Oxford talk Friday 17 May “We dont believe you” The assault on establishment views

On Friday 17 May at 2 pm  I am giving a talk on the collapse of great parties and  the rise of scepticism  about establishment opinion  at All Souls  College, High Street Oxford.

All those interested in coming  should email myles.larrington@parliament.uk so we can tell the Lodge at All Souls  to let you in.

I am happy to take questions on anything from migration to climate change, from Brexit to the trade war.

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56 Comments

  1. Ian wragg
    May 11, 2019

    Would love to be there but unfortunately can’t make it.
    Have emailed your letter to the AG to all Parlimentary staff and all local, national media outlets. to

  2. Mark B
    May 11, 2019

    Good morning.

    I would love to attend but cannot. Will you, Sir John accept any questions submitted to you via email or other media ?

    Regards

    Mark B

  3. Richard1
    May 11, 2019

    Is there any hope the useless leadership of the Tory party / Central office will jump onto Corbyn’s latest absurdity – banning internships and other work for young people unless their work is obviously worth more than £10 per hour to their employers? This will stop young people earning money for the first time and learning how to work. What will they do with their time instead?

    1. margaret howard
      May 11, 2019

      Richard1

      Corbyn is quite right to plan to ban internship. They have been abused by employers who use young people as free labour and any promise of future employment with them is usually just an excuse and doesn’t materialise.

      Not only keen young people/students are abused but their parents who are expected to keep them incl often spending money on their fares and any necessary clothing.

      “A worker is worthy of his wages” goes back to biblical times and as a society we should be ashamed to allow keen young people, often after years of education, to go unrewarded.

    2. Lifelogic
      May 11, 2019

      Indeed and Corbyn calls Farage a snake oil salesman! I am sure these newly unemployed people will be most grateful.

    3. Cheshire Girl
      May 12, 2019

      Its an Election ploy to get votes. We all know that Political parties make wild pre election promises, most which are quietly dropped after they get elected.

      I would never vote for a party based on their promises. Their previous record is far more reliable.

  4. rose
    May 11, 2019

    Will be with you in spirit.

  5. Dominic
    May 11, 2019

    Keep it up JR. Understand that there’s a majority in the real world outside of the London based political bubble and the now May controlled media that back all Eurosceptics in their battle to confront and undermine May’s plan to destroy British democracy and transfer even more power over to Berlin and Brussels

    We need a national debate about how immigration is used by certain parties to tilt the balance of electoral power in their favour. This most pernicious use of importing people for political and electoral profit is truly abhorrent. It has to date led to at least one important freedom we all take for granted being destroyed, the right to criticise and debate religion.

    When a cabal within an established political party starts to impose its influence then our freedoms are under threat from both established parties trading away our freedoms on the altar of keeping this nation in the EU

    And therefore Corbyn demands legislative change to target freedom of speech on important matters (as demanded by one of Labour’s core supporters) and in return he affords May his party’s support in the Commons to push through her Brexit surrender document

    Well, our freedoms are not negotiable and it is abhorrent they are being destroyed by laws brought onto the statute book as a result of horse-trading by both leaders

    Yesterday, I read an article by Priti Patel about freedom, liberty and Thatcher. This politician is an inspiration to us all. A true warrior of freedom, liberty and decency. She’d make a superb Tory leader

    1. margaret howard
      May 11, 2019

      Dominic

      “Understand that there’s a majority in the real world outside of the London based political bubble”

      Outside the ‘London based political bubble’? 48% of British people ‘outside that bubble’ voted Remain and a much higher %age in Ireland and Scotland. (96% in Gibraltar!)

      Let’s not forget that as a country whose main industries are in finance and services, London plays a huge part in the prosperity of the rest of the UK

      Remain voting Londoners regard the rest of us as backward clodhoppers.

      1. Narrow Shoulders
        May 12, 2019

        @Margaret

        Taking the London voters out of the equation, much fewer than 48% of the rest of the country voted to remain.

        London skewed the vote upwards to 48%. Quite why I do not know, the over population inherent in our capital has turned it into a cesspit of poor supply and service.

      2. Simon Platt
        May 12, 2019

        Don’t you think that says more about remain voting Londoners than it does about anyone else?

        Mind you, I don’t myself think that badly of remain-voting Londoners. Not all of them, at least.

    2. Julie Dyson
      May 11, 2019

      Well said, Dominic, I couldn’t agree more — and I doubt we’re alone, if the latest polling figures today (source: Opinium / order-order.com) for the EU elections are anything to go by:

      The Brexit Party: 34%
      Labour: 21%
      LibDem: 12%
      Conservative: 11%
      Green: 8%
      UKIP: 4%
      SNP: 4%
      CHUK: 3%

      The continued meteoric rise of the Brexit Party suggests that there are a lot of very unhappy campers out there, and I very much doubt it’s solely to do with Brexit.

  6. ChrisS
    May 11, 2019

    I have asked Myles to arrange for me to attend but the email address given for him is not quite right :

    A space has crept in before the p in parliament so it can’t be cut, pasted and sent without removing it.

  7. Headsup
    May 11, 2019

    The dangers from climate change seems to be the most pressing worry today. Perhaps you could share your thinking on todays news that air travel, instead of growing may have to be curtailed. Then if we talk about aircraft polluting the atmosphere shouldn’t we also be considering pollution from ships coming long distances across the oceans?
    Not màny people know that ships on the ocean are obliged by maritime law on pollution to change out their water ballast in mid ocean while on passage and we know from recent scientific research that a lot of this ballast is heavily polluted with micro particles of plastic largely coming from estuaries and rivers and near large population centres like cities, ie a lot of it from our own domestic washing machines, and all this is eventually entering the food chain via fish feeding..we are surely entering a new era now if we are to get to grips with all of this.

  8. Lifelogic
    May 11, 2019

    Abroad alas so I cannot make it, but do please keep up your excellent works.

    It is not really ‘Climate Change’ the climate has always changed and always will. It is catastrophic, irreversible, manmade, global warming that the alarmists, the BBC, various quangos, schools, exam syllabuses, politicians, bureaucrats, many charities, Attenborough, Emma Thompson and Prince Charles types and many bogus grant seeking ‘climate scientists’ are pushing. It is to say the least somewhat exaggerated.

    Adapting to climate change (in whatever direction that might prove to be) is far better than the absurd agenda of controlling manmade CO2 emissions. These unscientific dopes really do seem to think that atmospheric concentrations are some king of world thermostat. Ignoring the millions of other factors (known and many unknown) that affect the climate.

    Sound physicists have already ascertained that the world sensitivity to additional CO2 is not actually that great. Negative feedbacks suggest there is no catastrophe in sight. The real catastrophe is the waste of billions on green crap and premature technology rather spending the money more sensible on clean water, vaccinations, health care, better nutrition, more solid homes in hurricane regions and similar policies where the benefits are clear.

    1. Lifelogic
      May 11, 2019

      The people get it right yet again. Despite all the grants, daft government interventions, BBC propaganda and almost no tax on electric “fuel” the people still do not want to buy electric cars.

      Sales of hybrid falling by 34% and all electric + Hybrid sales still less than 1% of the total.

      Rolling out duff technology with tax breaks before it is ready is a very stupid thing to do. Top down lunacy from government as usual. Much drivel from Sr Ed Davey (PPE Oxon yet again) and others on Any Questions just now. Some unscientific idiot even thinking the Swansea Tidal Lagoon was a sound plan!

      So many people seem to “believe” that cycling/walking/trains/buses are green and cars/planes/trucks are not green. It is simplistic BBC think anti-scientific drivel and not true. HS2 is appalling in Co2 terms.

      1. margaret howard
        May 11, 2019

        Lifelogic

        “Sales of hybrid falling by 34% and all electric + Hybrid sales still less than 1% of the total.”

        Really?

        “A surge of plug-in car sales took place in Britain beginning in 2014. Total registrations went from 3,586 in 2013, to 37,092 in 2016, and rose to 59,911 in 2018.

        The market share of the plug-in segment went from 0.16% in 2013 to 0.59% in 2014, and achieved 2.6% in 2018.

        As of September 2018, the Mitsubishi Outlander P-HEV is the all-time top selling plug-in car in the UK almost 37,000 units registered, followed by the Nissan Leaf nearly 24,000 units. Ranking third is the BMW 330e with more than 13,000 units, followed by the BMW i3 with 11,000 units.”

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_electric_vehicles_in_the_United_Kingdom

      2. anon
        May 12, 2019

        Try reading cleantechnica dot com albeit with a little thought for the future possibilities that it may bring. Q&A on the blog.

        Electric car sales (+325miles) are held back by cost now. Mass production, r&d and retooling of the industry will soon change this.

        China/US are the volume markets to watch.The legacy car makers are now moving quickly from a standing start.

    2. Lifelogic
      May 11, 2019

      Also spending on sensible R&D, real science & engineering to enable us to cope better with whatever the climate, earthquakes, volcanoes, astroids, infectious and other diseases etc. are thrown at humanity and the planet.

  9. Fed up of this
    May 11, 2019

    Will it be available on You Tube? I dare not leave my Arms Length and Brain Length dwelling . The Labour Council have been given another load of cash from Central Gove enment and are improving things…

  10. sm
    May 11, 2019

    I don’t know where you get the stamina from to keep fighting the good fight, but here’s to more strength to your elbow!

  11. Fed up with the bull
    May 11, 2019

    John, you work so hard. You are a credit to your party. If only more were like you. Would love to attend but live too far away. Good luck and let’s hope you get through to some members of your party and highlight where the Conservatives are going wrong.

  12. Anna K.
    May 11, 2019

    Sir John,

    Could you arrange for a recording of the event to be posted on youtube please?

    I am sure that many, like me, who live far from Oxford, would very much like to hear what you have to say.

  13. Ian
    May 11, 2019

    All we want is Democricy, anyone not complying with that simple demand

    Should not be in our Parliament

    We instinctively know that any one unable to stand up for Democricy at all times will need to leave this Westminster and seek other employment.

    Witness the current inhabitants of Westminster, at a rough guss about 75% must go, no mind There backgrounders or party the Nation has suffered enough of the last decades
    It can never happen again, and in fact every one in both houses not able to sign up to that every day, should never be able to come back

  14. ChrissyG
    May 11, 2019

    I’m sure this would be most interesting. However, I’m fundamentally furious about how Brexiteer MPs now appear to accept what is being inflicted upon us as they write their articles & turn up for interviews with the media ……& then do nothing! We don’t need explanations about what’s happening & why; we need action! I suggest all Brexit MPs read Sherelle Jacobs article in The Telegraph & ponder on its content. It sums up how we Brexiteers out here are feeling right now – failed by The PM & now by Brexiteer backbenchers alike. Is there no one; not one single backbench MP, who has the guts to call out the huge injustice being wrought upon the 17.4 million people who Democratically voted to leave the EU? It appears there isn’t! It’s a sad day when loyal Conservative voters, after much deliberation, conclude that the Conservative Party is full of wimps & turns their gaze towards the Brexit party & Nigel Farage for strong & brave leadership. Surely, if just one backbencher defected to said party it would send a powerful message to those in government. At least then that person would be considered a key player in Britain’s history – rather than simply a record keeper (as excellent as he may be).

    1. Roy Grainger
      May 11, 2019

      Disagree – the BP must not become associated with the Conservative party by accepting defecting MPs, it would put Labour Leavers off voting for them. The Conservative brand is tainted forever – look at the effect Sourby is having on CUK, they made a big mistake in accepting Conservative defectors too, now no more Labour MPs will join them and their poll rating is dire.

      1. ChrissyG
        May 13, 2019

        Fair comment.

  15. Lynn Atkinson
    May 11, 2019

    Will somebody video please? Needs a very wide audience.

  16. Newmania
    May 11, 2019

    People were a bit grumpy because wages were stagnant post 2008 and with a bump in immigration we asked an aging British people if they wished to grumble about their lives. Now we have to live with the idiotic consequences.
    What else is there to say ?

    1. NickC
      May 11, 2019

      Newmania, Rather, it is idiotic to want to be ruled from Brussels by a majority of people we don’t elect, and the EU’s most powerful who no-one elects. And that’s even if you are idiotic enough to think we should be ruled from Brussels at all.

      It is perfectly possible for the UK to be as independent of the EU as New Zealand is. It is perfectly possible for us to be more prosperous as an independent nation. There is no need to pay Brussels to impose their rules, which usually don’t suit us.

      You are just making things up about post 2008 stagnation being the reason. The Leave vote has been 30+ years in the making. You’ve just been blind to it. But then not paying attention and making things up are Remain traits.

      What else is there to say?

      1. margaret howard
        May 11, 2019

        NickC

        Unelected EU governing bodies? Our democracy is made up of 3 components, head of state, houses of Lords and commons. We only get to vote for one which means 2 thirds of our democratic system has no popular vote
        Unrepresentative EU? I vote for an MEP, my PM nominates members to the commission, the MEP’s vote for a president.

        The 28 members of the EU Council are elected Heads of Government. All MEPs are elected by the electorates of the 28 member states.

        And last time I looked at a map New Zealand was quite a long way away from us while Europe was on our doorstep.

        1. anon
          May 12, 2019

          The UK has its problems and needs more democratic control not less, EU style.

          The EU or UK executive and the “remainer” Parliament are directly facing off against the peoples vote and will.

          Can we the people vote to remove the EU commissars?
          Sure we can vote in Farage but that can only be a blocking mechanism. Tell me when the EU parliament and people can directly remove by recall MEPs and commissars!

          We need to clear out the anti democrats from our UK democracy. That applies to the EU as well!

          Once out of EU control, we can take back control of our laws and borders and become a democratic country again.

        2. NickC
          May 12, 2019

          Margaret Howard, False. Neither the monarch nor the HoL have any real or lasting power, the HoL being a minor revising chamber. As you well know. With the collapse of dominance by the old parties, the HoL can be reformed into a democratic chamber.

          Sovereignty (and thus the real power) is exercised in the UK by the people democratically (demos=people; kratos=power) – it is we who elect our MPs. The EU Commission (the real power in the EU) is neither elected by, nor representative of, any demos. The HoC will also be reformed so that a rogue PM and rogue MPs can no steal our sovereignty.

          If Leave succeeds it will be a revolution. If globalist/EU dupes like you win we will get increasing repression where the EU can and will take away your rights. Democracy, freedom and independence, or EU serfdom – your choice. And mine.

          1. margaret howard
            May 13, 2019

            NickC

            “The EU Commission (the real power in the EU) is neither elected by, nor representative of, any demos.”

            The EU is a trading bloc, not a government.

            EU members all have their own governments to elect mostly through the PR system unlike our far more primitive, unrepresentative FPTP system.

            Me EU dupe? More like Farage dupe voters here?

    2. Steve
      May 11, 2019

      Newmania

      Well I had a pay rise recently, as ordered by Hammond……and oh surprise surprise ! …..I’m paying more tax.

      So it’s only a virtual pay rise. How does that provide advantage to the control of inflation or management of the economy ?

      For idiotic consequences there needs to be an idiot in charge.

      1. Pominoz
        May 12, 2019

        Steve,

        Sounds like a PRINO.

  17. Roy Grainger
    May 11, 2019

    Mrs May is turning out to be quite an anti-establishment figure in her own way, showing up the 1922 committee as the ineffectual bunch of empty suits they are, all these years of the pompous Brady and his predecessors pretending to be uniquely powerful and influential and she humiliates them and makes them a laughing stock easily.

    1. ChrissyG
      May 11, 2019

      I agree. The 1922 committee are proving themselves not fit for purpose. Mr Brady is, of course, considering standing in the leadership contest (whenever that may be) so his thoughts may not be on his duty to his country. This Brexit issue is really sorting the men from the boys don’t you think? The would be hero’s from the wet fish?

      1. rose
        May 11, 2019

        This is very disturbing because it means he will want the contest put off until after the betrayal is completed. Then, he will calculate, he will have a better chance up against Brexiteers who will have become, in his mind, redundant.

    2. Steve
      May 11, 2019

      Roy Grainger

      “Mrs May is turning out to be quite an anti-establishment figure in her own way”

      Not really, she just wants it to be ‘her’ creation, modelled to EU requirements.

      “……1922 committee as the ineffectual bunch of empty suits they are”

      Yep. Though they are known to fart occasionally.

  18. Captain Peacock
    May 11, 2019

    John the Tory party is finished dead in the water get out while you can there’s no saving it now.
    ‘Never Forgive the Conservatives
    and Never Forgive the betrayal of our vote.’

    1. Steve
      May 11, 2019

      Cpt Peacock

      That has been said often. However I admire Sir John’s determined adherence to his conservative principles.

      In fact, he is the only politician I know of who I would vote for even if he advocated a policy with which I disagreed.

      It’s about honesty, trust and integrity.

  19. mancunius
    May 11, 2019

    Sir John, I wonder if you will permit a question about the recent first-quarter rise in UK’s national GNP – and the curious media and Treasury responses to it.
    It has been ‘explained’ as being the result of industry stockpiling in advance of the anticipated 29 March brexit date. But stockpiling means buying and not selling – i.e. temporarily lower profits. What kind of ‘stockpiling’ might have led to a spurt in growth? Surely the stockpiling would have been of EU or foreign goods – it would make little sense to stockpile goods readily available in this country, unless they in turn had a lot of EU components, in which case those firms too would be buying extra supplies, and spending more sterling.
    So how might ordering and purchasing increased amounts of foreign supplies abroad lead to a rise in UK growth? It seems like a contradiction in terms. Has anyone dug deeper?

    Hammond was the one who gave the ‘stockpiling’ explanation. At the same time he said that investment in industry was down. But FDI is actually up from 2014-16: total UK FDI is now twice that of Germany, and third globally, only after the USA and China… (Business self-investment is down, that we know, mainly due to immigration-fuelled low wages disincentivising investment in upgrading plant.

    Is this more sleight-of-hand Treasurynomics? If so, perhaps you could counter the Hammondsplaining?

    Reply You are right that stockpiling imports does not boost GDP.Indeed increased imports with no other change lowers GDP. What might have happened is companies like car producers may have increased domestic production prior to shut downs of factories they brought forward from the summer.It seems to me with employment up and wages up consumption was up. April may show some modest relapse on the car factory close downs etc

    1. mancunius
      May 11, 2019

      Reply to reply – Many thanks! So as I suspected, the pretext we were given for the higher growth figure was bogus. I’m surprised nobody questioned it in the media.

    2. margaret howard
      May 11, 2019

      mancunius

      Continued EU membership?

      1. NickC
        May 12, 2019

        Margaret Howard, But then, continuing EU membership could not be a reason for stockpiling.

    3. anon
      May 12, 2019

      Most would likely have planned on an exit day repeated 108 times by our glorious leader.

      So maybe companies were planning. Possibly in anticipation of increased Non-EU trade.!
      Supply chains via the EU may have been re-evaluated during the scare tactics, so small buffers may have been allowed as a precaution against this.

    4. NickC
      May 12, 2019

      Mancunius, Not only have you raised a very valid point, but you also demonstrate that we can no longer trust our institutions because they are now so corrupted by their (pro-EU) political world view they cannot tell the truth. GDP is turnover, or “what-we-produce”, so by definition it does not include imports. GNP just adds net earnings from the UK’s foreign investments to GDP.

  20. Steve
    May 11, 2019

    Sadly I’m 250 miles away, so apologies for not attending.

    I think you’re a good man. One of the few politicians these days prepared to go out amongst the people.

    Hope all goes well.

  21. javelin
    May 11, 2019

    This might take a moment to sink in but the Conservatives are now behind the Brexit Party in national polling. According to the DT. In a first past the post system, a vote for the Conservatives is a vote for the mad Marxists in Labour. So it looks like the Conservatives might suddenly vanish off the political map. Quite unbelievable. But true.

    1. Everhopeful
      May 12, 2019

      Javelin
      Have to admit..they have worked very hard for annihilation.

  22. Mike Wilson
    May 12, 2019

    Mr. Redwood, as an aside, might one enquire if, as an MP, yuk have a vote in the forthcoming EU election?

    If so, will you be voting for the Conservative Party?

    If ‘yes’, why? No-one serious about leaving the EU could vote for the Conservative Party. You must surely be voting for The Brexit Party?!

  23. Oliver
    May 12, 2019

    Only just seen this.

    Will try to be there.

  24. Everhopeful
    May 12, 2019

    Would love to go but for me this country is not navigable any more. Too many cars, accidents, traffic jams, no parking, claustrophobic railways and too many people.
    This may be viewed as “tin foil hat “ territory but just suppose the Overton Window becomes even narrower. What if JR were de-platformed for views not left wing enough?
    We can no longer say with a smirk…” Oh that couldn’t happen!” It already is happening and no one is stopping it. ( IMO govt could have won brownie points for tackling blatant left wing outrages…but no…no chance!)
    “Ask not for whom” etc etc.
    Privilege “flag” at the ready??

  25. Gareth Warren
    May 12, 2019

    While brexit and the current blocking of democracy is the top issue that concerns me the way environment is handled is poor in my opinion.

    The reason is because “climate change” has been promoted to the top, scientifically I am far from convinced the levels of CO2 are the drivers of this and not just changing sun output, The earth certainly has been warmer in the past without undue effect or human CO2. Even if all the calculations were true then the logical response would be actions against nations such as China and India.

    But if there is an environmental emergency that it without doubt real it is the extinction of so many species. While the number of humans on the planet is the main cause, loss of rainforest is a serious culprit. Yet we happily buy palm oil or beef grown from former rainforest.

    Here I would not mind government action to identify and ban imports reliant on it, something that would reduce the demand and thus value of offending products.

    That might involve saying some unpleasant truths to other countries, something modern politics is adverse to unless it offers the chance to signal ones virtue. Something that I would hope and expect from a pro-brexit government.

  26. Iain Gill
    May 13, 2019

    Get it streamed to the web and put on YouTube afterwards?

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