressing questions about the UK’s international influence, trade strategies, and diplomatic relationships. In what promises to be lively debate on the challenges and opportunities that define the UK’s future, our experts will share insights on the key geopolitical events shaping the UK’s place in the world.

Speakers: George Magnus (University of Oxford), Helen Thompson (University of Cambridge)

Tickets on sale soon.

Inequalities – the Marshall Paley Lecture

1900-2000, Thursday 3 October 2024 | The Great Hall, Wills Memorial Building, University of Bristol

In this inaugural event, Sarah Smith OBE, Professor of Economics at the University of Bristol, introduces Professor Sir Richard Blundell CBE FRA, Chair of Political Economy at University College London. He is Director of the Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

Blundell will discuss Dimensions of Inequality: The IFS Deaton Review, a programme of research that stepped back and asked: how are different kinds of inequality related, which matter most, what are the big forces that combine to create them, and what is the right mix of policies to tackle them?

The Marshall Paley Lecture is funded by the University of Bristol, School of Economics, where Mary Marshall Paley was the first woman lecturer.

Tickets on sale soon.

Group bookings

Please contact office@economicsobservatory.com for discounted group bookings of over 10 people.

Accessibility

Watershed

Watershed’s main entrance and Box Office are both on the ground floor which is accessible via a ramped, electronically assisted entrance door.
There are two Blue Badge parking spaces to the rear of Watershed on Canons Road.
Guide dogs and hearing dogs are very welcome.
The first floor of Watershed is accessible via lift from the main entrance and includes level access to all areas, including the cinemas and event spaces.
The cinemas and event spaces have induction loops.
There is anaccessible toilet (with baby changing facilities) near Cinema 1. Follow the signs for the Cinemas and the accessible toilet is just on your left through the double doors before Cinema 1.
There are gender neutral toilets in the cinema corridor on the first floor.

Visit Watershed’s Access page for more information.

Wills Memorial Building

There is ramped/sloped access at the entrance on Park Street.
The main door opens automatically (towards you), the width of the door opening is 100cm.

Visit the Wills Memorial Building AccessAble page for more information.

Barton Hill Micro Campus

The micro-campus is ground floor and has step-free access from the street.
The adjacent toilet block also has level access, and an accessible toilet.
There is a lift up to the reception, café and toilet area in Wellspring Settlement.

Visit our past events page to see details of past Festivals and to listen to audio recordings.