2021 Events

Join Bright Blue on Friday afternoon for the next episode of Bright Blue TV on the theme: Does class still matter?

It’s Britain’s greatest obsession, perhaps apart from the weather. Class endures as a defining characteristic within society: what school you went to; what job you have; how you like to spend your free time; what supermarket you shop in. It bemuses foreigners, yet it’s difficult to imagine Britain without it. From The Queen to our Old Etonian Prime Minister, some might suggest that the social structure of the country has barely changed over the past two hundred years, yet the post-war period has seen tremendous progress toward greater social mobility, with greater access to elite education and prestigious careers for those from more humble beginnings. Since the 1980s, however, inequality has been an increasing concern, and the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted those from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as by widening the attainment gap between richer and poorer school pupils, which had previously been in decline. Party politics, once strictly fought along socioeconomic lines, has become more blurred, with cultural attitudes and age becoming greater indicators of voting behaviour. As we strive to recover from Covid-19, and promise to build back better, can we forge what Sir John Major dubbed a ‘classless society’?

This episode of Bright Blue TV is hosted by Communications Officer of Bright Blue, Joseph Silke. He will be joined by Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, Lee Elliot Major, Lecturer in Politics at the University of Liverpool, Dr David Jeffery, and the Deputy Director of the Social Mobility Commission, Lindsay Turner Trammell.

Join Bright Blue on Friday afternoon for the next episode of Bright Blue TV on the theme: Are NIMBYs the problem?

The housing crisis is one of the gravest challenges the UK faces. For decades, the cost of buying a home has soared beyond wage growth, pricing many people, particularly younger people, out of the housing market. The Conservative manifesto pledged to build 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s, and the Government intends to bring forward changes to the planning regime to deliver on the target. While the Government hopes to push ahead with a new zoning system, dividing the country into growth, renewal, and protection areas, the Liberal Democrat victory in the Chesham and Amersham by-election has many of its prominent backbenchers wary of a furious backlash from voters. Opponents of the Government’s plans claim that it gives a blank cheque for urban sprawl, threatening existing communities. Proponents claim that such opposition is simply selfish NIMBYism, obstructing the basic solution to the housing crisis: more housing. So, how can the housing crisis be solved; is it as straightforward as more housing; and are NIMBYs the problem? This episode of Bright Blue TV is hosted by Senior Researcher of Bright Blue, Phoebe Arslanagić-Wakefield. In this episode, she will be joined by the Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Sian Berry AM, Senior Analyst at the Centre for Cities, Ant Breach, and Founding Director of Create Streets, Nicholas Boys Smith.

We are delighted to invite you to join an online Bright Blue and Local Trust public panel event.

In June 2021, the Biden US Administration announced a new $10 billion Community Revitalization Fund, which will support community-led civic infrastructure projects that create innovative shared amenities, spark new local economic activity, provide services, build community wealth, and strengthen social cohesion.

As the UK recovers from Covid-19, the Prime Minister is determined to pursue the ‘levelling up’ agenda, which includes reviving civic activity and pride in so-called ‘left-behind’ areas. This transatlantic conversation will share ideas on how best to deliver social infrastructure and increase civicness in poorer areas.

• Robin Keegan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, US Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Danny Kruger MP, Founder, New Social Covenant Unit
• Diana Johnson MP, Co-Chair, APPG on Left Behind Neighbourhoods
• Ryan Streeter, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
• Jennifer Vey, Senior Fellow, Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and Director, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking
• Ryan Shorthouse, Chief Executive, Bright Blue (Chair)

Key questions:

• What are the specific activities and outcomes that the new US Community Revitalization Fund seeks to facilitate?
• How will the new US Community Revitalization Fund contribute to wider initiatives to transform the prospects of economically and socially deprived communities?
• What are the main differences between the UK’s Levelling Up Fund and the US’s Community Revitalization Fund?
• What lessons might be drawn from the US as the UK Government finalises its Levelling Up White Paper and prepares for the Autumn Spending Review?
• What is the longer term relevance of social infrastructure, social capital and community building to both the US and UK policy landscapes?

Date:

Wednesday 28th July 2021, 14:00 -15:30 BST

RSVP:

This event is free and open to all on our YouTube channel here, but you can also register through Eventbrite here and we will send you the joining instructions.

Q&A:

Attendees can submit questions, before or during the event, via Slido here or by using the code: #brightblue.

For our online July Drink Tank, we welcome John Kampfner to discuss what the UK can learn from Germany.

John Kampfner has had a 25-year career in international public life – spanning media, global affairs, UK politics, education, business, arts and the third sector. He has been the Chief Political Correspondent at the FT and Editor of the New Statesman.

His most recent book, Why the Germans Do It Better, published by Atlantic, is his sixth. It was named top of the political books of the year in The Guardian. It was one of The Economist’s books of the year and it was selected by Chris Patten as his favourite book in the New Statesman. It was chosen by Waterstones as one of its books for 2020.

Date:

Wednesday 21st July , 18:30 – 19:30

RSVP:

This event is free and open to all on our YouTube channel here, but you can also register through Eventbrite here and we will send you the joining instructions.

Q&A:

Attendees can submit questions, before or during the event, via Slido here or by using the code: #brightblue.

Join Bright Blue on Friday afternoon for the next episode of Bright Blue TV on the theme: A new Englishness?

The recent success of the English football team in the Euros has led to a renewed debate about English identity and what it means to be English in 2021. England, while the dominant constituent of the United Kingdom, lacks many of the national institutions that other parts of the UK cherish, including not having its own parliament. Older institutions that used to define so much of Englishness, such as the Anglican Church, have been in decline for decades. As such, English identity is often conflated with British identity, and Englishness sometimes lacks its own distinct voice. What Englishness means as a political force is difficult to discern, but some believe that English nationalism has been on the rise, expressed through political shocks such as the vote to leave the European Union. English patriotism, however, should not be conflated with nationalism. To many, the diverse and socially progressive England squad managed by Gareth Southgate represent what a multicultural and modern England should be proud of, but the Black British players have also been subjected to racist abuse by a minority of so-called fans, and the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary have been criticised for not supporting players when booed for ‘taking the knee’. So what does it mean to be English today and what is the future of Englishness going forward?

This episode of Bright Blue TV is hosted by Chief Executive of Bright Blue, Ryan Shorthouse. In this episode he will be joined by Deputy Opinion Editor of The Guardian, Joseph Harker, Professorial Fellow on English Identity and Politics at Southampton University and former Communities Secretary, John Denham, Chief Executive of the Runnymede Trust, Dr Halima Begum, and Founding Member of Don’t Divide Us, Dr Rakib Ehsan.

This new panel event series from Bright Blue is an opportunity to discuss and debate new ideas and policies to tackle the interrelated crises of climate change and biodiversity decline ahead of the two COPs in 2021: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP26 in Glasgow and the UN Biodiversity Conference COP15 in China.

The key questions that this webinar panel will explore are:

• How should UK aid prioritise projects that reduce climate and enhance the natural environment overseas?
• How can Official Development Assistance (ODA) be better aligned with the UK’s priorities around climate and conservation?
• Which UK ODA projects are successfully advancing climate and conservation policies?
• Will projects that reduce impacts on climate and the natural environment also reduce poverty?

The key speakers are:

• Harriett Baldwin MP, Former Minister for Africa and International Development
• Neil Bird, Senior Research Fellow, Climate and Sustainability, ODI
• Danny Sriskandarajah, CEO, Oxfam GB
• Patrick Hall, Senior Researcher, Bright Blue (Chair)

Date:

Tuesday 13th July , 11:00 – 12:15

RSVP:

This event is free and open to all on our YouTube channel here, but you can also register through Eventbrite here and we will send you the joining instructions.

Q&A:

Attendees can submit questions, before or during the event, via Slido here or by using the code: #brightblue.

We are delighted to invite you to join the next event in our new series, Looking ahead to the 2021 COPs. This panel event is entitled Greener skies? Sustainable aviation.

This panel event series from Bright Blue represents an opportunity to discuss and debate new ideas and policies to tackle the interrelated crises of climate change and biodiversity decline ahead of the two COPs in 2021: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP26 in Glasgow, and the UN Biodiversity Conference COP15 in China.

Speakers:

• Henry Smith MP, Chair, Future of Aviation APPG
• Cait Hewitt, Deputy Director, Aviation Environment Federation
• Matthew Gorman, Director of Carbon Strategy, Heathrow
• Nicholas Hellen, Transport Editor, The Sunday Times
• Patrick Hall, Senior Researcher, Bright Blue (Chair)

Key questions:

• Should carbon levies or taxes be placed on airlines?
• What policies are needed to scale up production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)?
• What will the future of the aviation industry look like after Covid-19?
• How far away is zero-emission flight?

Date:

Monday 12th July 2021, 11:30 – 12:45

RSVP:

This event is free and open to all on our YouTube channel here, but you can also register through Eventbrite here and we will send you the joining instructions.

Q&A:

Attendees can submit questions, before or during the event, via Slido here or by using the code: #brightblue.

Join Bright Blue for our next Ludgate Lecture, which is on the threats facing the UK with the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, Jonathan Hall QC.

We are delighted to invite you to join our next event in our new Ludgate Lectures series where we will hear from prominent thinkers and decision makers on the biggest issues of our time.

In our next event, we will host Jonathan Hall QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. He will speak to the Chair of Bright Blue, Sarah Sands, about the threats to the UK today and will answer questions from attendees.

This event is free and open to all, but you can register for updates and reminders via Eventbrite. Contact Weronika Patyk at weronika@brightblue.org.uk if you have any queries.

We are delighted to invite you to join the next event in our new series, Looking ahead to the 2021 COPs. This panel event is entitled Exporting to net zero? How to green export credit agencies.

This panel event series from Bright Blue represents an opportunity to discuss and debate new ideas and policies to tackle the interrelated crises of climate change and biodiversity decline ahead of the two COPs in 2021: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP26 in Glasgow, and the UN Biodiversity Conference COP15 in China.

Speakers:

• Phillip Dunne MP, Chair, Environmental Audit Committee
• Jenny Stanning, External Relations Director, Oil and Gas UK
• Sam Hall, Director, Conservative Environment Network
• Andrew Leming, Researcher, Bright Blue (Chair)

Key questions:

• How can Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) achieve Paris alignment in the provision of export financing?
• Should ECAs set and abide by carbon budgets in managing their portfolios?
• What role should ECAs play in promoting renewable energy exports?
• How should ECAs approach the risk of stranded assets in fossil fuel markets?

Date:

Tuesday 29th June 2021, 11:00 – 12:15

RSVP:

This event is free and open to all on our YouTube channel here, but you can also register through Eventbrite here and we will send you the joining instructions.

Q&A:

Attendees can submit questions, before or during the event, via Slido here or by using the code: #brightblue.