Watch the whole conference which
took place on
Thursday 15th July 2025
Video links to each session here
See photos of the day on Flickr HERE
The PEF annual conference Progressive Economics 2025, UK economic policy in the age of Trump, took place on 15th May 2025
It followed the success of our conferences in 2022 and 2023.
The UK economy is in deep trouble made worse by multiple and avoidable policy mistakes over the last 45 years exacerbated by external shocks . Now the changes to international relations and trade by the Trump government threaten more peril.
The government is struggling to overcome the legacy of the coalition and conservative governments and the results of austerity , Covid and Brexit. The economy suffers from low investment and poor growth . Self imposed fiscal rules and election promises limit room for change .This conference will analyse the reasons for our current predicament and suggest policy solutions.
Panel speakers discussed
• How should progressive policy meet the challenge of a collapsing world order?
• How can inequality, poverty, and precarity be tackled in this new world?
• Can capitalism be repurposed?
• Should monetary and fiscal policy be reformed?
• Can rentierism be constrained and social protection be revived?
• Should the UK re-align with Europe?
• How should the world respond to tariffs and trade wars?
The eminent speakers included Frances Coppola, Yannis Dafermos, Danny Dorling, Angus Hanton, Peter Holmes, Richard Kozul-Wright, Stewart Lansley, John McDonnell MP, Jo Michell, Ozlem Onaran, Ann Pettifor, Kate Pickett, Zack Polanski, Jonathan Portes, Josh Ryan-Collins, Ron Smith, Guy Standing, Heather Stewart, Geoff Tily, Ben Tippet, Yanis Varoufakis (video), Duncan Weldon, Nadia Whittome MP
The full programme is HERE
Speaker bios are HERE
Patrick Allen
Chair, The Progressive Economy Forum
www.progressiveeconomyforum.com
