The Progressive Economy Forum (PEF) was founded in 2018 to highlight the dangers and failings of austerity, provide alternative progressive policies to rebuild the economy, deconstruct economics myths, explain economics to a wider audience and help coordinate the response of the economics profession to the failure of government policy. At the heart of PEF is a Council of leading economists and academics. Since its foundation PEF has produced policy papers, held workshops and delivered public lectures on current economic problems. Many PEF policies were included in the 2019 manifesto of the Labour Party, including proposals for shorter working hours and a pilot of Universal Basic Income.

In May 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic had already caused many deaths and major damage to the economy as the lockdown measures took effect. Temporary measures were put in place to preserve jobs and business; but it soon became clear that this is the time for a major reappraisal of British economic policy and management, to deal with the legacy of austerity, Covid-19, Brexit and climate change all at once. PEF therefore decided to produce this book to help shape the debate for a new economy.

When we embarked upon the project, our friend and colleague John Weeks, coordinator of PEF, enthusiastically embraced the idea and agreed to be an editor. We had already begun working with him on sketching out the book and choosing authors when, tragically, he died, on 26 July 2020. On hearing of John's death the PEF Council decided without hesitation to dedicate this book to his memory.

John Weeks was Emeritus Professor of Economics at SOAS University of London, and a founder member of PEF. He was the first coordinator of the PEF Council and worked assiduously to promote its success. He attended all the Forum's meetings, lectures, events and workshops; and he contributed many blogs to the website.

John was born in Austin, Texas. He gained an undergraduate qualification in economics at the University of Texas in 1963 and then enrolled at the University of Michigan for a PhD, studying Nigerian industrialization. After completing his doctorate, in 1969, John taught at Ahmadu Bello University in northern Nigeria.