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• University expert helps clothes designer measure and tackle their carbon emissions • Upcycler, ‘Missfit Creations’, has saved CO2 equivalent of three tonnes • Call to COP27 to issue a protocol to measure all garments’ environmental impact. 8 November 2022 | Birmingham UK As policymakers at COP27 are to discuss the effects of the fashion industry on the environment, an Aston University scientist has been helping a clothes designer measure and tackle their carbon emissions. Debbie Murphy runs Missfit Creations which provides an alternative to fast fashion. She saves clothes from clogging up landfill by restoring and reworking second-hand and vintage clothing, from de-mob suits and 1970s psychedelia, to the present day. Dr Maria Pimenta da Costa Ocampo, a researcher from the Energy & Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University, has been identifying the impact the business is having on reducing carbon emissions. By analysing the recirculation of second-hand clothes alone, she found Debbie’s current fashion collection has the potential to save the CO2 equivalent of three tonnes – equal in size to at least three semi-detached houses. The support provided to Tamworth-based Missfit Creations was through EBRI's European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme that helps West Midlands companies develop low carbon goods and services. Debbie said: “It was eye-opening to work with Aston University. “I collect and restore a huge amount of old, unwanted clothes that would otherwise have ended up in landfill, so I decided to find out what impact my business has on the environment. “I knew my business would help tackle the effects of fast fashion, but I didn’t realise I’ve been able to prevent the production of so much CO2. “Raising awareness of second-hand clothes over fast fashion, and the increased awareness of clothing care efficiency will help reduce the carbon footprint of the textile industry.” The Aston University report also suggests ways the business can further decrease emissions. As a result, it will be introducing a ‘take-back’ scheme, offering vouchers or exchanges in return for previous purchases. Debbie will also be changing production methods by ensuring all packaging is biodegradable, ironing fabrics less and switching to a more sustainable energy provider. The COP27 fashion charter event (11 November 2022) will explore whether the sector’s planned transformation to net zero is underway, practical solutions that are being applied and what is needed to achieve the goal. However, Dr Pimenta-Ocampo said: “Every single action taken towards the production and recirculation of clothing has an environmental impact. “For example, we calculated that by recirculating vintage clothing, Missfit Creations was reducing CO2 equivalent by almost two tonnes just by diverting clothes from landfill. “And by outsourcing their vintage clothes for cleaning services that don’t use tumble driers, not taking into account transport emissions, Missfit Creations is reducing CO2 equivalent by another one tonne. “There is a great need for the textile industry to monitor and provide accurate data and to become more transparent, specially when global supply chains are involved. “However, the creation of a protocol and standardisation of the Life Cycle Assessment, which measures a product’s environmental impact from raw material to final disposal, is also required. Without it, it will be impossible to produce results that can be representative.”
High quality biodiesel produced from microalgae ‘fed’ on leftover coffee grounds Breakthrough in the microalgal cultivation system Could decrease reliance on palm oil to produce biofuel. Two Aston University researchers have produced high-quality biodiesel after ‘feeding’ and growing microalgae on leftover coffee grounds. Dr Vesna Najdanovic, senior lecturer in chemical engineering and Dr Jiawei Wang were part of a team that grew algae which was then processed into fuel. In just the UK, approximately 98 million cups of coffee are drunk each day, contributing to a massive amount of spent coffee grounds which are processed as general waste, often ending up in landfill or incineration. However the researchers found that spent coffee grounds provide both nutrients to feed, and a structure on which the microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris sp.) can grow. As a result, they were able to extract enhanced biodiesel that produces minimal emissions and good engine performance, and meets US and European specifications. The study, Enhancing growth environment for attached microalgae to populate onto spent coffee grounds in producing biodiesel, appears in the November 2022 issue of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Up till now, algae has been grown on materials such as polyurethane foam and nylon that don’t provide any nutrients. However, the researchers found that microalgal cells can grow on the leftover coffee without needing other external nutrients. They also found that exposing the algae to light for 20 hours a day, and dark for just four hours days created the best quality biodiesel. Dr Najdanovic said: “This is a breakthrough in the microalgal cultivation system. “Biodiesel from microalgae attached to spent coffee grounds could be an ideal choice for new feedstock commercialisation, avoiding competition with food crops. “Furthermore, using this new feedstock could decrease the cutting down of palm trees to extract oil to produce biofuel. “In southeast Asia this has led to continuous deforestation and increased greenhouse gas emissions.” The research was developed in collaboration with colleagues from Malaysia, Thailand, Egypt, South Africa and India. Their work was supported by the 2020-21 Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) block grant funded by the UK Research and Innovation (Aston University).
Research suggests nutrition education should be on the curriculum of all medical students as well as other healthcare professionals Association for Nutrition develops new curriculum ready for medical students Aston University is one of the pioneers in delivering and embedding nutrition education as part of its medical school undergraduate programme. All healthcare professionals should study a curriculum of nutrition education during their studies in order to help better support public health – new paper suggests. Nutritional researchers from Aston University, with colleagues from other universities and leading nutritional groups, worked with the Association of Nutrition (AfN) to help develop a curriculum that can be rolled out amongst all undergraduate medical school students with potential for modules to be taught to other healthcare professional courses. The paper jointly published in the British Journal for Nutrition and BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health examined the development of a new curriculum aimed at undergraduate medical students and made recommendations on its roll out nationally, with a view to it subsequently being implemented into other healthcare courses. The AfN Undergraduate Curriculum in Nutrition for medical doctors has been designed to be presented to medical students as an integral part of their general undergraduate training, making it clear how nutrition interrelates with the study of other systems and contributes to an inclusive understanding of health and disease. Dr Duane Mellor, clinical dietitian and senior lecturer at Aston Medical School at Aston University and co-author on the paper, said: “At present, lifestyle related health problems from living with obesity, through to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and several cancers can all be linked to diet across our communities. Whereas in hospitals around a third of patients coming in can be undernourished. “Nutrition and food play a key role to both keeping us healthy and helping to manage disease, which is why it is imperative we educate our future doctors and other health professionals about the role of nutrition in patient care.” The paper sets out not only the need for nutrition education and the gaps, but how it can be included as part of what is already a very busy and content heavy curriculum. It builds on areas of the curriculum where nutrition could even be used to help teach concepts such as epidemiology. It highlights how historically medical education along with the education of many health professionals not specialising in nutrition often have only a few hours of teaching on the subject. Dr Glenys Jones, deputy chief executive at the Association for Nutrition, who led the curriculum development project and is co-author on the recent paper, said: “Nutrition is a key and modifiable determinant of health and wellbeing, therefore it is essential our future medical and healthcare professionals are equipped to be able to identify when nutrition could be involved in a patient’s condition in order for this to form part of their care. “The curriculum is not designed to turn our doctors into nutritionists or dietitians, but to give them the knowledge and skills to be able to think about whether nutrition could be playing a role and having the confidence and knowledge of who, when and how to refer on to suitable nutrition professionals when this is needed.” Aston University is a pioneer in the key area of nutrition education of the future healthcare workforce. As one of few UK universities with a dietitian or nutritionist as part of the teaching team within its medical school, these skills are now being developed to benefit the training of other health professionals. Dr Mellor added: “As one of a few dietitians and nutritionists embedded into the teaching team at Aston Medical School, we have been able to integrate nutrition across our curriculum. “It is great to be able to highlight how nutrition links to the basic science areas such as biochemistry through to how you can encourage a patient to think about changing their diet in clinical skills". Aston University has also started to explore with the Association for Nutrition the potential need for nutrition education in other professions. From this an outline of a core curriculum for nutrition for a range of health professionals is in development. Dr Mellor also plans to work with colleagues to further develop nutrition teaching at Aston University, thus helping students across subjects such as optometry and pharmacy to gain a better understanding of nutrition and how it impacts on their areas of expertise. For more information about Aston Medical School please visit our website.
Babies react to taste and smell in the womb – new research
Scientists have recorded the first direct evidence that babies react differently to various smells and tastes while in the womb Study took 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women to see how their unborn babies responded to flavours from foods eaten by their mothers The research team, which also included scientists from Aston University, scanned some mothers to see fetal facial reactions to the kale and carrot flavours. Scientists have recorded the first direct evidence that babies react differently to various smells and tastes while in the womb by looking at their facial expressions. A study led by Durham University’s Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, UK, took 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women to see how their unborn babies responded after being exposed to flavours from foods eaten by their mothers. Researchers looked at how the fetuses reacted to either carrot or kale flavours just a short time after the flavours had been ingested by the mothers. Fetuses exposed to carrot showed more “laughter-face” responses while those exposed to kale showed more “cry-face” responses. Their findings could further our understanding of the development of human taste and smell receptors. The researchers also believe that what pregnant women eat might influence babies’ taste preferences after birth and potentially have implications for establishing healthy eating habits. The study is published in the journal Psychological Science. Humans experience flavour through a combination of taste and smell. In fetuses it is thought that this might happen through inhaling and swallowing the amniotic fluid in the womb. Lead researcher Beyza Ustun, a postgraduate researcher in the Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Durham University, said: “A number of studies have suggested that babies can taste and smell in the womb, but they are based on post-birth outcomes while our study is the first to see these reactions prior to birth. “As a result, we think that this repeated exposure to flavours before birth could help to establish food preferences post-birth, which could be important when thinking about messaging around healthy eating and the potential for avoiding ‘food-fussiness’ when weaning. “It was really amazing to see unborn babies’ reaction to kale or carrot flavours during the scans and share those moments with their parents.” The research team, which also included scientists from Aston University, Birmingham, UK, and the National Centre for Scientific Research-University of Burgundy, France, scanned the mothers, aged 18 to 40, at both 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy to see fetal facial reactions to the kale and carrot flavours. Mothers were given a single capsule containing approximately 400mg of carrot or 400mg kale powder around 20 minutes before each scan. They were asked not to consume any food or flavoured drinks one hour before their scans. The mothers also did not eat or drink anything containing carrot or kale on the day of their scans to control for factors that could affect fetal reactions. Facial reactions seen in both flavour groups, compared with fetuses in a control group who were not exposed to either flavour, showed that exposure to just a small amount of carrot or kale flavour was enough to stimulate a reaction. Co-author Professor Nadja Reissland, head of the Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Durham University, supervised Beyza Ustun’s research. She said: “Previous research conducted in my lab has suggested that 4D ultrasound scans are a way of monitoring fetal reactions to understand how they respond to maternal health behaviours such as smoking, and their mental health including stress, depression, and anxiety. “This latest study could have important implications for understanding the earliest evidence for fetal abilities to sense and discriminate different flavours and smells from the foods ingested by their mothers.” Co-author Professor Benoist Schaal, of the National Centre for Scientific Research-University of Burgundy, France, said: “Looking at fetuses’ facial reactions we can assume that a range of chemical stimuli pass through maternal diet into the fetal environment. “This could have important implications for our understanding of the development of our taste and smell receptors, and related perception and memory.” The researchers say their findings might also help with information given to mothers about the importance of taste and healthy diets during pregnancy. They have now begun a follow-up study with the same babies post-birth to see if the influence of flavours they experienced in the womb affects their acceptance of different foods. Research co-author Professor Jackie Blissett, of Aston University, said: “It could be argued that repeated prenatal flavour exposures may lead to preferences for those flavours experienced postnatally. In other words, exposing the fetus to less ‘liked’ flavours, such as kale, might mean they get used to those flavours in utero. “The next step is to examine whether fetuses show less ‘negative’ responses to these flavours over time, resulting in greater acceptance of those flavours when babies first taste them outside of the womb.”
Manuka honey could help to clear deadly drug-resistant lung infection – research
• Scientists develop a potential nebulisation treatment using manuka honey to clear a drug resistant lung infection that can be fatal in cystic fibrosis patients • Aston University researchers combined the antibiotic amikacin with manuka honey as a novel treatment for Mycobacterium abscessus • Using the manuka honey combination resulted in an eight-fold reduction in the dosage of the antibiotic A potential new treatment combining natural manuka honey with a widely used drug has been developed by scientists at Aston University to treat a potentially lethal lung infection and greatly reduce side effects of one of the current drugs used for its treatment. The findings, which are published in the journal Microbiology, show that the scientists in the Mycobacterial Research Group in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University were able to combine manuka honey and the drug amikacin in a lab-based nebulisation formulation to treat the harmful bacterial lung infection Mycobacterium abscessus. Manuka honey is long known to have wide ranging medicinal properties, but more recently has been identified for its broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. Now scientists have found that manuka honey has the potential to kill a number of drug resistant bacterial infections such as Mycobacterium abscessus – which usually affects patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) or bronchiectasis. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, CF is a genetic condition affecting around 10,800 people - one in every 2,500 babies born in the UK -and there are more than 100,000 people with the condition worldwide. The NHS defines bronchiectasis as a long-term condition where the airways of the lungs become widened, leading to a build-up of excess mucus that can make the lungs more vulnerable to infection.. In the study, the researchers used samples of the bacteria Mycobacterium abscessus taken from 16 infected CF patients. They then tested the antibiotic amikacin, combined with manuka honey, to discover what dosage was required to kill the bacteria. As part of the study the team used a lab-based lung model and nebuliser - a device that produces a fine spray of liquid often used for inhaling a medicinal drug. By nebulising manuka honey and amikacin together, it was found they could improve bacterial clearance, even when using lower doses of amikacin, which would result in less life-changing side-effects to the patient. In the UK, of the 10,800 people living with CF, Mycobacterium abscessus infects 13% of all patients with the condition. This new approach is advantageous not only because it has the potential to kill off a highly drug resistant infection, but because of the reduced side effects, benefitting quality of life and greatly improving survival chances for infected CF patients. Mycobacterium abscessus is a bacterial pathogen from the same family that causes tuberculosis, but this bug differs by causing serious lung infections in people (particularly children) with pre-existing lung conditions, such as CF and bronchiectasis, as well as causing skin and soft tissue infections. The bacteria is also highly drug resistant. Currently, patients are given a cocktail of antibiotics, consisting of 12 months or more of antimicrobial chemotherapy and often doesn’t result in a cure. The dosage of amikacin usually used on a patient to kill the infection is 16 micrograms per millilitre. But the researchers found that the new combination using manuka honey, required a dosage of just 2 micrograms per millitre of amikacin - resulting in a one eighth reduction in the dosage of the drug. Until now Mycobacterium abscessus has been virtually impossible to eradicate in people with cystic fibrosis. It can also be deadly if the patient requires a lung transplant because they are not eligible for surgery if the infection is present. Commenting on their findings, lead author and PhD researcher Victoria Nolan said: "So far treatment of Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary infections can be problematic due to its drug resistant nature. The variety of antibiotics required to combat infection result in severe side effects. "However, the use of this potential treatment combining amikacin and manuka honey shows great promise as an improved therapy for these terrible pulmonary infections. “There is a need for better treatment outcomes and in the future we hope that this potential treatment can be tested further.” Dr Jonathan Cox, senior lecturer in microbiology, Aston University said: “By combining a totally natural ingredient such as manuka honey with amikacin, one of the most important yet toxic drugs used for treating Mycobacterium abscessus, we have found a way to potentially kill off these bacteria with eight times less drug than before. This has the potential to significantly reduce amikacin-associated hearing loss and greatly improve the quality of life of so many patients – particularly those with cystic fibrosis. “I am delighted with the outcome of this research because it paves the way for future experiments and we hope that with funding we can move towards clinical trials that could result in a change in strategy for the treatment of this debilitating infection.” Dr Peter Cotgreave, chief executive of the Microbiology Society said: "The Microbiology Society is proud to support the scientific community as it explores innovative solutions to overcome the growing global challenge of antimicrobial resistance. This study demonstrates one of many ways in which microbiologists are pioneering new methods to tackle drug-resistant infections, by incorporating natural products, like manuka honey, into existing therapies." For more information about the School of Biosciences, please visit our website.
Aston University and Partnership Medical shortlisted for knowledge transfer partnership award
Aston University and Partnership Medical (PML) have been shortlisted for an award at the KTP Awards 2022. The partnership has been shortlisted in the category of Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership for its work on a revolutionary automated cleaning system which uses synthetic chemistry to sterilise endoscopes, reducing risks of contamination to patients and lowering rates of mortality. A knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) is a three-way collaboration between a business, an academic partner and a highly qualified researcher , known as a KTP associate. The UK-wide programme helps businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills. Aston University is the leading KTP provider within the Midlands. The KTP Awards recognise the people and partnerships behind the UK’s most inspiring and successful KTP projects. At present there are more than 800 inspiring collaborations happening across the country. Endoscopes are long, thin tubes with a light and camera at one end. Due to the sensitivity of the materials and electronics they cannot be sterilised, opening up high potential for cross infection. Through their automated cleaning system, Aston University and PML achieved industry-leading levels of disinfection, reducing risks of contamination to patients and lowering rates of mortality. The automated prototype and new cleaning materials developed in the KTP produced astonishing results in clinical trials, with a simple five-minute treatment offering deep cleaning levels 1,000 times better than anticipated, providing hygiene levels far superior to those currently possible using conventional manual procedures Mark Smith, executive director of business and regional engagement at Aston University, said: "It’s truly wonderful that Aston University has been formally recognised as a sector leader for knowledge transfer programmes, reflecting the scale and quality of our work with business. Making the shortlist is a recognition of our continued growth and sustained achievements in the knowledge exchange area. “The Aston University and Partnership Medical project has resulted in a far more effective medical cleaning system that ensures that endoscopes are truly sterile, which will ultimately save lives. This is just one example of the University’s real-world support for businesses and their customers. “It is an honour to be considered for best KTP at such a prestigious event, especially when knowledge exchange activity is at a high, with over 800 collaborations happening across the UK.” Partnership Medical Ltd (PML), based in Stoke-on-Trent, are specialists in supplying cleaning equipment and consumables for flexible endoscopes with over 20 years of distributor experience. The company aims to become a leading manufacturer/provider for endoscopic departments in clinics and hospitals worldwide. The Aston University team who worked on the KTP included Dr Andy Sutherland, reader in organic chemistry and member of the Aston Institute of Materials Research, Dr Tony Worthington, associate professor in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases and member of the Biosciences Research Group together with KTP associate, Dr Thien Duong, an expert in synthetic chemistry. The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 12 October in Liverpool and will be streamed online for those unable to attend in person.
Aston University and ADInstruments Ltd (ADI) enter 24-month knowledge transfer partnership to develop ground-breaking animal telemetry system World-leading expertise in neuroscience to help bring game-changing system to market Outcomes of KTP will feed directly into the product hardware and software development, ensuring technological advantage for ADI. Aston University has teamed up with research software experts ADInstruments Ltd (ADI) through a knowledge transfer partnership to develop a revolutionary dual-function wireless telemetry system for neuroscience research that is set to transform how implanted biosensors are used for data generation in animals. Telemetry is the automatic recording and transmission of data from remote or inaccessible sources to an IT system in a different location for monitoring and analysis. ADI has an established reputation for developing, supplying and supporting its customers in specific areas of life science research, particularly in cardiovascular science. The company has recently acquired Kaha Sciences, which has developed ground-breaking telemetry technology that can be used to measure neuroscience-relevant signals in free-moving animals for research. The company is looking to use the KTP to harness the world-leading expertise of Aston University to build their reputation in neuroscience. Mark de Reus, head of support at ADInstruments, said: “The evidence-base of research papers, training and support materials from Aston University will be invaluable in improving the product design, identifying development opportunities and embedding a culture of neuroscience within the company.” A knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) is a three-way collaboration between a business, an academic partner and a highly qualified graduate, known as a KTP associate. The UK-wide programme helps businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills. Aston University is the leading KTP provider within the Midlands. The Aston University team features Professor Gavin Woodhall and Dr Stuart Greenhill from its Pharmacy School’s Pharmacology and Translational Neuroscience Research Group. Professor Woodhall is co-director of the Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) and a neuroscientist who studies epilepsy and schizophrenia in rodent models of disease. Dr Stuart Greenhill is a member of IHN and senior lecturer in neuroscience, with a longstanding track record in developing and deploying novel and difficult mechanisms of recording from brain tissue both in vivo and in vitro. Dr Stuart Greenhill said: “It is a privilege to be involved in the development of this important technology, which will be invaluable to thousands of research groups across the globe, and we are delighted to be able to help the product team realise the potential of this device.”
Potential long-term treatment for asthma found - new research
New approach tackles one of the causes of asthma, not just its symptoms In treated mice, symptoms virtually disappeared within two weeks Further research needed before the treatment can be trialled in humans. A possible way to tackle one of the underlying causes of asthma has been developed by researchers from Aston University and Imperial College London. In tests in mice, the researchers were able to virtually eliminate asthmatic symptoms within two weeks and return their airways to near normal. Just under 5.5 million people in the UK receive treatment for asthma and around 1,200 people die of the disease each year. Asthma causes the airways to become thickened and constricted, resulting in symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath. Current treatments, including steroids, provide short term relief from these symptoms, by either relaxing the airways or reducing inflammation. However, no current drugs address the structural changes asthma makes to the airway and lungs, in order to offer a longer-lasting treatment. Lead researcher, Dr Jill Johnson, from Aston University’s School of Biosciences, said: “By targeting the changes in the airway directly, we hope this approach could eventually offer a more permanent and effective treatment than those already available, particularly for severe asthmatics who don’t respond to steroids. However, our work is still at an early stage and further research is needed before we can begin to test this in people.” The research focused on a type of stem cell known as a pericyte, which is mainly found in the lining of blood vessels. When asthmatics have an allergic and inflammatory reaction, for example to house dust mites, this causes the pericytes to move to the airway walls. Once there, the pericytes develop into muscle cells and other cells that make the airway thicker and less flexible. This movement of the pericytes is triggered by a protein known as CXCL12. The researchers used a molecule called LIT-927 to block the signal from this protein, by introducing it into the mice’s nasal passages. Asthmatic mice that were treated with LIT-927 had a reduction in symptoms within one week and their symptoms virtually disappeared within two weeks. The researchers also found that the airway walls in mice treated with LIT-927 were much thinner than those in untreated mice, closer to those of healthy controls. The team are now applying for further funding to carry out more research into dosage and timing. This would help them to determine when might be the most effective time to administer the treatment during the progress of the disease, how much of LIT-927 is needed, and to better understand its impact on lung function. They believe that, should this research be successful, it will still be several years before the treatment could be tested in people. The research was funded by the Medical Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation and is published in Respiratory Medicine.
Inflation: Simple Causes But a Complicated Cure JULY 2022 We face a wave of strikes, intended to restore the purchasing power of wages in face of inflation. But strikes cannot succeed in restoring everyone’s purchasing power. In the near term, inflation’s impact on living standards can be significantly mitigated only by importing more and so increasing our trade deficit, financed by foreign borrowing. Unwillingness to do that means we are likely to prolong the wave of strikes and so suffer a bruising recession created by restrictive monetary policy. This will cause yet more damage to living standards. However, debt-funded importing of consumption items in order to maintain living standards is poor policy longer-term. It can’t stop the harmful redistribution effects of inflation that are already emerging. Most important, it doesn’t address the longstanding source of our lagging living standards – too little economic growth and economic resilience due to our failure to grow productivity. Without increased productivity, debt-funded consumption repair will cumulate to tomorrow’s fiscal crisis. Therefore, we face a very difficult policy challenge. We must act to support living standards over the next year or two, mitigate the social problems that inflation is already causing and, simultaneously, divert our priorities (and our continuing borrowing) to foster much improved productivity growth. Causes This is a simple story. Today’s inflation demonstrates that we are poorer than we were three years ago. The value of what we, collectively, produce and earn, has shrunk, relative to the cost of the things that we seek to consume. Inflation constricts our consumption options to what we can now afford. We are poorer for two reasons. First, because we produce and earn less domestically, and second, because the things that we don’t produce but import have become scarcer, forcing us to pay more to get them. • Brexit caused an immediate and seemingly permanent devaluation of Sterling, raising the costs of everything that we import. It also seemingly permanently reduced our exports to the EU, our largest trading partner. No new trade possibilities are similar in scale, so there is a long-term loss of income. Moreover, increased non-tariff barriers have raised the cost of imports from the EU beyond the exchange rate effect. • The pandemic has reduced the worldwide supply of all sorts of goods, therefore raising their prices. This is due to supply chain problems, the zero-Covid China lockdown, the reduction in UK output because a significant portion of the population is out with Covid at any time. Crops are left rotting in the fields because there aren’t enough domestic agricultural workers and, of course, no more EU farm workers. • The war in Ukraine has escalated the costs of energy and food grains. In the future it will propel redirection of domestic resources to the production of war material, which is not edible. Consequences Inflation not only makes us, collectively, poorer, it differentially distributes the pain. • Everyone in the UK could go on strike to try to raise their wages enough to maintain their real consumption. But as the pie has shrunk, that is impossible. The extra money people get will simply chase the same, smaller amount available and the prices of goods and services will rise further. If the ensuing price rises provoke further wage increases, we chase our tails. This is the wage/price spiral that the Bank of England fears. • Some groups have more wage bargaining power than others. Perhaps the railway unions can indeed hold the country to ransom and regain their purchasing power. But then others, less empowered than railway workers, will become greater losers. • Inflation causes a flight to real assets – houses, commodities – whose values float up with the price level. Because ownership of real assets is very unequally distributed, the asset-rich minority is likely to come out better than before while the asset-poor majority lose even more. The purchasing power of people living on fixed-return assets such as retirement annuities would be devastated by a wage/price spiral. Similarly, as interest rates rise with the price level (or even faster if the Bank of England has its way), debtors on floating rate loans will be hit hard. • Different geographic areas have different mixes of people who would be gainers and losers from a wage/price spiral, exacerbating our substantial regional inequalities. Cure Part 1: Near-Term Mitigation How is it possible to offset the fall in current consumption which is provoking the wage/price spiral? People can consume more than they earn only by borrowing. The key is how that borrowing is undertaken. Households could borrow from private UK lenders, or the state could sell bonds to UK citizens and give the proceeds to other UK citizens to spend. But if all they can spend it on is the total value of UK output, that pie is shrinking. More money from borrowing would only raise prices, that is, add to inflation. Total UK consumption can exceed the value of UK output only if the extra is imported. Because the imports are paid for in another currency, borrowing to pay for those imports must be borrowing from foreign sources. The debt (public and private) that the UK owes others must rise by the value of the excess consumption. However, consuming more today by adding to our overseas debt isn’t a miracle cure. • Not everything can be imported. Domestic services of all types are provided, well, domestically. GP visits and houses and hotel rooms and haircuts will cost more as a result of wage inflation, no matter the amount of net foreign borrowing. These price increases will continue to provide some impetus to a wage/price spiral and make it more likely that the Bank of England will end up pushing the economy into recession to stop it. • The problem with debt is that you have to pay it back, and in the meantime, you pay interest on it. More consumption today means surrendering a greater amount of potential consumption in the future. Only if there is strong UK productivity growth will this foreign debt repayment not cause significant future trouble. Sadly, the UK has lagged in productivity growth among advanced economies for many years. Cure Part 2: A More Productive Economy The policy most likely to maintain social cohesion in the near term, and greater prosperity in the longer term, is a tricky two-step. We need to borrow to defend most people’s consumption in the next year or two, but then switch the budget to support growth and productivity-enhancing investment. Unless we do this, our debt repayment obligations will grow to unmanageable levels and meanwhile our level of consumption will continue to shrink relative to that of our peers. Our political system has not been good at tricky two-steps. It can manage short-term stimulus, funded by debt. But for decades the UK has failed to invest sufficiently in physical, technological and human capital to create productivity comparable to our peers. The inflation crisis is a call to action. Not only to mitigate current deterioration in living standards but to build a modern economy that sustains rising living standards into the future.
Podcast: The nine behavioural habits needed to become a trusted executive
Executive trust model designed by business author who researched Doctorate at Aston Business School Nine behaviours sit under the three pillars of trust: ability, integrity and benevolence Company bosses urged to follow example of former Unilever chief executive Successful business leaders need to rely on the power of trust, rather than just trusting in power. And helping them to make that step-change is a self-confessed “trust geek” who carried out his research at Aston Business School before setting up a not-for-profit organisation to help bosses become “trusted executives”. Dr John Blakey has published a book called The Trusted Executive: Nine Leadership Habits that Inspire Results, Relationships and Reputation, which was based on his Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA). He has since founded the Trusted Executive Foundation, based in Solihull but with clients all over the UK and overseas. He spoke about his experiences in the latest episode of the ‘Aston means business' podcast series, presented by journalist Steve Dyson. Dr Blakey said: “The global financial crisis of 2008-09 was clearly a sign that we were losing trust in business life, and that’s what sparked me to enrol on the DBA at Aston University. I wanted to go back into the classroom and do the research to get to grips with this word ‘trust’, and to help other leaders who are looking to build high-trust cultures.” He said it was important for businesses to know where their leaders stand, and “whether you stand for power or trust as the currency of your leadership”. He explained that every leader therefore needs to ask themselves a very important question: “Are they leaders who trust in power or leaders who rely on the power of trust?” Dr Blakey, who first began his own business in executive coaching with Olympic medal-winning rower Bill Barry over 20 years ago, admitted to being a “bit of a trust geek”. While existing research had discovered the three pillars of trust, namely ability, integrity and benevolence, he set out to build on that to find out the “behavioural habits” under each one. He added: “Each habit is important in terms of building and inspiring trustworthiness, whether in a leader, in a team, or in a brand.” Dr Blakey said the habits under the pillar of ability are deliver, coach, and be consistent. “As a business leader it’s important to be competent at what we do, to deliver on time, to budget, to quality,” he said. “Coaching is all about helping other people deliver ... through coaching I can tap into the potential in people and help them grow, and I have to do this delivery and this coaching consistently, day in, day out.” Dr Blakey said that as a researcher not a week goes by without a new case study around integrity, not least that of Boris Johnson and the leadership of the Conservative Party. “There are three habits under this pillar of integrity: be honest, be open, be humble. And when we talk about our political leaders, I think we are particularly talking about honesty, as we have been quizzing our prime minister around his honesty.” He said being open was about “sharing more of yourself” and went on: “I was brought up as a leader not to show weakness … but I think increasingly in the world of trust leaders are being encouraged to show a bit of vulnerability at the right time and place.” Being humble was the opposite of being arrogant, and Dr Blakey cited the recent case of P&O whose leaders, he claimed, showed a “degree of arrogance and dismissiveness about other people’s needs”. The final pillar of benevolence consists of evangelise, be brave, and be kind. He said: “It’s common human care, compassion, kindness, and if you want to be trusted, it’s equally important to be benevolent as it is to have that integrity.” Dr Blakey said a good example of his model is Paul Polman, former chief executive of Unilever, which was recognised for the way it takes care of its people, while also leading on sustainability and protecting the environment. “Paul demonstrates that you can pursue what I call the triple bottom line of profit, people and planet, and do these things in parallel. The single biggest factor in building a high-trust culture is the behaviour of the CEO and the senior leadership team leading by example.” Dr Blakey said he and his team at the Trust Executive Foundation are now helping leaders who want to stand for trust. He added: “The sweet spot for us is helping the leaders lead from the top.”