CapX presents Free Exchange

Lord David Willetts has been an intellectual titan on the centre right for the past 30 years. Having worked in Margaret Thatcher’s policy unit, Willetts was an MP between 1992 and 2015, and served as a Cabinet Minister in the coalition government. He is President of the independent think-tank the Resolution Foundation, and the author of a number of books, including The Pinch: How Baby Boomers took their children’s future – and why they should give it back. The book caused quite a stir on publication in 2010, and its thesis has proved remarkably prescient in the years since. So to mark the release of the second edition, our Deputy Editor Frank Lawton sat down with him to discuss the broken social contract and how to fix it. Frank began by asking him when – as a Baby Boomer himself – he first realised he was to blame for everything. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

It’s the Brexit Election – at least according to some broadcasters – yet we’ve had relatively little scrutiny of what ‘getting Brexit done’ actually means if Boris Johnson does win his cherished majority. To shine a light on the next phase of negotiations, I caught up with one of the key players involved in putting together the Withdrawal Agreement. Raoul Ruparel spent two years as Special Adviser to then Brexit Secretary David Davis, followed by a year in 10 Downing St as Theresa May’s Special Adviser on Europe.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

With the general election just two weeks away we wanted to get the inside track from three party political experts on how their side’s campaign has gone so far, and what they expect to happen on December 12. From the Lib Dems we welcomed Mark Pack, the Editor of Liberal Democrat Newswire. From Labour, Sienna Rodgers, the Editor LaboutList, and completing the line-up was the regular CapX contributor and Assistant Editor of ConservativeHome, Henry Hill.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In confusing times, Tim Bale is a rare voice of clarity. Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London, Tim is a regular presence on radio and tv, providing insightful commentary on the latest political crises. The author of many incisive books, including The Conservative Party: from Thatcher to Cameron, and Five Year Mission: Labour under Ed Miliband, Tim spoke to our Deputy Editor, Frank Lawton, about elections, Brexit and his latest co-authored book, Footsoldiers: Political Party Membership in the C21st. Frank began by asking why we need political parties in the first place. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

This week we were delighted to welcome Peter Pomerantsev to CapX Towers. Peter is one of the world’s leading writers on propaganda and fake news, and has even given evidence to the US Congress on Russian disinformation. He also boasts a fascinating and varied CV, including many years working as a TV producer in Putin’s Russia – an experience he documented in gripping style in his first book ‘Nothing Is Real and Everything is Possible’.  Peter sat down with CapX editor John Ashmore to discuss his latest book ‘This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality”, in which Peter travels the world finding out how despots and demagogues are twisting the truth – and how we can start to fight back. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Our guest this week is entrepreneur, economist, air force veteran and latterly candidate for the US Congress, Tim Kane.  Tim is also the co-author with Glenn Hubbard of the acclaimed book ‘Balance: the Economics of Great powers from ancient Rome to modern America’ – I started by asking him about the thesis behind the book and why it is that great powers end up falling on hard times.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

CapX editor John Ashmore speaks to comedian Konstantin Kisin about growing up in the Soviet Union, the perils of policing free speech and the worrying role of big tech companies in censoring debate. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

What is the future of capitalism? This week's Free Exchange exchange, recorded live at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, debates just that.  Our Editor John Ashmore chaired an expert panel including the RSA's Alan Lockey, digital policy expert Casey Calista and fellow of the Adam Smith Institute and self-declared inventor of neoliberalism, Sam Bowman, as they discussed the rise of platform capitalism, solving Britain's productivity crisis and whether we should be scared of big tech. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy