Anthony-seldon-author-photo
Anthony Seldon
Paul-johnson
Paul Johnson
Meg-russell
Meg Russell
John-kampfner
John Kampfner

The Conservative Effect, 2010–2024. 14 Wasted Years?

Anthony Seldon, Paul Johnson, Meg Russell and John Kampfner

Saturday, 5 April 2025

12:00pm

1 hour

Sheldonian Theatre

£8 - £20

Historian Sir Anthony Seldon discusses a new collection of essays on the 14 years of Conservative government with some of the contributors, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Professor Paul Johnson, politics lecturer Professor Meg Russell and writer and journalist John Kampfner.

Seldon and his co-editor Tom Egerton, editor and founder of The Political Inquiry, have collected a series of essays on the last 14 years of Conservative government. What changed for better or worse during this prolonged period of power? What impact did serious challenges such as austerity, Brexit and Covid have on the government and its successes or failures? What lessons can be drawn?

Seldon is an authority on contemporary British history and a former master of Wellington College. He has written more than 40 books including Blair; May at 10; Brown at 10; Cameron at 10; and Johnson at 10.

Johnson has been director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies since 2011. He is a columnist for The Times and a visiting professor in the UCL Policy Lab and at the UCL Department Economics. He contributed to a chapter on the economy

Russell is director of the Constitution Unit and professor of British and comparative politics at UCL and author of The Parliamentary Battle Over Brexit. She wrote a chapter on government, parliament and the constitution.

Kampfner has worked for The Telegraph, the FT and the BBC and was editor of the New Statesman between 2005 and 2008. His books include Freedom for Sale: How we Made Money and Lost our Liberty. He contributed a chapter on culture.

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The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

The Telegraph Festival media partner University of Oxford European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK Cultural Relations Platform Supporter of the festival's Voices of Europe programme Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Oxford Mathematics Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller Symington Wines of the Douro Valley Compassion in World Farming Pasture to Plate Oxford Business College Where learning meets opportunity: education partners of the festival Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Critchleys Accountants to the festival Confucius Institute Voltaire Foundation Felicity Bryan Associates Goldmoney Properties Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Jim Mellon Miles Young Tim and Marion Stevenson Martin and Elise Becket Smith Ian and Carol Sellars David Isaac Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture Yale University Press London New College New College founded 1379 Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 Reuben College Reuben College founded in 2019 Pusey House Brasenose College Brasenose College founded in 1512 New Dutch Writing Human Ecology Project MACROVegan Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily Paul Bloomfield Ltd University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office The Sheldonian Theatre Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Oxford University Images Oxford University Images CAV Oxford The Litmus Partnership Schoolreaders Windrush Group The Oxford Times BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner Conference Oxford Ox in a Box OX magazine