AN ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIC THEORY TO THATCHERISM?

by Margaret Westbrook, Trafford Green Party 2009 European Elections Candidate

As part of my strategy for recovering from my hip replacement operation two and a half weeks ago, I aimed to attend the Green Party conference this weekend in Blackpool. I made it yesterday for a few hours in the afternoon and so achieved what I had hoped! However, what I didn’t expect was to find a thought-through economic strategy as a replacement to Thatcherism.

Some of you who are reading this will, like me, have lived through the development of the horrific economic theory of Thatcherism in 1970s and its rolling out since then…Clearly the situation we now face across the globe is the result of the excesses of this economic theory,

At conference we Greens were addressed by a young Canadian, Dan O’Neill, who is the European Director of the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy. His theory accords with our green view – and although in one sense nothing new for us, it now has a title which can be accepted in economic theory circles.

I chatted with Dan informally afterwards and discovered that he is undertaking a higher degree in Leeds at present. I asked Dan whether Obama had shown any interest in Steady State. Apparently he has been invited to a large gathering designed to inform the president some many months away …

So, who knows. this theory with all its green credentials may begin to inform international thinking …Let’s hope its not too late for the planet and let’s keep on working to get change as soon as possible on whatever level we can operate….but watch this space www.steadystate.org and remember you encountered these ideas first with the Greens!