Too many academics are being harassed, disinvited or sacked bc they dare challenge orthodoxy. Many others self-censor bc of fear. Today, I gave evidence on Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill which will promote academic freedom. Can watch here parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/2c…
I would also recommend watching the following sessions
This is what leaning left on the economy and leaning right on culture looks like. It is a new era in British politics.
Johnson's premiership has so far delivered Brexit, reformed migration, shifted conversation to levelling up & presided over massive expansion of state. New measures will now see tax burden rise to 35%-ish of gdp by 2023/24, highest level since 1940s.
Contrary to old left v right, much of this will sit well among cross pressured voters who lean left on econ, want bigger state, & right on culture, back Johnson/Brexit/Britain. Is especially important group for Johnson coalition & also many more in Red Wall 2.0.
A major theme in post-Brexit Britain is @BorisJohnson 's pledge to "level-up" regions & communities that were left behind. Conservatives cannot retain power unless they deliver. @Keir_Starmer cannot return Labour to power unless he sets out credible alternative [Thread]
But it remains poorly defined & understood. What do we mean by levelling-up? How can we measure whether areas are improving or deteriorating? How can citizens, communities & councils hold gvt to account? How can policymakers identify what is working vs what is not?
We @LegatumInst have been exploring these issues for past few months & working with lots of councils, policymakers, academics & stakeholders to build the UK Prosperity Index -a tool that we think can help gvt, councils & citizens get to grips with levelling-up
New study confirms the last 5 years on Twitter. Labour voters & Remainers considerably more likely to distance themselves from people who hold different ideological views & to voice hostility toward them. Conservatives, Leavers less likely to do so. kcl.ac.uk/news/liberals-…
A short thread. Many institutions adopt an imbalanced or ‘asymmetric’ approach to diversity & inclusion. They focus overwhelmingly, & increasingly, on race/ethnicity, which is often seen as the only relevant variable.
This is entirely understandable given historic injustices but it also comes with costs; we are overlooking other social problems in society. We need to broaden rather than narrow our view.
One of those is white working-class children from disadvantaged backgrounds who are already falling behind their peers at age 5 … less likely to get good GCSEs … and less likely than every other group to make it to university (evidence -> bit.ly/3o4INWz).
Support for footballers "taking the knee"? 37%
Support for removal of statues linked to slavery? 27%
BLM protests shd have gone ahead during crisis? 21%
Support protestors damaging/removing statues? 13%
YouGov July 16
3 points in reply to discussion about results. 1/ my ref to 'woke' politics is reference to what we might otherwise call identity liberalism/'the great awokening' debate in US e.g. see Atlantic on 'woke capitalism', Pres Obama on 'woke stuff', etc. Not derogatory.
2/ What I'm pointing to here is level of 'positive, instrumental change' for what are radical actions (e.g. pulling down statues). I've stripped out don't knows/oppose/don't care etc. Why? Because I want to get sense of core 'active' support for actions that impact on majority