Writer and columnist Will Hutton is set to put his case for a fairer society in Britain, in a free public lecture at the University of Bath on Friday 4 March.
Mr Hutton is executive vice-chair of The Work Foundation and a leading economics commentator in the national and international media.
He passionately believes that Britain needs a radical transformation: from its political system, media and over-reliance on big finance; to the values we live by.
At the lecture, which is part of the Bath Literature Festival, he will take topics from his latest book, Them and Us, to explore politics, greed and inequality and make the case for ‘good capitalism’.
Mr Hutton believes that Britain’s future lies with its entrepreneurs. He will speak about the role of universities in fostering the entrepreneurship and innovation that he says ‘will be the making of the country’.
Mr Hutton said: “Bankers created a gambling culture without moral borders, and enjoyed disproportionate personal rewards disconnected from any economic and social reality. The country has paid an enormous price for running its capitalism so unfairly.
“Britain in 2011 is at a crossroads. Big finance and the property boom proved to be a gamble that didn’t pay off. But new possibilities, driven by science and technology are creating fantastic opportunities, and if the country doesn’t seize the moment, we risk becoming an economic backwater.”
Mr Hutton is currently the chair of the Commission on Ownership which is examining to what extent and how ownership matters, which is due to deliver its findings in autumn 2011. He also leads the Public Sector Fair Pay Review, which published its interim report on 1 December 2010.
He is a governor of the London School of Economics, where he is also a visiting professorial fellow at the Centre for Global Governance.
He began his career in the City, as a stockbroker and investment analyst before moving to the BBC, where he worked both on radio, as a producer and reporter, and on TV as economics correspondent for Newsnight.
Prior to joining The Work Foundation, Mr Hutton spent four years as editor-in-chief of The Observer, for which he continues to write a weekly column. He also regularly contributes to The Guardian and the Financial Times.
He has published a number of best-selling books: The State We’re In; The State to Come, The Stakeholding Society, On The Edge (with Anthony Giddens); The Writing on the Wall: China and the West in the 21st Century; and his latest book Them and Us.
The lecture will be held at the Claverton Campus on Friday 4 March at 2.15pm in 6 West South. This is a free event but please contact Paula McGrane to reserve a ticket.