Kate Andrews

One of the first journalists to warn about the risks of inflation, Kate Andrews - a recent addition to the fraternity of economics journalists - has been a distinctive and invaluable voice in a year of financial turmoil. Never afraid to go against the grain, her analysis often opens new windows in familiar subjects, and her insights are now sought out by over 60,000 subscribers to her weekly economics newsletter.

This year, when school buildings started caving in, the common narrative was to blame austerity. In The Spectator’s cover piece ‘Broken Britain’ (September 2023) Kate revealed how the state is spending (and taxing) more than ever, but the money was squandered on pet projects while the basics were neglected.

After sounding the alarm bell on inflation back in Spring 2021, Kate’s cover story on the era of rising rates, ‘Crash Test’, (March 2023) built upon those insights, highlighting the myriad of areas that are now vulnerable to rising rates.

One of those vulnerabilities, mortgages, became one of the biggest economic and political stories of the year. In her cover piece ‘Home Truths’ (June 2023), Kate revealed how the government came up with its strategy for dealing with the economic crisis, and detailed the extent to which another economic problem – the housing crisis – was worsening the mortgage crunch.

Her ability to foresee impending financial challenges, and her dedication to informing the public with accessible, fact-based and rigorous analysis makes Kate a leader in economic journalism. Her analysis is sought out across the media. Her work challenges unexamined ideas about the economy and compels readers to think more critically about the UK’s financial situation and how to improve it, making her contributions an invaluable resource for policymakers and the public.