Are political parties over?

2024-03-13

Recorded at the Battle of Ideas festival 2016 at Barbican, London. In the aftermath of the Brexit vote, it seemed that all four of Britain’s major political parties were falling apart. Similar tendencies towards crisis and disintegration are evident in the old parties in the USA and in Europe. Are we seeing a refreshing departure from the old-style politics of left and right, or simply a process of fragmentation? Are we exaggerating the scale of the crisis facing mainstream parties, and forgetting the often deep and bitter conflicts of the past? Are we r...

Recorded at the Battle of Ideas festival 2016 at Barbican, London.

In the aftermath of the Brexit vote, it seemed that all four of Britain’s major political parties were falling apart. Similar tendencies towards crisis and disintegration are evident in the old parties in the USA and in Europe. Are we seeing a refreshing departure from the old-style politics of left and right, or simply a process of fragmentation? Are we exaggerating the scale of the crisis facing mainstream parties, and forgetting the often deep and bitter conflicts of the past? Are we really moving towards a new sort of politics? What sort of divisions and alignments are likely to emerge and will we need parties to represent them?

SPEAKERS

Emily Barley
chairman, Conservatives for Liberty

James Delingpole
journalist; columnist, Breitbart UK

Dr Michael Fitzpatrick
writer on medicine and politics; author, The Tyranny of Health

Miranda Green
journalist and former Liberal Democrat advisor, specialising in politics and education

Jhanelle White
student & political activist; former member of Dudley Youth Council; founder and chair of Political Sweep

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