Since Attlee & Churchill

Benjamin Disraeli remains one of the most influential figures in Conservative history – but how much of the Disraeli we think we know was created after his death? In this episode, Lee and Richard are joined by Emily Jones, author of 'The Disraeli Myth: The Making of a Conservative Tradition'. They discuss how successive generations were inspired by Disraeli and reinvented him to suit their own political purposes, from Tory Socialists and Edwardian tariff reformers to One Nation Conservatives. What made Disraeli such a compelling figure in Tory history? How important was his Jewish identity to the mythmaking? And does 'political bodysnatching' – the appropriation of historical figures by later generations – help or hinder the way we think about politics?'The Disraeli Myth: The Making of a Conservative Tradition' by Emily Jones is available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780691246314Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available. Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

In this episode of Since Attlee & Churchill, Lee and Richard consider the argument that supporting North Sea oil and gas extraction is an “extremist” position. How useful is it to label political opponents in this way? And has it been a mistake to reduce Britain's environmental policy to what is essentially a spreadsheet exercise in calculating carbon emissions? They then turn to a new article exploring the relationship between politicians and their constituents through the letters and emails that MPs receive. Drawing on the correspondence of politicians including Tony Benn and Enoch Powell, Richard and Lee consider what politicians can really learn from their postbags – and whether the rise of email, social media and now AI is changing the relationship between voters and their representatives.Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available. Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

In this episode, Lee and Richard discuss the remarkable life of James Douglas-Hamilton, the Scottish Tory politician who had the rare distinction of serving in three legislative chambers: the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Scottish Parliament, earning a reputation in each for courtesy and quiet effectiveness. Born the grandson of two Dukes and educated at Eton and Oxford, Douglas-Hamilton spent most of his life in politics. What motivated him? What did he achieve during his long career in public service? And why did he become the last MP to disclaim a hereditary peerage? These questions, and more, are explored in the episode.In this episode, the following books are mentioned:'After you, Prime Minister' by James Douglas-Hamilton'Stuck: How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress' by Maya Kornberg. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781421454580Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available. Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

In this episode, Lee and Richard discuss the controversy over whether the Conservative Party is still the home of One Nation Conservatism. Drawing on the long history of One Nation ideas, stretching back to Benjamin Disraeli in the Victorian era, Lee argues that the tradition has become confused in recent decades with liberal conservatism - and makes the case for reclaiming its original emphasis on national cohesion, social responsibility and patriotism. Next, Richard examines what Prime Minister Andy Burnham meant when he suggested that his devolution reforms could lead to a written constitution. Does Britain actually lack one? What would be different about a codified constitution? And would it strengthen, or weaken, British democracy?Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available. Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

Ann Clwyd spent her political career on the Labour left. She marched with the miners, opposed nuclear weapons, rebelled against her own party, and was sacked from Labour's front bench more than once. Yet she also became one of the strongest supporters of the Iraq War. How? In this episode of Since Attlee & Churchill, Richard and Lee explore the life of one of Labour's most independent-minded MPs. They discuss Clwyd's Welsh upbringing, her route into Parliament, the battles she fought with her own party on everything from welfare to devolution, and the convictions that led her to champion military intervention in Iraq.In this episode, the following books are mentioned:'Rebel With a Cause' by Ann Clwyd. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781785901140And also the upcoming books for our Summer Book Club:'The Disraeli Myth: The Making of a Conservative Tradition' by Emily Jones. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780691246314'Churchill’s Queen: The Remarkable Friendship That Shaped Our Age' by Nigel Fletcher. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781529977257'Margaret Bondfield: The Life and Times of Britain’s First Female Cabinet Minister' by Nan Sloane. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781350513655Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available. Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

In this week's Matters of Interest, Richard asks whether England's university funding system has reached breaking point after Sir Nick Clegg - one of the men who implemented it - described it as "indefensible". Rather than focusing on tuition fees, Richard argues that the coalition government's removal of student number caps was the real turning point. Lee then turns to one of the biggest political changes that has received remarkably little national attention: the sweeping reorganisation of local government across much of England. Why are historic council boundaries being redrawn? Is the process for doing so a sound one? And will it lead to better local government?Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available. Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

In this Summer Book Club episode, Richard turns interviewer as he puts Lee in the hot seat to discuss his new book, 'Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders'. Together they explore how the Conservative Party has picked – and ditched – its leaders from the age of Disraeli to the present day. Was the old system of "emergence" really as undemocratic as it's often portrayed? Why did Harold Macmillan's handling of the 1963 succession bring that system to an end? And did William Hague's 1998 reforms create the instability that has seen Conservative leaders come and go with increasing speed? In this podcast, Lee and Richard discuss these questions and much more.'Coronations & Defenestrations' is available with 30% off (with the code AGENDA30) on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

In this week's Matters of Interest, Richard argues that Andy Burnham's first policy announcements reveal an unexpected reliance on central government power and a willingness to exploit the policy freedoms created by Brexit. Does the reality of governing mean Burnham is abandoning his former enthusiasm for devolution and closer European alignment? Next, Lee challenges claims that taking foreign leaders outside London to 'Number 10 North', as brief by allies of the Prime Minister, would be a radical innovation, highlighting the long history of PMs showing off every corner of the UK to visiting world leaders. Is this, Lee wonders, just another example of Burnham's 'low-impact gimmickry'?Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available. Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

This week, Lee and Richard are joined by former Business Secretary and Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable to discuss his new book, 'Eclipsing the West: China, India and the Forging of a New World.' Drawing upon his experience as an economist, Cabinet minister and long-time observer of Asia, Cable argues that the world's economic centre of gravity is shifting decisively away from the West. He is asked about Britain's relationships with both India and China during the Coalition Government and whether the UK's much-vaunted "golden era" of relations with China was actually naïve. The conversation also explores Donald Trump's transformation of economic orthodoxy, the future of globalisation, the positives and negatives of foreign investment, human rights, and how Britain should position itself in an increasingly uncertain world.'Eclipsing the West: China, India and the Forging of a New World' by Vince Cable is available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781526179821Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available. Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!