Conversations for the public, with the public, in public
Why should you come to the Battle of Ideas festival? Co-convenors Alastair Donald and Ella Whelan give us a taste of what's to come next weekend...
Suella Braverman’s speech is ‘postponed’ due to after threats from pro-Palestine protesters. Labour MPs are told to ‘resolve disagreements privately with ministers’ instead of sparking debate in the House of Commons with amendments to legislation. Durham Union Society - the 182-year-old student debating society - was banned from its freshers’ fair. Placards on protests can get you arrested, posts on social media can get you arrested. Talking about biological reality can get you cancelled and questioning your EDI training can get you sacked.
It can sometimes feel bleak out there for free speech - it takes bravery and determination to say what you think. But there is one place where you’ll never hear ‘You Can’t Say That’, and it’s coming in one week.
The Battle of Ideas festival is taking place next weekend on 19 & 20 October in Church House, Westminster. We are the home of no–holds–barred discussion of all the big issues of our time. It is no accident that our motto has long been FREE SPEECH ALLOWED. And free speech – the bedrock of any free, democratic society – is very much under threat right now.
HOW HEALTHY IS DEMOCRACY?
This was supposed to be a big year for democracy, with billions voting around the world. Yet democracy itself seems under strain. In the US, the message is that electing Donald Trump would be a threat to American democracy. The success of populist parties throughout Europe has led to scare stories about dark, anti–democratic forces on the rise. In the UK, the new government may have a huge parliamentary majority, but it also has a limited electoral base – receiving support from just a fifth of the electorate. Yet ministers still talk ominously about the poison of populism.
Many voters are frustrated at not being represented in the corridors of power. Governments might change, but politics seems stuck – particularly in the UK. The real story of the election was not a positive endorsement of a new political vision, but the collapse of the Conservatives.
What does that say about the health of our democracy and what are the big ideas – from modified voting systems to AI revolutions and energy transformation – that could give democracy, and wider society, a new lease of life? Or will all the big decisions end up being made by unelected officials – many of them chosen for their party–political sympathies – or in the courts? And, if the state is going to be ‘taking back control’ of our lives and society, as Keir Starmer has declared, will we all get a say in how we want to live?
FREE–SPEECH CHALLENGES
Many democratic societies are in turmoil, and the need for open discussion has never been so urgent. Yet, internationally, freedom of speech is under attack. We can all agree that the riots in the UK this summer were dreadful. However, while restoring order and challenging ‘misinformation’ was vital, there are concerns that the authorities’ broader responses – such as imprisonment for a wide range of speech offences – may have consolidated a trend to restrict what we can say in the public square and to punish those who say the ‘wrong thing’.
It is perhaps worrying that it is one of the world’s richest men, Elon Musk – a man who frequently expresses maverick opinions – who acts as the standard bearer against censorship. Meanwhile, mainstream politicians around the world prefer to debate how speech can be restricted even further.
DIVIDED SOCIETIES, DIVIDED WORLD
A more polarised society and divisions created by the Culture Wars seem to mean few are willing to engage with, or even hear, the views from the ‘other side’. Some commentators blame technologies like smartphones and social media for a host of ills, not least the state of political debate. For others, the embedding of identity politics into our laws and institutions is deepening divisions. In the wake of the riots, the idea of community has come to the fore as different groups in our towns and cities live parallel lives. How can we encourage community spirit and a renewed sense of belonging – both to neighbourhood and nation?
On the international stage, wars in the Middle East and Ukraine rage on. Is peace possible, or are these seemingly insurmountable conflicts not simply about land or wealth but about civilisational differences of outlook? In the period after the end of the Cold War, there was talk of the ‘end of history’ and great conflicts; there were claims that eventually everyone in the world would live in liberal democracies. Is that idea now dead – and, if so, what happened?
Western economies are stuck, too. Growth in the UK and the big European economies is pitiful, and has been for years. Even in the US, there is talk of a slowdown as a splurge of government spending peters out. With an ageing population, innovation muted, rising energy costs and sluggish productivity, the challenges are many. How can we revive growth – do the answers lie in new tech and AI, regulation changes and bolder vision?
WE NEED TO TALK
There is so much to discuss – from women’s freedom to what we teach our children. That is why the Battle of Ideas festival is so important – a space where everyone gets to have a say, from speakers to audience members. The festival is an opportunity to challenge each other and ourselves. Prepare to come with a point of view and an open mind. We are hosting around 100 diverse and lively discussions, with the aim of reflecting constructively on the big issues in politics, science, economics, culture, the law and more. There’s nothing like ‘being there’, in the midst of the discussion.
But these will not be black–and–white debates. The festival will be a weekend of collective conversations to really get everyone thinking. If that sounds like your cup of tea, join us at Church House in London on 19 & 20 October.
Alastair Donald and Ella Whelan
co-convenors, Battle of Ideas festival
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Here are some of our debates - explore the full programme here.
ASSISTED DYING ON THE NHS? / OCTOBER 7, ONE YEAR ON: NEW WORLD (DIS)ORDER? / INTEGRATION INTO WHAT? IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURALISM / PASSES FOR GLASSES: IS CRONYISM UNDERMINING DEMOCRACY? / LITERARY WARS: THE BETRAYAL OF RUSHDIE AND ARTISTIC FREEDOM / NEURODIVERSITY TO GENDER DYSPHORIA: A PROBLEM OF OVER-DIAGNOSIS? / KAMALAMANIA, TRUMP AND THE VIBES ELECTION / WHAT’S THE ENDGAME FOR UKRAINE? / THE QUEERING OF SOCIETY / COULD AI BREAK THE PRODUCTIVITY IMPASSE? / THE GREAT BRITISH ENERGY CRISIS / IS IT TIME TO KICK VAR OUT OF FOOTBALL? / MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND THE CRISIS OF TRUST / WILL A NEW RACE EQUALITY ACT IMPROVE RACE RELATIONS? / WHAT DO WOMEN NEED TO BE FREE? / ELECTIONS, RIOTS AND DISTRUST: WHAT’S THE STATE OF DEMOCRACY? / BRITAIN ISN’T WORKING: THE RISE OF JOBLESSNESS
Here are some of our speakers - explore the full list here.
Simon Evans / Liam Halligan / Dominic Frisby / Dr Shahrar Ali / James Esses / Baroness Ruth Deech / Helen Joyce / Victoria Smith / James Dreyfus / Darren Grimes / Claire Fox / John McGuirk / Andrew Doyle / Allison Pearson / Jenny Lindsay / William Clouston / Dr Rakib Ehsan / Henry Newman / Andrew Gold / Maya Forstater / Josh Howie / Jon Moynihan / Graham Linehan / Alan Miller / Julia Hartley-Brewer / Mercy Muroki / Lord Moylan / Silkie Carlo / Thomas Fazi / Greg Lukianoff / Joanna Cherry KC / Dr Paul Morland / Julia Hobsbawm OBE / Gabriella Swallow / Richard Tice MP / Fraser Myers / Kim Samuel / David Goodhart / Timandra Harkness / Professor James Tooley / Kunle Olulode / Dr Joanna Williams / Marion Calder / Winston Marshall / Mary Dejevsky / Dr Kathleen Stock / Cindy Yu / Paul Embery / Munira Mirza / Kate Andrews / Zion Lights / Eric Kaufmann / Dr Az Hakeem / Baroness Finlay of Llandaff / Professor Frank Furedi / Julie Bindel / Professor Jo Phoenix / Ella Whelan / Sunil Sharma / Ali Miraj / Freddy Gray / Geoff Norcott / Stella O'Malley / Hardeep Singh / Toby Young / Shaun Bailey / Dr Tiffany Jenkins / Sherelle Jacobs / Heather Binning / Ivan Hewett / Melissa Chen / Sir Simon Mayall / Tom Slater / Lord James Bethell / Albie Amankona / Inaya Folarin Iman / Gawain Towler / Graham Stringer MP
FREE TICKETS FOR SCHOOL PUPILS
We are delighted to make the following special offer to school pupils: a free day-ticket to the Battle of Ideas festival, for either Saturday 19 or Sunday 20 October. And if you want to attend the whole weekend you can do so for just £10 for the other day!
Just email schoolschampion@academyofideas.org.uk stating which day you would like to attend free, the name of your school and an email address to send your free ticket to.
VOLUNTEER AT THE BATTLE OF IDEAS FESTIVAL
In order for the Battle to run, we rely on the help of an army of volunteers committed to free speech and open debate. Every year, stewards in Battle t-shirts can be spotted up and down audience aisles handing out microphones and welcoming attendees at our registration desks. This year, we need even more help. In exchange for making our festival run smoothly, volunteers get a free pass to the entire programme of events and celebratory drinks, allowing you time to explore the festival, meet esteemed speakers and tussle over the key moments of our time with fellow Battlers in the break times.