Philippe Legrain
Encyclopedia
Philippe Legrain is a British economist and writer. He specialises in global and European economic issues, notably globalisation, migration and the post-crisis world.
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; Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them was shortlisted for the 2007 Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award
, and Aftershock: Reshaping the World Economy After the Crisis.
In February 2011, the president of the European Commission
, José Manuel Barroso, appointed him as a principal adviser and head of the analysis team at the Bureau of European Policy Advisers, the president's personal think-tank.
Before that, Philippe was a visiting fellow at the European Institute of the London School of Economics
, a senior fellow at the Lisbon Council for Economic Competitiveness and Social Renewal and a contributing editor to Prospect magazine. A commentator for BBC
TV and radio, he has written for various newspapers and magazines, including the FT
, The Guardian
, The Times
, The Independent
, the Wall Street Journal Europe and the New Statesman
. He is a major advocate of freer international migration, globalisation, the euro
and a land value tax
.
Philippe has also been trade and economics correspondent for The Economist
, special adviser to WTO director-general Mike Moore, and chief economist and director of policy for the pro-European
pressure group, Britain in Europe
.
He holds a BSc in Economics and an MSc in Politics of the World Economy, both from the London School of Economics
.
Early life and background
Legrain was born on 29 October 1973. His father is French and his mother Estonian American. They met in New York and married in 1969. They moved to London where Phillippe was born and he considers himself British though cosmopolitan in outlook. He likes house and electro music and his favourite DJs are Mark Westhenry and Sander Kleinenberg.Career
Philippe is the author of three books: Open World: The Truth about Globalisation, which is a counter-argument to Naomi Klein'sNaomi Klein
Naomi Klein is a Canadian author and social activist known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalization.-Family:...
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No Logo
No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies is a book by Canadian author Naomi Klein. First published by Knopf Canada in January 2000, shortly after the 1999 WTO Ministerial Conference protests in Seattle had generated media attention around such issues, it became one of the most influential books...
; Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them was shortlisted for the 2007 Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award
Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award
Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award is an annual award given to the best business book of the year as determined by the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs. It aims to find the book that has ‘the most compelling and enjoyable insight into modern business issues.’ The...
, and Aftershock: Reshaping the World Economy After the Crisis.
In February 2011, the president of the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, José Manuel Barroso, appointed him as a principal adviser and head of the analysis team at the Bureau of European Policy Advisers, the president's personal think-tank.
Before that, Philippe was a visiting fellow at the European Institute of the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, a senior fellow at the Lisbon Council for Economic Competitiveness and Social Renewal and a contributing editor to Prospect magazine. A commentator for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV and radio, he has written for various newspapers and magazines, including the FT
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, the Wall Street Journal Europe and the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
. He is a major advocate of freer international migration, globalisation, the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
and a land value tax
Land value tax
A land value tax is a levy on the unimproved value of land. It is an ad valorem tax on land that disregards the value of buildings, personal property and other improvements...
.
Philippe has also been trade and economics correspondent for The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, special adviser to WTO director-general Mike Moore, and chief economist and director of policy for the pro-European
Pro-European
Pro-European is a subjective term applied to a person who supports the idea of European unification and generally supports further 'deepening' of European integration, specifically in the context of political argument over the current and future status of the EU and its policies.-The Pro-European...
pressure group, Britain in Europe
Britain in Europe
Prior to August 2005, Britain in Europe was the main British pro-European pressure group. Despite connections to Labour and the Liberal Democrats, it was a cross-party organisation with supporters from many different political backgrounds...
.
He holds a BSc in Economics and an MSc in Politics of the World Economy, both from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.