Clare Politics: Highlights

Fiona Millar gave a very warmly received talk on comprehensive education and why it should be defended. A long and interesting discussion followed, with questions about the morality of independent schools, faith schools and streaming among many others.
[Monday 5 February]

Lent term 2007:

Lord Adonis gave a frank, witty and wide-ranging talk on where British politics is now and where it is going. Covering ideology, education and constitutional reform, Lord Adonis both defended the Government's record and added thoughtful insights of his own.
[Thursday 1 Febuary]

Lent term 2007:

Baroness Prosser stimulated much debate with a fascinating talk on feminism and politics and why it still matters in modern Britain. A very lively debate followed with both sides of the argument well represented.Video highlights available
[Tuesday 23 January]

Matthew Parris, honorary patron of the society, was our inaugural speaker. Speaking to a packed room of more than ninety guests, Parris gave a warm and witty overview of the current state of British politics and answered many questions from the audience on topics that ranged from the forthcoming Labour leadership to the relationship between politicians and the press. Video highlights to follow.
[Wednesday 11 October]

Philip Cowley, political scientist and blogger, gave a fascinating talk challenging the commonplace notion that today's MPs are the most supine in history. Dr Cowley explained why our parliamentarians have never been so rebellious and what it means for the future of British democracy. Video highlights available
[Monday 16th October]

Bob Marshall-Andrews addressed the society on the subject of political dissidence, drawing on his own experiences and reflections to produce a talk witty and insightful in equal measure. An excellent complement to Philip Cowley's talk, the meeting was again extremely well attended and provoked much discussion. Video highlights available.
[Thursday 26th October]

Douglas Hurd attracted a huge audience for his talk on the future of the Conservative Party. Challenging the assumption that Cameron's approach to the leadership is the triumph of spin over substance, Lord Hurd provoked a wide range of questions from the audience, from the issue of racism to the fascinating counterfactual of what a Hurd government would have looked like. Video highlights available
[Tuesday 7th November]

Trevor Phillips gave a very well attended talk entitled Politics: Any Colour, So Long As It's White?. A deeply thoughtful examination of the nature of politics, national identity and the role played by race and ethnicity, the talk provoked a wide range of questions and much discussion. Video highlights available
[Monday 13th November]

Peter Lilley drew a large and very engaged crowd for his talk on 'Why poverty isn't history'. Describing some of the dangers and pitfalls that face policy-makers in the field of international development, Peter Lilley suggested ways that aid could be made to work better and looked ahead to the futute with considerable optimism. Video highlights available
[Thursday 16th November]

Anthony Seldon painted a fascinating and unusually human picture of Tony Blair in his talk to Clare Politics, which provoked many searching and thoughtful questions. Video highlights available
[Sunday 19th November]

Shami Chakrabarti spoke passionately about the danger posed to our way of life by calls to restrict liberty in favour of security in a talk that attracted a large audience and provoked a wide range of questions, from the sympathetic to the controversial. Video highlights available
[Tuesday 28th November]