James Robertson
Economics, Money, Society, Environment
James on a speaking tour of Canada in 1977 with his wife Alison
James Robertson (1928-2023)
James was a pioneering thinker who wrote about economics, money, social issues and environmental sustainability.
He started his work life as a civil servant in the Colonial Office and travelled with Prime Minister Harold Macmillan on the historic 'Wind of Change' tour of Africa in 1960.
Disillusioned with the conventional approach to problems taken by Whitehall and big business, he became interested in the convivial-society and small-is-beautiful ideas of thinkers like Ivan Illich and EF Schumacher.
Believing humanity to be at a turning point, he spent the rest of his life writing and lecturing about the need for a transition to more satisfying, just and ecological ways of living and thinking.
Along with his wife Alison, he was a founder of The Other Economic Summit (TOES) and the New Economics Foundation.
Quotes about James
The grandfather of green
economics.
economics.
That most subversive of men, the eminently reasonable revolutionary.
An outstanding example of
a modern thinker at the service of society.
a modern thinker at the service of society.
Books
Future Money
The current debt-based money system drives global crises like poverty and environmental destruction. Reforms such as public money creation and a citizen's income are needed to foster a sustainable, equitable economy.
Beyond the Dependency Culture
The collapse of 20th-century capitalism and socialism reveals a need for individuals and communities to move beyond dependency on dominant business and state institutions toward self-directed, sustainable activities.
Future Wealth
A new economics is needed to encourage a shift to a more self-reliant and conserving economy, promoting policies that foster sustainability and healthy communities.
Future Work
A visionary exploration of how the nature of work might change in response to technological advancement and environmental constraints.
The Sane Alternative
An argument for changing direction to a new kind of future where the frontiers for growth are social and psychological rather than technical and economic.
Power, Money and Sex
The book challenges profit-driven systems, nationalism and outdated sexual roles - and advocates for a balanced redistribution of power on both global and community levels.
Details of all of James's books together with links to pdfs of the texts can be found by clicking on the button below.
Obituaries
Obituaries of James appeared in The Guardian, The Times and The Daily Telegraph.
The Guardian
"Writer, thinker and champion of green economics, monetary reform and new ways of looking at employment."
The Times
"Radical economist who as a civil servant invented the phrase 'wind of change' used by Harold Macmillan in his famous Africa speech."
The Daily Telegraph
"James Robertson, civil servant who coined the phrase 'wind of change' for Harold Macmillan."
About this Website
James set up his website in 2004 and continued adding content to it until 2017.
I worked with him on the website and other projects for many years. He asked me if I would take on the website after his death, which I was delighted to agree to.
The site has had a re-design as its original 2004 look was looking a bit dated. However most of the text on the site is as James wrote it.
There are also a few new pages to record more recent developments.
Francis Miller
A screenshot of James's original website