The Gladstone Club

Recent Speakers...

	Reform of the Lords Simon Hughes MP Deputy Leader of LibDems “The House of Lords has for a long period been the habitual enemy of every Liberal Government”. So said Gladstone as they threatened to veto his Franchise Bill. 25 years later under Asquith the clash over Land Value Tax lead to the 1911 Parliament Act. Liberals have wanted reform ever since. Simon Hughes put the case for Lords Reform to Gladstone Club members and in an interesting 100-year twist he has also lately been promoting the party’s renewed interest in Land Value Tax.



	Renegade Economics Ross Ashcroft “People are angry but not angry enough” Ross Ashcroft and Megan Campbell set themselves to get a new understanding of economics to a young audience. They are convinced that internet and the moving image are the ways to do it and their latest film Four Horsemen dramatically joins edited 'talking head' interviews like 'Inside Job' with narrated explanatory animated sequences like 'Money is Debt'. A powerful combination. www.motherlode.org.uk More...



	First Past the Post v The Alternative Vote Mark Pack (LibDem Voice co-editor) v Ian Alston (Chairman of Burke Society) A call to govern. 'First Past the Post' v. 'Alternative Vote' "The first-past-the-post system for Westminster elections gives voters the chance to kick out a government they are fed up with." "Change politics and abolish safe seats by introducing a fair, more proportional voting system for MPs." On 5th May we will be called in the UK's second only referendum to review how we choose who governs us. What will you choose? Podcast of the two speakers' introductory speeches:http://www.libdemvoice.org/podcast-av-referendum-debate-at-gladstone-club-23692.html More...



	People Power Across the Arab World Jonathan Fryer Arabia has always fascinated - never more than now. Tunisia, Yemen, Algeria, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lybia - chains rattling across the middle east and comparisons with the late 1980s domino tumble of regimes across eastern europe. Lybia in the spotlight now but who can predict where the spirit of revolution will ignite next? A good time to count among your friends Jonathan Fryer, for many years foreign correspondent for the BBC specialising in middle eastern affairs, extensively travelled in the region, has written for everyone from Reuters to the Spectator. Jonathan frequently provides depatches for Radio 4’s ‘From Our Own Correspondent’. Which as a long time friend and member of the Gladstone Club is how we think of him!



	France and Britain: a comparison Theodore Dalrymple Fat, ugly and vulgar. Compared with our continental neighbour Britain has much more obesity, penchant for brutal shaven heads and slum chic, and increasingly crude behaviour. Anthony Daniels does not so much apologise as forewarn that his observations will be sweeping and laced with judgement. More...



	The Challenges of Coalition Chris Huhne Energy & Climate Change Secretary What is it like to be at the centre of a seismic shift? The first Liberal ministers in living memory of whom Chris Huhne is #3 and with the Energy and Climate Change portfolio ranks #8 in a cabinet of 22. Cause for optimism for Liberalism and perhaps in particular for Gladstonian Liberalism? Mr Huhne escaped the affairs of high state to address the Gladstone Club on the Coalition, the challenges and the road ahead.



	Religion & Politics Francis Campbell Ambassador to the Vatican To ‘speak truth to power’: the duty and the right of the church to give a moral lead in affairs of government. The church has lead some great political campaigns, the abolition of slavery, Jubilee 2000 on 3rd world debt. At the same time, relentless religious conflicts underscore the case for secular states with religion kept firmly at arms length. What sort of age we live in now is itself arguable. Only 18% regularly attend church but the number regarding themselves as Christian still exceeds 70%* at last count. Who better to reflect on mace and mitre than Westminster’s attaché to the Holy See, Ambassador Francis Campbell.



	Too many laws? Professor Jeremy Horder New crimes in the statute book over the last 20 years exceed those of the preceding six centuries. The free and lawful man of the common law was largely expected to regulate himself - an inexpensive form of government. But Governments in Whitehall elected on their promises, and wanting to promise something to everyone, have been swelling the statute books at a terrific rate. Has this essentially democratic progression consumed the air he used to breath? Jeremy Horder Law Commissioner for England and Wales has taken up the gauntlet of challenging the statute culture and framing advice for government on where to consider other avenues. More...



	The Banking & Economic Crisis Vince Cable MP Deputy Leader & Shadow Chancellor (Lib Dem) Vince Cable, an artful politician, well respected for his experience and understanding of economic affairs explained in a most accessible way the nature of the economic crisis facing the world and Britain at present; the origins and causes of it and ways that world governments are looking at tackling these difficulties to prevent further recession and decline. Is there a way out? More...



	The Battle of the Economists Will Hutton Acclaimed writer, broadcaster and independent thinker, economist, award-winning journalist, political commentator, author of the best selling The State We’re In (1995), The World We’re In (2002) and most recently The Writing on the Wall (2007) on China and the West in the 21st century; long time chief executive of The Work Foundation, Will Hutton challenged and engaged members of the Gladstone Club at our Annual New Year Dinner. For a full report see link below. More...



	Gladstone Bicentenary Dr Eugenio Biagini If there was ever a time when we needed to know what makes a William Ewart Gladstone, now is that time. In a system undermined by misappropriation of political privilege, he was able to rise through it untainted and undeterred and reform it from within. Highly idealistic, deeply devout, yet able to build a consensus out of feuding factions; he could deliver a masterful critique of the history and principle of income tax, yet raise it to repair a disastrous deficit, and still grow in credibility and popularity. Dr Eugenio Biagini, lecturer in Modern British History at the University of Cambridge, touched on the essence of Gladstone the Statesman, the times he lived in and compared it with our world of politics today.



	A robust liberal response to the threat of terror Nick Clegg MP (Leader of the Liberal Democrats) What is more of a threat to our tradition of liberty, Al Qaeda or the initiatives legislated to fight it? Nick Clegg explored the difficulties we experience to maintain liberal values and deal effectively with intelligence. Under the sound-bite ‘muscular liberalism’ he advocated more engagement with moderate Islam combined with less toleration of extremism.



	Gladstone Club Summer Party Michael Crick (Newsnight) Set in the beautiful surrounds of the National Liberal Club terrace we celebrated the Bicentenary of William Gladstone's birth with Pimm's & canapes and summer Jazz.



	Election Ballot Booth Pencil Sharpener Mr Geoffrey Smith Former Times correspondent and long time friend of the Gladstone Club Geoffrey Smith turned his brilliant and sharp intelligence to the approaching general election. Whichever of the five classic voting strategies you prefer - party-tribal, presidential, policy in the national interest or in your personal tax interest, integrity of the local candidate or a tactical mix of two or three - Geoffrey provided unexpected insights to sharpen your ballot booth pencil.



	The British Constitution - time for change? Professor Anthony King Professor Anthony King, well known for his analysis of the political scene on election nights and an expert on the British constitution shared with the Club his insights on the nature of the changes that have taken place to the Constitution over the past 50 years through such things as devolution and the strengthening of the independent judiciary. Britain is a much more complex society now. Have the changes been beneficial? Is the constitution a mess? Is there any merit in changing it further? Or do we risk losing something of great value?



	The Credit Cycle & the Secret Life of Real Estate Phil Anderson Economic analyst Phil Anderson’s life work has been to chart the fall and rise of business cycles back to the 1800s. Over the last few years while many of us rejoiced in rising asset values, Phil predicted 2010 would be the bottom of a precipitous correction. Phil explained the remarkable regularity of the cycle, complete with mid-cycle mini-recession, the invariable appearance of a sharp credit contraction and ultimate crash. All this is charted also in his new book: 'The Secret Life of Real Estate' http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Life-Real-Estate



	Barack Obama & the Aftermath of the American Elections Geoffrey Smith Charismatic Democrat follows unpopular Republican in the throws of recession and a banking crisis. Obama takes the reigns on 20th January but in the meantime he is publicly reflecting on Franklin D Roosevelt’s first 100 days in 1932. The world holds its breath, hoping for reason to hope. Should we expect an audacious scheme of Public Works or will the Obama New Deal be an altogether new new deal? The Gladstone Club was delighted to welcome back Geoffrey Smith, former American correspondent to the Times to speak about the American elections, the consequences of Obama's victory and effects for domestic and world politics. More...



	Freedom of Speech & Conscience Ann Widdecombe MP At a time when we tolerate so much have we lost with it the freedom to think and speak what we believe. Fearless and Frank, Ann Widdecombe spoke of the three ills afflicting society today: political correctness and its two ugly sisters, the rights culture and the compensation culture.



	The rise of Putin’s Russia Stephen Dalziel - journalist & expert on Russian affairs The politics and intrigues of Russia from Gorbachev to Putin. Stephen spent 16 years as Russian Affairs Analyst with the BBC World Service, and six years lecturing on Soviet military studies at Sandhurst Military Academy. He has interviewed Russian presidents, ministers and double agents and was in high demand to shed light on the Alexander Litvinenko affair.



	The Retreat of Reason Anthony Browne - Times political editor Political Correctness is deplored almost as universally as it is practiced. Who is free from that inner censorship in private, let alone on public forum? And so it is of enormous value that someone should take the trouble to penetrate what exactly PC is and how it operates. Anthony Browne has done just that. More...



	Liberal Democrats leadership contest Chris Huhne MP Just as the poles briefly edge him into first place, Chris Huhne shared with the Gladstone Club his broad vision for the party and for policy domestic and foreign. Among other topics he notably used the opportunity to plot out for the first time his distinctive position on defence and the nuclear deterrent.



	Fairer, Simpler, Greener Julia Goldsworthy MP LibDem Tax Commission Taxation is a subject not universally greeted with enthusiasm. But Gladstone Club members tend to relish some hard economic principle in their politics. So they welcomed an insight into the remarkable document from Vince Cable’s tax commission which develops both just and principled policy from the fundamental canons of taxation. More...



	Heroin, the Truth & the Effect Theodore Dalrymple Theodore Dalrymple (Dr. Anthony Daniels) was a prison doctor and psychiatrist for many years before retiring to France. In his book ‘Romancing Opiates’ he seeks to argue that addiction to opiates is not an illness at all and that the medical bureaucracy only make it worse. He sets out to prove that methadone is not only counterproductive but also dangerous and that the real problem lies with the emotional and spiritual depravation particularly of the ‘underclass’ in our society. He also argues that human beings are being regarded as inanimate objects rather than as agents of their own destiny.



	Response to International Crisis Claire Short MP (Labour) In the wake of the Tsunami crisis, Claire Short, previous Cabinet member for International Development shed light on the government’s response to international crises both of natural disasters and political conflict. What part should we as individuals and as a nation be playing?



	A Year at Westminster David Burrowes MP (Cons. now Shadow Minister for Justice) A local councillor for 7 years and a successful campaigner ousting one of Labour’s ‘rising stars' in Enfield Southgate, David shared his reflections on a year at Westminster. He tackled questions on the role and responsibilities of an MP; finding a balance between national and local issues; the significance of the vote and the impact and influence a politician might have (either positively or negatively) at a local and national level.



	Understanding Terrorists Lord John Alderdice Is it possible for terror bombing and military retaliation to give way to dialogue? Lord John Alderdice was recognised with a peerage for his part in doing just that. Leader of the Alliance Party, First Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly and appointed by the British and Irish Governments to the Independent Monitoring Commission established to assist in completing implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, Lord Alderdice explored the very real difficulties in bringing a lasting peace to a troubled nation.



	Bigger Better Faster More Dr. Oliver Marc Hartwich (The Policy Exchange) When it comes to houses, the rich are getting richer while their children are getting poorer. We, in England, live in some of the smallest, oldest and costliest homes in the developed world. In his report "Bigger Better Faster More" Dr Hartwich shows how other equally populace countries build bigger houses in green and pleasant cities while avoiding house price inflation.



	Money as Debt (Short film by Paul Grignon) David Nichols As notes and coin dwindle to 3% of money in circulation, so dwindles the portion of money issued free of interest. In a departure from the club’s customary format, the subject was introduced via a short film by Canadian political artist Paul Grignon. In an entertaining polemic on the nature of money and banking, the film focuses on how, long since freed from ties to gold or other valuable commodity, money now is created by private banks out of nothing but the borrower’s undertaking to pay.