Hamish McRae

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. He writes the weekly Armchair Economics column for the i newspaper and the City Comment column for The Mail on Sunday. He previously served as a columnist and Associate Editor for The Independent.

Early life and education McRae was born on 20 October 1943 in Devon, England.

Career McRae began his career at the Liverpool Post in 1966 and later worked for The Banker and Euromoney. The World in 2020: Power, Culture and Prosperity, HarperCollins, 1995. Wake-Up Japan (with Tadashi Nakamae), Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1999. What Works: Success in Stressful Times, HarperPress, 2010 – longlisted for the FT/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year. The World in 2050: How to Think About the Future, Bloomsbury, 2022.

Academic appointments and affiliations Visiting professor, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), 1999–2004. Fellow, Academy of Social Sciences, elected 2016. Orwell Fellow, elected 2010.

Recognition Wincott Foundation Financial Journalist of the Year, 1979. David Watt Prize for Political Journalism, 2005. Business and Finance Journalist of the Year, British Press Awards, 2006.

Personal life McRae married journalist and economist Frances Cairncross in 1971. They live in London and have two daughters.