From former industrial powerhouses to struggling rural towns, left behind places exist everywhere – and the gap between them and wealthier regions is only growing. Why do some places thrive while others decline? And what can we do to turn things around?

World-renowned economist Paul Collier has spent his career studying communities that have been written off by conventional economic thinking. In Left Behind, he argues that outdated policies and blind faith in market forces have failed the very people they were meant to help. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

At The Conduit, Collier will be joined in conversation by Jason Cowley, former editor-in-chief of The New Statesman, to explore real-world success stories of struggling regions that found a way back—and explain how local leadership, smart investment, and a fresh economic approach can create a fairer, more prosperous future.

Event Schedule

6:00pm: Pre-event socialising and networking

A cash bar will be available for refreshments.

6:15pm: Event begins

7:30pm: Event ends

Speakers:

Paul Collier is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government. He is the author of The Future of Capitalism (Handesblatt Prize) and The Bottom Billion (Arthur Ross Prize) both widely translated. He works with governments and communities around the world. A communitarian, he was awarded the Adam Smith Prize by Glasgow’s Philosophical Society (2023) and the Global Citizenship Award by Belgium’s cooperative movement (2018).

Jason Cowley is a journalist, magazine editor and writer. He is a commentator, feature writer and book reviewer for the Sunday Times and was editor-in-chief of the New Statesman from 2008-2024.