Events

Douglas Carswell MP to lead the debate on change at Politeia on 4th June

As people, across the UK, seem increasingly disenchanted with big party politics, is it sensible to look to Westminster for change? Many MPs are themselves concerned at the trend in parliamentary government.

In the coming months, Politeia’s new series, Breaking the Mould, will feature a group of leading backbench politicians. They will focus on some of the questions central to Britain’s future success and at the heart of how we are governed. 

The first event will be on Tuesday 4th June when Douglas Carswell MP will speak on The Failure of “Osbrown Economics".

Douglas Carswell has been Member of Parliament for Harwich and then for Clacton since 2005. He is an advocate of political reform and has been outspoken on a wide range of issues including localism, criminal justice, and the European Union.

The Government's draft proposals for the history curriculum have  prompted a lively response from academic historians and the teaching profession. History, it is clear, matters, and Politeia's curriculum series has itself encouraged fresh discussion in the press (click here to read media coverage).

On Thursday 11th April the authors of  Politeia’s History in the New Curriculum joined us to discuss the government's draft framework and Politeia's response. Are ministers broadly right that history matters? Should the history of this country take precedence and how far should the curriculum cover European or World history? How ambitious should the time frame be?

David Abulafia FBA is Professor of Mediterranean History at the University of Cambridge and contributed to History in the New Curriculum

Jonathan Clark is Hall Distinguished Professor of British History at the University of Kansas and contributed to History in the New Curriculum

Robert Tombs is Professor of French History at the University of Cambridge, author of Lessons from History and contributed to History in the New Curriculum.

The seminar marked the publication of Politeia's formal response to the consultation.

Politeia’s economic series considers the serious questions which policymakers in the UK, and overseas, must address if western economies are to recover and compete globally.

Themes covered in the series include:

• Fiscal stability
• Structural economic reform
• Levels of tax and public spending consistent with growth

These, and more, are all considered by a distinguished authorial team of economists. Recent studies have included:

Going for Growth: The best course for sustained economic recovery by Dr Norbert Hoekstra, Dr Ludger Shuknecht and Dr Holger Zemanek.

Realistic Recovery: Why Keynesian Solutions Will Not Work, by Prof Vito Tanzi.

Recent events have included:

A Diverse Economy - Diverse Business Models with The Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP

Cutting Tax - and costs - to Business with Dr Ludger Schuknecht, David Gauke MP, and Alister Heath

Economics vs Politics in the USA - will the politicians get in the way of US growth? with Dr Irwin Stelzer

Commercialising Scientific Inventions with Sir Gregory Winter

The UK’s recovery will depend on the strength of British business and its success in competing for markets at home and overseas. Whatever its size — small, medium, or large — business needs the right conditions to do well: a competitive tax system, freedom from strangling regulation from the UK or the EU; access to credit and a labour market which encourages employment and the able and entrepreneurial to find and keep jobs.

What steps are needed if policy is to encourage such recovery? On 25th March, the Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, delivered Politeia’s Spring Address.  Discussing the priorities for policy if business is to recover and grow, he considered the concerns of business, including tackling both poor and over-regulation, accessing finance, and competing in a global market.