How did the UK transitionfrom being the world's workshop to having the dependent, service-driven economyof today, prone to severe negative shocks and daunting economic challenges? In an urgent reality checkthat will embarrass politicians from all parties, hugely experienced economistsVicky Pryce and Andy Ross track the forces that have shaped the UK economysince the Industrial Revolution. Drawing on extensive front-line policy experience,they tackle complex issues such as the reaction to globalisation and the legacyof deindustrialisation; the responses to Brexit, Covid and the war in Ukraine;the impacts of climate change, inequality and immigration; and whether the lackof investment and low growth of recent years were, in fact, inevitable. Rather than placatingpopulist sentiments with false promises, politicians must now be honest withthe public about the difficult road ahead. After all, there will be no suddeneconomic reset. Advocating pragmatic solutions over political dogma, MismanagedDecline proves that good economics heeds no ideology. At a time of risinggeopolitical uncertainty, this balanced, non-partisan account offers ablueprint for a stronger, fairer and more resilient economy.
