Ian Mean (SNJ 10th of July 2024) echoes nearly all politicians in putting economic growth as their major political objective.

He and they know in the heart of their hearts, though they often suppress the thought, that, one day, economic growth will come to an end. Moreover, accumulation of money does not of itself lead to greater well-being of the people.

Money has the potential to do so but too much is being spent on private jets, luxury yachts and watering golf courses in the desert rather than on putting more and better quality food on the tables of the less well-off.

Increase in GDP is too often used as the measure of economic growth.

The relative ease of expressing this in numbers means that little work is done in developing other measures of growth such as increases in health and happiness of the whole population.

Such increases will surely be the ultimate goals if the world is to become a better place.

The need to be able to measure achievement of these goals is often discussed but little is done about it.

The difficulty of the task is one reason for this, but another, I think, is pressure from the powerful who fear that their level of consumption might reduce if growth in health and well-being benefitting all were to be pursued more vigorously.

Stephen Moore

Stroud