Post-lunch plenary session
The case for grassroots economic change
2 – 2.30pm
Lecture theatre one
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Our post-lunch keynote will be delivered by author and economist, Grace Blakeley, who will be sharing insights from her forthcoming book exploring grassroots struggles for economic justice. Grace will be introduced by Neil McInroy, The Democracy Collaborative’s Global Lead for Community Wealth Building, and her speech will feature case studies of successful community organising and social movement campaigns.
Speakers
Sarah Longlands has been the Chief Executive of CLES since 2021, having previously been the organisations’ Director of Policy from 2007-2011. She is an expert in regional and local economic development and argues for economic and social justice and the creation of places which enable people to live good lives. Prior to (re!) joining CLES, Sarah was Director of IPPR North, the dedicated think tank for the North of England and began her career in local government, working in County Durham and North Yorkshire. She has a PhD in Urban Studies from the University of Glasgow.
Neil McInroy is Global Lead for Community Wealth Building at the US based research and development lab, Democracy Collaborative. He is also a part-time community wealth building adviser to the Scottish government and was previously the Chief Executive of CLES. He has over 25 years of international experience as an economic and social development thought and practice leader, having pioneered a range of policy and practice work, including community wealth building. At present he is driven by the perfect storm of economic, racial, environmental and democratic challenges. In this, he is focussed on thinking through and applying progressive economics in a range of localities across the US and beyond, including Chicago.
Grace Blakeley is a British economist, journalist, and author known for her critiques of capitalism and advocacy for democratic socialism. Grace began her career at KPMG and IPPR before becoming the economics commentator for the New Statesman in 2019. She is now a staff writer at Tribune Magazine. Her books include Stolen (2019), The Corona Crash (2020), and Vulture Capitalism (2024), which was longlisted for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction
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