Academy of Ideas

#PodcastOfIdeas: the Grenfell tragedy, the Finsbury Park attack and the DUP

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Alastair Donald, Geoff Kidder and Pauline Hadaway to talk the events of the past week.
Is the public discussion to the Grenfell Tower fire helpful or will it divert attention from some important underlying issues? Why were ministers so quick to label the attack on Muslims in Finsbury Parks as 'terrorism'? What do the Brexit talks and the potential Conservative deal with the DUP mean for Northern Ireland?

#PodcastOfIdeas: further reflections on Election 2017

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Dolan Cummings, Alastair Donald and Claire Fox to discuss the fallout from the General Election.
Can Theresa May survive without an overall majority? Is the strong reaction to a post-election deal with the DUP justified? Has class made a comeback at this election? And how should we view the apparent sharp rise in the youth vote?

#PodcastOfIdeas: the morning after Election 2017

Rob Lyons is joined by Alastair Donald, Claire Fox and Geoff Kidder to discuss the surprise result in the General Election.
Why did May’s gamble fail? What’s behind Labour’s relative success? What does the SNP’s decline mean for Scottish independence? What does it all mean for Brexit?

#PodcastOfIdeas: UK general election - episode 4

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Rob Lyons, Jacob Reynolds and Izzy Lyons to discuss the ramifications of the London Bridge attack for the election, why the opinion polls are so inconsistent, the state of play in Scotland and what people should consider when deciding who to vote for.

#PodcastOfIdeas: UK general election - episode 3

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Claire Fox, Jacob Furedi and Jacob Reynolds to discuss the political response to the Manchester bombing, the pause in the election campaign, the Tories' u-turn on social-care policy and the need to bring the debate back to Brexit.

#PodcastOfIdeas: UK general election - episode 2

As the UK general election gets into full swing, Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Geoff Kidder, Izzy Lyons and Fraser Myers to talk about the latest developments.
Are the local election results any guide to how the country will vote on 8 June? Why are the Conservatives riding high in the polls? Can the Labour Party - or Jeremy Corbyn at least - survive a heavy defeat? And what should we make of the 'progressive alliance' of Labour, Lib Dems, Greens and Scottish Nationalists? Does it amount to anything and can it stop the Tories?

#PodcastOfIdeas: UK general election - episode 1

In the first of a series of podcasts in the run-up to June's general election in the UK, Adam Rawcliffe introduces a discussion with Claire Fox, Alastair Donald and Geoff Kidder.
What do the team think about the decision to call an election? What are the key debates in Election 2017? Are traditional party political considerations relevant at the moment? Indeed, as suggested by the first round of voting in the French presidential election, are the old parties in terminal decline?

Book Launch: Phil Mullan’s Creative Destruction - how to start an economic renaissance

Phil Mullan discusses his latest book, Creative Destruction: How to Start an Economic Renaissance (Policy Press), with Austin Williams, director of the Future Cities Project. This was the official launch of the book.
While governments talk of rebalancing the economy, Mullan talks about a fourth industrial revolution - a revolution that doesn't prioritise holding onto jobs, but "lets the low-productivity parts of the economy go". Discuss.
As Mullan puts it, we have "a zombie economy that is being propped up to ensure the semblance of life". So is it time to turn off the life support, or continue CPR?