Centre Think Tank in conversation

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Baroness Pitkeathley OBE. She is the Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords and a former CEO of Carers UK. Baroness Pitkeathley is also the Co-chair of the Carers All-Party Parliamentary Group. Their discussion covered the social care system and supporting unpaid carers. They also spoke about whether we need to make social care free at the point of use, the...

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Linsey Farnsworth, the Member of Parliament for Amber Valley since 2024, who spent over twenty years working at the Crown Prosecution Service. She also serves as the National Mission Champion for Safer Streets and is a member of the Justice Select Committee. Their discussion covered the early release scheme, the lessons we can learn from the Norwegian pris...

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Dr Allison Gardner MP, who has been the Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent South since 2024. She is also a Senior Scientific Adviser for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on Artificial Intelligence and a lecturer at Keele University, where she teaches data science. Their discussion covered the future of health care, social c...

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Michael Ignatieff, who is the former Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and a professor of history at Central European University. Their discussion covered his leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada as a centrist and moderate, the nature of centrism, and the challenges facing modern liberal democracy. They looked at the future of centrist and liberal...

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Sonia Kumar, the Member of Parliament for Dudley since 2024, who previously worked within the NHS. Their discussion covered how we can fix the NHS, moving the NHS further towards the use of AI and digital, the vital role of physiotherapists in tackling musculoskeletal (MSK) issues, and the need for increased investment in this area, the assisted dying bill...

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Baroness Ritchie, the former Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and a Labour Member of the House of Lords. She is also the Chair of the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building, a former Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Minister for Social Development, and a former Member of Parliament for South Down. Their discussion covered...

In this interview, we spoke to Sinéad McLaughlin, MLA. She serves as a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Foyle and is the Social Democratic and Labour Party spokesperson on Jobs, the Economy, and Justice. The discussion included how to fix the justice system in Northern Ireland, rejoin the single market, and the status of Irish Gaelic in Northern Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

In this episode, Will Barber-Taylor speaks to Mari Burton. She is the National Campaign Manager for the National Education Union, co-host of the National Education Union Podcast, and a former history teacher. Their discussion covered the No Child Left Behind campaign, which supports free school meals for all students, and how this has already been implemented in London. They also discuss how this...

In this episode, Will Barber-Taylor and Torrin Wilkins speak to Neil Kinnock. Their discussion covered his time in politics, how his views on devolution have evolved, his support for Proportional Representation, and how he ended up appearing in the “My Guy” music video with Tracey Ullman. He was Leader of the Opposition and Labour Leader during the 1987 election against Margaret Thatcher and the 1...

In this episode, Will Barber-Taylor speaks to Yair Zivan, former advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel, Yair Lapid, of the centrist Yesh Atid party. Their discussion covered what centrism means and his new book, “The Centre Must Hold”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Will Barber-Taylor speaks to John Bowers KC, the Principal of Brasenose College at Oxford University. Their discussion covered standards in politics and his new book, “Downward Spiral: Collapsing Public Standards and How to Restore Them.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords and Member of the House of Lords Newby. Lord Newby previously served as the National Secretary of the SDP. Their discussion covered the history of the SDP, what caused the initial successes, and how it has impacted politics today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Will Barber-Taylor speaks to former Member of Parliament and former Liberal Democrat front bench Spokesperson Stephen Lloyd. Stephen was the Member of Parliament for Eastbourne from 2010 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2019. His front bench roles included Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Northern Ireland, the DWP, and, in the coalition government, as PPS to the Environment Secretary. Th...

In this episode, Will Barber-Taylor speaks to former Welsh First Minister, Lord Jones, and Glyndwr Cennydd Jones. Their discussion covered the future of devolution within the UK and whether the UK needs a written constitution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Tracey Crouch, the MP for Chatham and Aylesford. She was Minister for Sport, Civil Society, and Loneliness between 2017 and 2018. Tracey also chaired the independent Fan-Led Review of Football Governance. They spoke about football governance, fixed odds betting terminals, and the recent local elections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

In this episode, Will Barber-Taylor speaks to Will Travers, who is the president of the Born Free Foundation, Born Free USA, and the Species Survival Network. Their discussion covered rewilding, how we can protect animals, and the work being done by the Born Free Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to former Member of Parliament and Member of the House of Lords, Lord Taverne. Lord Taverne was also the founder and leader of the Democratic Labour Party and helped to create the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Their discussion covered the history of the SDP, the formation of the Democratic Labour Party, our relationship with the EU, and his role in the format...

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to the Chair of Comprehensive Future and postdoctoral research fellow Dr Nuala Burgess. She is currently at the Kings College London School of Education, Communication and Society. Their discussion covered selection at the age of ten, the main party positions on grammar schools, and how those who want a comprehensive future can win the argument. Hosted on Aca...

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to journalist and author Mattha Busby. Mattha previously wrote ‘Should All Drugs Be Legalised?’ and has written for The Guardian, Vice, and The Times. Their discussion covered his new book, the drug laws we use within the UK, and whether they require reform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to lawyer, writer, and broadcaster Chris Daw KC. Chris wrote the book “Justice on Trial: Radical Solutions for a System at Breaking Point” and co-presented the TV series “Crime – Are We Tough Enough?”. Their discussion covered our prison system in the UK, the Norwegian prison system, and reforming our drug laws. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to former Green Party Parliamentary Candidate Mark Bray-Parry. Their discussion covered the energy crisis, the energy price cap, renewable energy investment, ownership of energy companies, and moving away from fossil fuels. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Torrin Wilkins speaks to Criminal Defence and Civil Rights Attorney David Rudolf. David appeared in the Netflix series The Staircase , was portrayed in the HBO adaptation, and founded a law firm in 1982. They discussed the justice system, how we can learn from the Norwegian prison system, and the standard of “reasonable doubt.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

In this episode, Will Barber-Taylor speaks to the Leader of the True and Fair Party and co-founder of investment company SCM Direct, Gina Miller. Their discussion covered closing tax loopholes, our relationship with the EU, and Proportional Representation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Will Barber-Taylor speaks to former Foreign Secretary and Member of the House of Lords, David Owen. Lord Owen currently sits as an Independent Social Democrat member of the House of Lords. He previously led the Social Democratic Party and was Foreign Secretary between 1977 and 1979. Their discussion covered the Social Democratic Party, Proportional Representation, the EU referendu...

In this episode, Will Barber-Taylor speaks to Dr Somayeh Taheri, the CEO and Founder of UrbanChain. Their discussion covered how we can scale up renewables, whether nuclear power should be part of the move to net zero, and how the government can encourage the use of renewables. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.