Following the 2019 general election, the APPG on Limits to Growth held its Reconstitution and Annual General Meeting on 26 February 2020, 9am in Portcullis House.
With Caroline Lucas MP (Green Party) as confirmed chair and Clive Lewis MP (Labour) as vice-chair, our elected officers include Baroness Claire Tyler (Liberal Democrats), Sir Peter Bottomley MP (Conservatives) and Alison Thewliss MP (SNP).
Wellbeing Economy
The theme of our first meeting this year was the Wellbeing Economy.
Economists have known about the failings of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for decades. Yet government policy remains firmly focussed on GDP growth as its primary indicator of national performance, often to the detriment of other environmental and social priorities. Various attempts have been made to overcome this impasse by developing alternatives measures and proposing different models of economic development. How useful are these alternatives? Will they help us overcome our ‘growth dependency’? What needs to happen next to make progress?
A specifically prepared briefing paper—presented to the group by CUSP director Prof Tim Jackson—is highlighting some alternatives to the conventional approach to measuring social progress, and presenting a three-fold strategy for moving beyond GDP.
Further expert contributions were provided by Peter Schmidt, rapporteur to the European Economic and Social Committee’s recent ‘own initiative opinion’ on The sustainable economy we need, and Lisa Hough-Stewart, communications lead for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WeAll)—focusing her remarks on the need for new economic narratives, and the role of policy makers in helping shape those narratives, and giving details of the Wellbeing Economy Governments initiative (WEGo) which has Scotland, Iceland and New Zealand collaborating towards their shared goal of promoting economies based on wellbeing.
A robust and positive discussion followed the presentations, with clear interest and in-depth understandings of wellbeing economy ideas from all attendees and encouraging suggestions for driving the agenda forward at UK level.
Members in attendance were Jonathan Ashworth MP, Baroness Natalie Bennett, Sir Peter Bottomley MP, Deidre Brock MP, Patrick Grady MP, Claire Hanna MP, Rupa Huq MP, Danny Kruger MP, Ben Lake MP, Clive Lewis MP, Alex Sobel MP, Alison Thewliss MP and Baroness Claire Tyler.
Links
- Caroline Lucas has raised an Early Day Motion in Parliament in support of the findings of the EESC formal opinion mentioned above, and the principles of a wellbeing economy. This motion is backed by MPs across the political spectrum. (If you think your MP should sign it too, consider writing to them.)
- Please also keep an eye out for the House of Lords debate secured by Baroness Claire Tyler for the 12 March: On ‘the case for the government to use wellbeing as a key indicator of national performance when setting budgets, deciding policy priorities and reviewing the effectiveness of policy goals’.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group provides a platform for cross-party dialogue on shared and lasting prosperity in a world of environmental, social and economic limits. For enquiries, please get in touch via email at appg@cusp.ac.uk.