ECU works to accelerate the transition to a fair, sustainable, prosperous, and resilient economy by building political and public support for change here in the UK, and growing the power and impact of the movement of people and organisations working together to achieve it in the UK and internationally.
Currently, the UK’s profoundly unjust economicmodel drives a complex web of intersecting economic, environmental, social, and political harms, such as poverty, inequality, ecosystem destruction, the growing and imminent threat of climate catastrophe and weak democratic institutions.
Many of these harms are felt by people and communities here in the UK, but a far greater proportion are felt by people and communities in the global South. This is because of how our economy is still strongly embedded in and benefitting from the global networks and processes of exploitation of and extraction from global South countries first established under colonialism.
In 2022, we launched a campaign to address the structural drivers of the UK cost of living crisis in collaboration with the New Economics Foundation and Tax Justice UK. Stop the Squeeze is a coalition of civil society groups who are calling on the government to tackle the cost of living crisis by guaranteeing affordable, clean energy for everyone, ensuring everyone has access to a Living Income, and reforming the tax system with higher taxes on wealth.
Our website New Economy Brief (NewEconomyBrief.net) provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for ideas, analysis and policy proposals on how we can build a fair, sustainable, prosperous and resilient economy. It brings together in one place work from a wide variety of credible sources, including think tanks, research institutes, international institutions, trade unions, business groups, and civil society organisations and campaigns. We publish a weekly Digest of the latest news and analysis, sent free to subscribers.
Sarah joined ECU in March 2021. She was formerly Director of Jubilee Debt Campaign, a UK charity working to stop debt causing poverty and inequality in the UK and globally. Before that, she led policy development, campaigns and coalition-building on climate change, corporate accountability and trade for Friends of the Earth UK and Friends of the Earth International. She has a BA in geography from the University of Oxford and a Masters in international politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies. She is a founding board member of Tax Justice UK, and a trustee of Transparency International and the Barry Amiel Norman Melburn Trust.
Pete joined ECU in October 2021. He was formerly Director of Finance & Operations at Earthwatch Europe, a charity connecting people and the natural world by engaging the public in research. He previously held a similar role for Plunkett Foundation, a community ownership organisation, and has worked in finance teams around the world. He trained as an accountant in the private sector and has been a qualified management accountant since 2008. Pete is also Treasurer of Sumatran Orangutan Society.
Tom is a public affairs and communications specialist. He joined ECU in November 2021. Previously he worked as Senior Public Affairs Officer for the trade union Prospect, where he led their political and influencing work. Tom worked in Parliament for over five years for a number of MPs as a researcher, policy advisor and speechwriter. Originally from Warwickshire, Tom holds a BA in History from the University of Cambridge and an MSC in Democracy and Comparative Politics from UCL.
Natasha is a facilitator, campaigner and coalition-builder. She joined ECU in January 2022. She was formerly Head of Campaigning at the RSPB and Head of Movement Building at The Climate Coalition. She has led a number of cross-sector campaigns on nature and climate, with a particular focus on building relationships and ways of working across movements and coalitions, including in the lead up to COP26. Originally from Norfolk but wishing she was Welsh, she has a BA Hons in Philosophy and Literature from Exeter University, and worked a year in industry at a major Dutch tech company.
Megan joined ECU in November 2021. She has a background in public affairs, policy and campaigning. Previously she worked as Head of Political Engagement for Drive Forward Foundation, leading campaigns on improving conditions for young people leaving the care system. Prior to this, she worked in Parliament for several MPs as a researcher. Megan is originally from Leeds and holds a BSc in Sociology from the University of Bristol. She is in the process of completing an MSc in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Birkbeck, University of London.
George became Programme Officer at ECU in January 2021, having originally joined as an intern. George previously worked as a researcher for the Centre for Local Economic Strategies. Originally from the Wirral on Merseyside, George holds a first class BA in philosophy, politics and economics and an MA in social and political thought, both from the University of Leeds.
To get in touch, contact us on info@econchange.org.