UK
Britain is going through a difficult time, when its sustained ability to punch above its weight, economically and diplomatically, is ebbing. The end of irrational exuberance found the country ill at ease with itself, with rising inequalities and unhealthy nationalism, just when it needs to be fleet-footed in recognising that many of the traditional pillars of its strengths have changed. The need is to recognise other supports and partners and find a new common purpose after the pandemic. I live in hope.
do economic growth and wellbeing sit well together ?
My two worlds of work, the economy and health, recently collided when I addressed the chairs and chief execs of greater manchester's ten PCTs (that's the folks that buy our healthcare) and did a keynote at a regional health conference. I went down a storm at the latter, rather like whoever it was that followed the beatles on the ed sullivan show, as I was preceeded by a phrophet of our time talking about how aspiring to economic growth was utterly misguided. That nicely cued me up to talk about... how we can drive economic growth. As it happens though, I agree with most of what he said... click here to see the presentation (pressing cancel it if it asks for a password).