Owning the Future: Power and Property in an Age of Crisis

A radical manifesto for the transformation of post-pandemic politics

The question of ownership is the critical fault line of our times. During the pandemic this issue has only become more divisive. Since March 2020 we have witnessed the extraordinary growth of asset manager capitalism and the explosive concentration of wealth within the hands of the already super-rich. This new oligarchy controls every part of our social and economics lives.

In the face of crisis, the authors warn that mere redistribution within current forms of ownership is not enough; our goal must be to go beyond the limits of the current system, dominated by private enclosure and unequal ownership. Only by reimagining how our economy is owned and by whom can we address the crises of our time - from the fallout of the pandemic to ecological collapse - at their roots.

Building from this insight, the authors argue the systemic change we need hinges on a new era of democratic ownership: a reinvention of the firm as a vehicle for collective endeavour and meeting social needs. Against the new oligarchy of the platform giants, a digital commons that uses our data for collective good, not private profit. In place of environmental devastation, a new agenda of decommodification - of both nature and needs - with a Green New Deal and collective stewardship of the planet’s natural wealth. Together, these proposals offer a road map to owning the future, and building a better world.

Adrienne Buller is a Senior Research Fellow at Common Wealth. Previously, she worked at InfluenceMap researching and writing on the intersection of climate change and finance. Adrienne’s writing and work has appeared in the Guardian, Jacobin, The New Statesman, New Left Review and the FT, among others; she is also an experienced media performer, appearing regularly on both TV and radio.  

Mathew Lawrence is founder and Director of Common Wealth, a think tank that designs ownership models for a democratic and sustainable economy. He is the co-author of Planet on Fire. Mathew’s writing and work has appeared in the Guardian, the Nation, The Economist, The New Statesman, and the FT, among others; he is also an experienced media performer, on both TV and radio.