DEBATE: Will character matter more than policy detail in the Tory leadership contest? June 25, 2019 Will character matter more than policy detail in the Tory leadership contest? Alex Deane, a Conservative commentator, says YES. Our members aren’t going to cast their votes based on policy minutiae. Plainly, whether or not you think that they should, they’ll be voting on character. When I say “character”, I don’t mean it in the [...]
DEBATE: Would Rory Stewart be a good Prime Minister to lead the UK through Brexit? June 18, 2019 Would Rory Stewart be a good Prime Minister to lead the UK through Brexit? Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle, says YES. To make a success of Brexit at this late stage in the game, our new Prime Minister will have to do more than negotiate a good deal with the EU. He must – [...]
DEBATE: Should we be concerned about our freedoms as the UK is placed fourth in the Nanny State Index? May 1, 2019 Should we be concerned about our freedoms as the UK is placed fourth in the Nanny State Index? Alex Deane, a Conservative commentator, says YES. The Institute of Economic Affairs is right to criticise the UK by ranking it as one of the least free countries in terms of excessive regulation of alcohol, food, and tobacco. [...]
DEBATE: Are galleries and museums like the Tate right to shun donations from the controversial Sackler family? March 25, 2019 Are galleries and museums like the Tate right to shun donations from the controversial Sackler family? Sian Flynn, a curator and museums and galleries consultant, says YES. All publicly funded museums and galleries in Britain need to generate their own income to survive and thrive: this is a fact. They are also guardians of the nation’s [...]
Debate: Should the Financial Conduct Authority ban exit fees on investment platforms? March 15, 2019 Should the Financial Conduct Authority ban exit fees on investment platforms? Alex Kovach, chief commercial officer at Interactive Investor, says YES. Consumers should be able to vote with their feet and switch investment platforms without the burden of crippling exit fees. As an industry, we should not be putting up barriers to switching – and the [...]
DEBATE: Should Philip Green be stripped of his knighthood? February 15, 2019 Should Philip Green be stripped of his knighthood? John Oxley, an expert in law, history, and Conservative politics, says YES. Knighthoods are honours, tied to historic notions of chivalry. They are awarded not just for achievement, but for character. Removing them is a public repudiation of bad behaviour. Leaving them in place is tacit approval. [...]
DEBATE: Has John Bercow damaged the reputation of the office of speaker with his actions this week? January 11, 2019 Has John Bercow damaged the reputation of the office of speaker with his actions this week? Alex Deane, a Conservative commentator, says YES. Naturally, most people aren’t interested in parliamentary procedure. They are in favour of a position when it aligns with their views, and against it when it doesn’t. But rather than viewing John Bercow’s [...]
DEBATE: Does Britain now have a Prime Minister who is in office without being in power? December 11, 2018 Does Britain now have a Prime Minister who is in office without being in power? Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle, says YES. When Theresa May became Prime Minister, she promised to be all things to all people. To Remainers, the pragmatist who would keep Brexit damage to a minimum; to Leavers, the leader who would [...]
DEBATE: Is there any point in having a televised debate over Theresa May’s Brexit deal? November 29, 2018 Is there any point in having a televised debate over Theresa May’s Brexit deal? Mo Lovatt, lecturer in Cultural and Creative Industries and co-chair of The Great Debate, says YES. The message coming out of the Prime Minister’s office this week is that “people are bored with Brexit”, so it’s time to #BackTheBrexitDeal. The strategy is [...]
DEBATE: Should the government set guidelines on meat consumption to combat climate change? October 16, 2018 Should the government set guidelines on meat consumption to combat climate change? Ben Glover, a researcher at Demos, says YES. Last week, the UN’s IPCC warned that to avoid disastrous levels of climate change we must make “unprecedented changes in all aspects of society” – including cutting meat consumption. That’s because livestock counts for about [...]
