The 'Preston Model': Frances Northrop of the New Economics Foundation

We’re interviewing key players in the new economy, to:
a) bring their work to a wider audience
b) try to find ways to co-ordinate their efforts
c) stimulate debate
d) help to grow the new economy.

By new economy, we mean an economy whose component parts are democratic and non-extractive, rather than undemocratic and extractive.

Here, Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org chats with Frances Northrop of the New Economics Foundation, about the Preston Model – of local procurement by Preston City Council, an idea that is spreading to other cities around the UK.

Here's a transcript of the interview, with links to organisations mentioned in the video: https://www.lowimpact.org/preston-mod...

Highlights
1. Preston City Council started to look at how they might do things differently and use their own resources to kick-start a different kind of economy. It started through procurement - i.e. how could they procure from local small firms – but also, where there were gaps in the local economy, to start cooperatives.
2. The concept of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ is the same old idea of attracting outside investment, building big, sweeping away the ‘old’, then everything gets gentrified, and there’s less space for more creative networks of smaller businesses and enterprises, and local activity generally.
3. Most councils go with big players like Capita and until recently Carillion, and so that is a massive barrier.