Hamish McRae

Hamish McRae
Born	Hamish Malcolm Donald McRae (1943-10-20) 20 October 1943 (age 81) Devon, United Kingdom
Education	Fettes College, Trinity College Dublin (BA, Economics and Political Science, 1966)
Occupation(s)	Journalist, author, economic commentator
Notable work	The World in 2020, The World in 2050
Spouse	Frances Cairncross ​ (m. 1971)​
Children	2 daughters

Hamish Malcolm Donald McRae (born 20 October 1943) is a British economic journalist, author, and commentator known for his analyses of global economic trends and future forecasts. ^{[1] [2]} He writes the weekly Armchair Economics column for the i newspaper ^[3] and the City Comment column for The Mail on Sunday . ^[4] He previously served as a columnist and Associate Editor for The Independent . ^[5]

Early life and education

McRae was born on 20 October 1943 in Devon, England. ^[1] His family later moved to the Isle of Man and then to Ireland. He attended Fettes College in Edinburgh and studied economics and political science at Trinity College Dublin, graduating with a BA in 1966. ^{[1] [6]}

Career

McRae began his career at the Liverpool Post in 1966 and later worked for The Banker and Euromoney . ^[1] From 1975 to 1989, he was financial editor of The Guardian . ^[1] In 1989 he joined The Independent, where he was a columnist until 2018 and associate editor from 1991 to 2018. ^[5]

Since 2019, McRae has written the weekly Armchair Economics column for the i ^[3] and the City Comment column for The Mail on Sunday. ^[4]

Books

McRae is the author of several works on economics and future studies:

• Capital City: London as a Financial Centre (with Frances Cairncross), Methuen, 1973. ^[7]
• The World in 2020: Power, Culture and Prosperity, HarperCollins, 1995. ^[8]
• Wake-Up Japan (with Tadashi Nakamae), Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1999. ^[9]

• What Works: Success in Stressful Times, HarperPress, 2010 – longlisted for the FT/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year. ^[10]
• The World in 2050: How to Think About the Future, Bloomsbury, 2022. ^{[2] [11]}

Academic appointments and affiliations

• Visiting Professor, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), 1999–2004. ^[1]
• Visiting Professor, Lancaster University, 2005–2010. ^[1]
• Adjunct Professor, Trinity College Dublin, 2012–2015 and 2019–2024. ^[6]
• Council Member, Royal Economic Society, 2005–2010. ^[12]
• Fellow, Academy of Social Sciences, elected 2016. ^[13]
• Orwell Fellow, elected 2010. ^[14]

Recognition

• Wincott Foundation Financial Journalist of the Year, 1979. ^[15]
• David Watt Prize for Political Journalism, 2005. ^[16]
• Business and Finance Journalist of the Year, British Press Awards, 2006. ^[17]

Personal life

McRae married journalist and economist Frances Cairncross in 1971. They live in London and have two daughters. ^[1]

References

1. "McRae, Hamish Malcolm Donald". Who's Who 2025. Oxford University Press. 2025. ISBN   9781399411837.
2. O'Toole, Fintan (11 June 2022). "The World in 2050 review: A work of folly or wisdom?". The Irish Times.
3. "Hamish McRae – Author". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
4. "Hamish McRae – Writing". Hamish McRae official site. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
5. "Hamish McRae – The Independent". The Independent. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
6. "Adjunct staff: Hamish McRae". Trinity College Dublin. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
7. McRae, Hamish; Cairncross, Frances (1973). Capital City: London as a Financial Centre. Methuen. OCLC   1087897.
8. McRae, Hamish (1995). The World in 2020: Power, Culture and Prosperity. HarperCollins. ISBN   9780002551076.
9. McRae, Hamish; Nakamae, Tadashi (1999). Wake-Up Japan. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. OCLC   41465756.
10. "Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year 2010 longlist". Financial Times. 4 August 2010.
11. "The World in 2050 – Reviews". Society of Professional Economists. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
12. "Past Council Members". Royal Economic Society. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
13. "Academy of Social Sciences names 83 new Fellows". Social Science Space. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
14. "Independent journalists nominated for Orwell Prize". The Independent. 25 March 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
15. "Previous Main Award Winners (pre-2014)". Wincott Foundation. 26 December 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
16. "David Watt Prize". Hamish McRae official site. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
17. "Hamish McRae – Orwell Foundation profile". The Orwell Foundation. Retrieved 16 September 2025.