But is does contain a message of hope in some pretty challenging times. It is much more about changing the way we think about economics and society. Those looking to find individual policy solutions in this book will be disappointed.

The book provides a robust challenge to this view. For the last 30 or so years, it has been the accepted wisdom of many politicians and policy makers that these services are best enabled publicly but delivered privately. They cannot simply be 'bought' by an individual but must be decided by society as a whole. These are distinguished by being essentially collective goods. The term foundational may not be in everyday use but what it describes represents the essential fabric of our lives - the essential infrastructure of energy, water, and transport and the essential services of education, health and care. At the heart of the book is the idea of the 'foundational economy', its rise in the municipal era, its fall in the neo liberal era and how it might be renewed again. You do not have to sign up to every individual point made in the book to recognise the power of the overall argument. This original and challenging book sets out a compelling argument for why this is happening. 'There is now a widespread and growing view that the UK economy has ceased to work effectively for ordinary people. John McDonnell, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (2015-20) It underlines the centrality of collectivism and universalism as pillars of a decent society, as well as asking searching questions about the kind of solutions we need to the economic problems of our age.' 'This is an interesting and important contribution to the economic debates going on today. 'A compelling counter-project against neoliberalism: restoring the collective foundations of everyday life.'

Basic economics paperback