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Brexit, Biden and the Direction of Britain in 2021

Politics &
Economics

What will these seismic events of early 2021 mean for the future of the Britain? A poorer, more isolated nation struggling to cope with the fallout of Brexit and the pandemic? Or a Britain asserting itself with a newfound confidence and sovereignty?

2021 is already set to be a monumental year for Britain. On January 1 we will have finally Brexited, with or without a deal. On January 20 Joe Biden will become President of the United States. And as we move towards the summer months more and more of us will be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

What will these seismic events mean for the future of the country? Will we see a poorer, more isolated nation struggle to cope with the fallout of Brexit and the pandemic? Or will Britain assert itself with a newfound confidence and sovereignty on the world stage? As we begin to return to ‘normal’ will we see a fairer more unified nation? Or will our economic and cultural divides open up and become even more pronounced? 

To discuss and debate these questions, Will Davies and Matthew Goodwin, two of Britain’s most popular political thinkers – one left-leaning, the other right-of-centre – joined us in January 2021.

Event Name

Brexit, Biden and the Direction of Britain in 2021

Intelligence Squared+
Online Event
WATCH ON DEMAND
Speakers for the motion

  • Matthew Goodwin

    Professor of Politics at the University of Kent and author of Values, Voice and Virtue: The New British Politics

  • William Davies

    Political economist and author of This is Not Normal: The Collapse of Liberal Britain

Chair

  • Jenny Kleeman

    Award winning journalist, broadcaster and documentary film-maker

Speakers

Speakers

Matthew Goodwin

Professor of Politics at the University of Kent and author of Values, Voice and Virtue: The New British Politics

Professor of Politics at the University of Kent and author of four books, including the Sunday Times bestseller National Populism. He appears regularly in print and broadcast media including The Sunday Times and the BBC. Goodwin has advised more than 200 organisations on political issues. His new book is Values, Voice and Virtue: The New British Politics.  

William Davies

Political economist and author of This is Not Normal: The Collapse of Liberal Britain

Political economist and author of This is Not Normal: The Collapse of Liberal Britain. He is also the author of Nervous States: How Feeling Took Over the World and writes regularly for the London Review of Books, The Guardian and The New York Times.

 

 

Chair

Jenny Kleeman

Award winning journalist, broadcaster and documentary film-maker

Journalist, author and broadcaster. She has reported for Channel 4's foreign affairs series Unreported World and BBC One's Panorama, and was a launch presenter on Times Radio. She is the author of books including Sex Robots and Vegan Meat and the forthcoming title The Price of Life: In Search of What We're Worth and Who Decides published in April 2024.

 

Speakers are subject to change.