The Euro crisis seems to be stable (for now). The British economy has ticked back into some form of life. Osborne is still on Plan A. But do we really have a handle on what is going on? Is the West still in a long term process of decline? What’s happened to Brazil? Will UK budget cuts leave nasty scars or spur new growth? If things are so bad then is foreign aid a luxury too far? Above all, what comes first? Being equal or being wealthy?

Introduced by Angus Kennedy, head of external relations, Academy of Ideas; convenor, The Academy; author, Being Cultured: in defence of discrimination (forthcoming)