Yesterday afternoon, Thomas and I completed the task of making 21 videos in nine days. In fact, so great was our enthusiasm that we created some spares just in case. It was a mighty effort, and a lot of fun, not least because some of that stuff has already been published with surprising success.

We did not expect the videos we produced on charity shops and the concept of enough being enough to be viewed many tens of thousands of times, but both have been, with 63,000 and 83,000 views respectively.

The video version of my commentary on the FT's demand that the government impose the cost of the current supposed bond crisis on those least able to bear it has been viewed well over 100,000 times. Yesterday's video on the risk of a crash in October is running not far behind it.

After a very quiet August, it would appear that the world has woken up again.

At the same time, my decision to broaden our approach seems to be paying dividends. Not only have I found it easier to create scripts, the YouTube feedback has been strong, traffic on Substack has grown, and that here is growing to near pre-summer levels. Whilst I enjoyed the summer, from my viewpoint as a content creator (a job I could hardly have imagined having when I graduated in 1979), all of this is welcome.

This suggests there is interest in the issues we wish to discuss at our event in Ely in just four weeks' time. Most of the tickets for this are sold, and the few that are remaining will be made available on YouTube on Monday, if no one grabs them in the meantime. If you would like to attend this event, we are now selling the remaining tickets on Eventbrite, and the details are here:

Funding the Future, which I direct, is holding an event at the Poets House Hotel in Ely, Cambridgeshire, on 3 October 2026.

This event will be an interactive opportunity for people to hear and share opinions on how we can tackle the political and economic crisis we are facing, including those created by climate change, with a focus on finding ways to effect change.

Because attendance numbers will be limited, there will also be an opportunity for discussion during coffee and tea breaks, and possibly after the event ends.

The day starts at noon and will end at about 17.15. Tea and coffee will be provided. Attendees can purchase other refreshments from the hotel.

The day in more detail

The day's events will be split into three sessions.

John Christensen, who co-founded the Tax Justice Network with me, will chair each session. We worked together in that organisation for more than a decade and have done so on other projects ever since.

The first session will begin with an overview of the current political economy. I will present this. It will be followed by a discussion so that participants can express their concerns, experiences, and hopes.

The second session will involve Richard and John discussing their experience of solution-focused campaigning, as developed during their period in the Tax Justice Network. The core element of this is that the campaigning is for something rather than against whatever it is that is felt might be wrong. In discussion, we hope to develop some conclusions about what we might want to campaign for.

The third session will be an opportunity for questions and answers, with the aim of creating a potential agenda for change around which some may agree.

The event costs £45, but a couple of tickets are available at £30 if the full price is an obstacle to attendance, and we have one free ticket available for a young person. Please apply via a Substack message for these. Otherwise, event details are available here, and you can book through that link. Numbers are limited, and last time we did this, we sold out and had many people on a waiting list, so it is first come, first served.

I look forward to meeting you.

PDF of article