Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Can we fix the dysfunctional state?
Introductory speeches filmed by Worldwrite volunteers at the Battle of Ideas Festival 25
#BritishPolitics
#StateOfTheNation
#UKGovernment
#politicaldebate
Is the British state broken? Voters increasingly seem to think so. From seemingly out-of-control rents, taxes, mortgages and bills to a dysfunctional health service, few of the building blocks of modern life seem to work well in contemporary Britain.
Some argue that the rot is deeper than mere dysfunction. The state seems to view the nation with unbridled suspicion, relying on propaganda, secrecy and cover-ups. No matter how we vote, the elites seem to respond time and again with the same policies.
So, what’s behind the crisis of the British state? Is it a question of incompetence, or leadership? Do we need better incentives, managers and experts, or something more far-reaching? In fact, is the failure of the state more a failure of politics – an absence of political vision, will and, above all, a drive to actually represent the concerns of the wider nation at the heart of government?
The speakers on the panel in this debate are:
Lord David Frost - Member of the House of Lords
Munira Mirza - Chief executive, Civic Future
Jacob Reynolds - Head of policy, MCC Brussels; Associate fellow, Academy of Ideas
Andreas Wesemann - Partner, Ashcombe Advisers LLP
The chair is:
Claire Fox - Director, Academy of Ideas; independent peer, House of Lords
WORLDwrite is a volunteer-run citizen TV channel that stands up for free speech – no ifs or buts. We film hard-hitting political debates, including panels from the Battle of Ideas festival, tackling taboo topics and defending ordinary people against contempt and censorship.
We train hundreds of young adults every year to shoot the arguments that matter, producing fearless films on politics, democracy, freedom, and global equality.
This is Citizen TV that punches above its weight.
Subscribe for unapologetic documentaries, debate and dissent.
Can we fix the dysfunctional state?
Introductory speeches filmed by Worldwrite volunteers at the Battle of Ideas Festival 25
#BritishPolitics
#StateOfTheNation
#UKGovernment
#politicaldebate
Is the British state broken? Voters increasingly seem to think so. From seemingly out-of-control rents, taxes, mortgages and bills to a dysfunctional health service, few of the building blocks of modern life seem to work well in contemporary Britain.
Some argue that the rot is deeper than mere dysfunction. The state seems to view the nation with unbridled suspicion, relying on propaganda, secrecy and cover-ups. No matter how we vote, the elites seem to respond time and again with the same policies.
So, what’s behind the crisis of the British state? Is it a question of incompetence, or leadership? Do we need better incentives, managers and experts, or something more far-reaching? In fact, is the failure of the state more a failure of politics – an absence of political vision, will and, above all, a drive to actually represent the concerns of the wider nation at the heart of government?
The speakers on the panel in this debate are:
Lord David Frost - Member of the House of Lords
Munira Mirza - Chief executive, Civic Future
Jacob Reynolds - Head of policy, MCC Brussels; Associate fellow, Academy of Ideas
Andreas Wesemann - Partner, Ashcombe Advisers LLP
The chair is:
Claire Fox - Director, Academy of Ideas; independent peer, House of Lords
WORLDwrite is a volunteer-run citizen TV channel that stands up for free speech – no ifs or buts. We film hard-hitting political debates, including panels from the Battle of Ideas festival, tackling taboo topics and defending ordinary people against contempt and censorship.
We train hundreds of young adults every year to shoot the arguments that matter, producing fearless films on politics, democracy, freedom, and global equality.
This is Citizen TV that punches above its weight.
Subscribe for unapologetic documentaries, debate and dissent.
